PDA

View Full Version : Battery swap - electrical damage?



notsoshaggyda
07-11-2000, 11:27 AM
After a long and exciting poker run, I left the battery switch and a light on in the 22. The next weekend, as would be expected, the whole family arrived for a boat ride but the battery was too weak to crank the 454. A regular problem, but here's where it gets dicey.

We were unable to use jumper cables to crank the motor and had to rely on a battery we found near the slip which is apparently used by others to start engines. Sure enough, the engine fired. But when we disconnected this battery with the engine running and reattached the original battery, the engine died. But that's not all.

Now, the hatch, ignitition, gauges, and radio are dead while the other electrical equipment work fine. Of course, the Donzi manual warns against disconnecting the battery, but who reads the manual.

Sorry for the long post, but here's the question: will a new battery remedy the situation or have I fried the electrics?

Thanks for your input.

PaulO
07-11-2000, 01:30 PM
Whether or not you fried the regulator or a diode I cannot say. You will have to get it started and verify that the alternator is charging the battery once running. The fact that the boat stopped running once you disconnected the battery and now several circuits are not functioning makes me wonder if you inadvertantly disconnected a hot lead which is seperate from the battery terminal? Check for any hanging wires around the battery area. Does the engine attempt to crank with the battery installed?
PaulO

RickR
07-11-2000, 01:32 PM
For starters you have probably fried the diodes in you alternator.
It is much cheaper to get it rebuilt at your local alternator shop than to buy a new one.
RickR

notsoshaggyda
07-11-2000, 02:52 PM
Thanks for the help.

Do you think it matters that the power hungry items such as the hatch motor, radio and starter are all out while the lights and blower still work?

digitalMan
07-11-2000, 04:12 PM
Maybe it's a fuse somewhere?

Here's another idea/clue - The lights and blower will operate on their own circuits without the need for you to turn the ignition on. The items that don't work all sound like the type of things that need the ignition turned on to work.

Here are some more questions for the group:

Could there be some problem with the feed to the ignition switch?

Does anybody know if there is some sort of main fuse in there anywhere?

How is the ignition switch wired?

Do the alternator diodes come into play when the ignition switch is in the run position?

Murphy
07-11-2000, 05:24 PM
Don't know what year your boat is but my 1986 22 feeds all the components you listed through a buss bar mounted under the dash. This bar distributes power to the instruments and switches that control ignition, lights, blower, horn, accessories etc. Depending on how you're wired, some may run through a dash mounted mini breaker panel also. I think these items will operate from your battery whether the engine is running or not once the ignition switch is turned on. You're dealing with a fuse, breaker, or ground problem I think.

I'd start by looking for a fuse that feeds the ignition switch. It should be directly under the panel on the driver side. If there is none, get ahold of a meter and set to check continuity. Use this to verify ground at the ignition switch and buss bar. 90% of problems start with ground in DC systems. The suggestion about a secondary + or - battery lead that didn't get connected sounds possible. If ground is good, then set for DC Voltage and check your buss ignition switch and buss bar for current. I think there must be juice or the other components wouldn't work. That leaves fuses and breakers. I can't imagine enough DC voltage was sent through the system to fry all the components mentioned. It's not out of the question, but I'd be surprised.

Let us know what you find.

Murph