Battery issues

stevocom · Post by **stevocom** » Sun May 06, 2012 7:57 pm

Just re-installed two fully charged batteries,
So during the install I happened to bump the neg to the pos
And caused a decent spark, now I've got no 12 v power.
How's this possible? I can't find any fuses or breakers that may
Have tripped, could I have fried the emergency start? Maybe I have missed
Another bank of breakers or fuse somewhere, thoughts please?

gettaway · Post by **gettaway** » Sun May 06, 2012 9:02 pm

not sure of the model or year of your boat, but there are breakers on the back of the engien above the transmissions on the mercruiser engines, check that? I know on the mercruisers, house power runs through the engine harness to the breaker panel below the lower helm

captainmaniac · Post by **captainmaniac** » Sun May 06, 2012 9:36 pm

Like gettaway says... don't know exactly what your configuration is as you didn't give enough info, so this may or may not make any sense...

Main engine breakers are a possibility, or you just fried a few fuses (did you have both +ve and -ve battery cables connected when this happened - you didn't say?), or you fried the battery (melted an internal connection perhaps). Try a voltmeter on the battery itself (with all cables disconnected) to figure out if it is gone or not before you spend any time investigating the boat wiring.

Pretty cool buzz you get from holding on to a wrench that connects the positive and negative terminals on a good 12V together, isn't it? I am reminded every time I see the divot that was taken out of one of my wrenches because of the arc.

jefflaw35 · Post by **jefflaw35** » Sun May 06, 2012 9:40 pm

try hooking it up to a ford mustang backwards. everything gets fried, wish I knew how. sorry to read this...

stevocom · Post by **stevocom** » Mon May 07, 2012 10:43 am

1978 F36 440's. I find it hard to believe anything could have got fried, i had literally just bumped (split second) terminal wires. I could see a breaker or fuse popping but thats it. A reset on top of each motor and on on both sides of the emergency box in front of the batteries, all resets appear to be fine. No circuit's under the lower helm have been tripped. Can there be another fuse or reset somewhere? Anything up top? The only few things that still work are bilge pump,blower and port starter motor and thats it.

TADTOOMUCH · Post by **TADTOOMUCH** » Mon May 07, 2012 11:20 am

Try using a jumper across the starter to see if she turns over. Use the kind with a push button to see if you can jog the starter.

Mike Kulp · Post by **Mike Kulp** » Mon May 07, 2012 11:56 am

Break out your volt meter and start going through the system starting at the battery's, test on both sides of the circuit breakers and all fuses, you may have circuit breaker that has failed internally and will not reset, also do not forget to check grounds, start with the basics first.

gettaway · Post by **gettaway** » Mon May 07, 2012 12:06 pm

Steve,

do you have a wiring diagram for your boat? Your boat is a 1978 so time could have caused faulty connections that look fine. I had an issue with intermittant ignition on the starbord engine, some days it was fine, some it wouldn't turn over. I pulled the neutral safety switch and checked continuity , it was fine, I ran a ground to the start solenoid and it worked, when I pulled the engines and when I was disconnecting the wiring harness, the ground wire ring terminal to the start solenoid just fell off. the wire had corroded through and the insulation was all that holding it in place.

the spark created by your arcing could have been the final blow to a connection somewhere in your system.

start at your engine wiring harnes and use a test light or multi meter and work your way to the breaker panel.
and be sure to check your ground - side as well, not just for positive

Big D · Post by **Big D** » Mon May 07, 2012 7:58 pm

Mike Kulp wrote:Break out your volt meter and start going through the system starting at the battery's....

+1. Stop guessing; start at the battery, and do a voltage drop test by taking readings at every connection along the circuit to see if you have voltage there. Next after the battery I suspect is the starter, and so on. To get reading in some spots, you may need to turn the ignition switch to the "on" position. The place between 12V and no 12V or much less, where your problem lies. Follow all cables; to all connections auch as battery switches etc. Oh, and as you go along, tighten all connections, and check the pins in the engine wiring harness.

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Battery issues

Battery issues

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