Relay.... auto pilot help

NYSail

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Jan 6, 2006
3,048
Beneteau 423 Mt. Sinai, NY
Hello all. So I have this relay that always is warm. Has a wire that goes to a hot wire. When I unplug this wire, the auto pilot turns on and starts beeping. Plug back in the ap turns off.

AP has its own breaker on panel that turns on/off no issues.
 

Attachments

Feb 26, 2004
22,760
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
NYS, photos of wires without a wiring diagram make it danged near impossible to help us to help you. Even with your description of what happens. Can you trace where the wires go and what they are connected to?
 

LloydB

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Jan 15, 2006
806
Macgregor 22 Silverton
Sounds like the secondary power relay for the autopilot in case the main autopilot power goes dead. The autopilot is apparently programmed to indicate what that problem is when the main power is turned off but only the AP manual will tell you that. The coil in the relay is powered up to turn the contacts off when there is power going to the relay causing relay to be warm. If the AP has a small backup battery built into it it would make sense to start beeping but again you need to go back to the manual to find out what that means and without telling us which AP and whether or not the relay is warm when you get to the boat before you turn power on to the boat....
 
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NYSail

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Jan 6, 2006
3,048
Beneteau 423 Mt. Sinai, NY
It’s a raymarine unit, below deck of 2005 vintage. I have attempted to trace wires and from what I’ve read in manual there is no relay in line from panel to unit. Red from panel is spliced into relay then continues I think to the unit..... other wires get lost in a harness. Also relay is always warm to touch.... again with ap off if I unplug relay power source ap turns on and beeps. Strange...... guess I’ll start cutting open the harness to trace.

thanks
Greg
 

LloydB

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Jan 15, 2006
806
Macgregor 22 Silverton
Just out of curiosity what happens when you turn the auto pilot on and have it working properly and then disconnect the power wire going to the relay?
 

NYSail

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Jan 6, 2006
3,048
Beneteau 423 Mt. Sinai, NY
You know I haven’t tried that one yet..... will give it a shot. Thanks!