www.iFourWinns.com

Maybe someone has some ideas (I did a search and found one thread on topic but need more ideas).

Used the boat quite a bit the past two weekends. Heading back to the marina and in a no wake, engine suddenly dies. Turn the key, nothing happens. Hit the blower accessory and it comes on. Figure ok, battery is working. Look under helm and the ignition fuse (15a) is blown. Pull it out and stick another in. Turn the key the engine starts and then dies. Same fuse blows. Check the safety cut off and all wires on the ignition module. All seems tight, no corrosion or worn wires. Another fuse, engine starts and then cuts off. So I lay under there with the boat in neutral and a new fuse and turn the key. Engine starts and I see the little spark as the fuse blows. This was fuse 5 or 6 and a little puff of smoke. So I stop and get a fisherman to tow me to the nearest dock. Once at the dock (maybe half hour or so),I check the engine, batteries, wiring, etc and see nothing. I put another fuse in and the engine fires and runs perfect. Drive back to the marina (15 min some idle some at 25mph or so) and put it on the trailer. After dinner, I go clean it up and hook up the hose and flush the engine and fire it up with the hose running. Let it run for a while and again, works fine.

I checked the ground to the engine (per a post) and it feels tight. I could not see it, but will investigate some more tonight. I looked at all the wiring that I could see and nothing appears burnt, or rubbing on a screw or anything. All spade wiring connectors on ignition look ok and are tight. This happened once before when my starter went bad, and I have a brand new starter and ran for months without the issue.

Anyone have any ideas on what to look at? Could the ignition module (correct term?) (where the key goes) have a short?

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2010 Sea Hunt Triton 220 "Big Whiskey"
2003 FW Freedom 180 Volvo Penta 4.3GL/SX-M "It'll Do Four Now" (Sold)
2012 Avalanche LTZ 4X4

Howdy, the only thing that will blow a fuse is an over current. This could be caused by having too many loads connected to a circuit thereby overloading it. Did you add any accessories to this circuit? Or it could be caused by a short circuit.

Do you have access to an ammeter that you can connect into the circuit? Knowing whether it is a short or a overload would be helpful.

I will look at a wiring diagram.

Greg

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2008 210SS 6.2L DTS Bravo 1 Now featuring MercMonitor w/SmartTow

I think that thin pink (or red) wire attached to the 2 purple wires is not original. What is it connected to?

Graham

You are correct sir. There is no red shown coming from the ign switch. One of the wires appears to go to the 4 in 1 gauge. There should only be purple feeding the gauges. Perhaps this is indication of a previous repair. Done dirt cheap.

Where does 'tother red wire go?

Greg

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2008 210SS 6.2L DTS Bravo 1 Now featuring MercMonitor w/SmartTow

I will check tonight, but I believe the red wire is for the hour meter on the engine. I believe the former owner had it installed. The only other accessory that I added that draws power is the remote trim switch and the remote radio. Neither connect to the ignition.

This picture shows the hour meter and the red wire (This was when I was installing the second battery and the battery cable does not go through the engine compartment!).



Finished second battery just for reference.



Here is the hour meter display (black circle in front of cup holder...not a great location but came with the boat).



Here are the only electrical accessories I added and the trim switch was inline of the existing and the other is the remote radio.

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2010 Sea Hunt Triton 220 "Big Whiskey"
2003 FW Freedom 180 Volvo Penta 4.3GL/SX-M "It'll Do Four Now" (Sold)
2012 Avalanche LTZ 4X4

I think I would be inclined to disconnect the hour meter from the ignition switch and test run the boat with it disconnected.
(don't you just love drilling holes in your shiny gelcoat?)
Greg

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2008 210SS 6.2L DTS Bravo 1 Now featuring MercMonitor w/SmartTow

From what I can gather from the wiring schematics, the hour meter in the engine compartment should be connected to the ignition switch, one of the purple wires; then it is looped to the ignition input into the engine harness, Another purple wire.

If there is no hour meter in the engine compartment, the standard wires ( 2 purple wires to one connector) may be there; worth checking that connector cannot short out somowhere.

Graham

So is it wired incorrectly Graham?

Would it be possible for the hour meter wire to heat up and cause the ignition fuse to blow repeatedly until it cooled off?

I am not sure I could replicate the fuse blowing problem and the last time it happened was a number of months ago. Sort of just happens.

Gregs: Yeah I spent a lot of time measuring and checking and looking over where I wanted to mount the trim and radio. But it was not that bad once I made the initial pilot hole. And I really do use both quite a bit, so happy with the result.

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2010 Sea Hunt Triton 220 "Big Whiskey"
2003 FW Freedom 180 Volvo Penta 4.3GL/SX-M "It'll Do Four Now" (Sold)
2012 Avalanche LTZ 4X4

I would expect that an hour meter wouldn't draw a lot of current; it doesn't really matter where it is, as it seems to have been wired to the correct purple wire source. If the hour meter had been wired with very much too thin wires, yes, they would heat up but the greater resistance would mean there was less current flowing through them/ the hourmeter,so the fuse would not blow ( the thin wires become the fuse !). The original 15A fuse took the current the possible optional OEM hourmeter took. However, as I mentioned the original, possibly unused connections may be there in the engine compartment. With shorts/ overloads, it's a matter of elimination before you can find the cause.

Graham

PDA,

Not to jump your thread, I too just added a second battery, after deciding where to run the wire I opted for running it over the engine behind the fiberglass that runs over the engine, used one hole rubber straps (5) and it worked well and is hidden, very clean if I say so myself, here is the reason why, look at your positve battery cable, if it ever were to short and burn yours is running right over the fuel supply line and the vent tube not a good combo that made me nervous and I did it another route. My 2 cents.


Mike

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Mike
2007 Horizon 200 SS
5.0 GXi SX drive.

Are there 2 hour meters fitted? ; one rectangular one on the engine and one circular one you referred to as the display? Normally, hour meters are integral, without a separate display.

Graham

Got busy with work, but I think I traced the problem. Took the boat out Saturday and stayed on the intra-coastal just incase of a problem. The boat ran great. No issues at all. However, I noticed the depth gauge (aftermarket installed by previous owner) was not working. So when I got it home, I took apart the depth gauge and wiring (it is down in front of my helm cup holder. Low and behold the wire was melted/burnt thru. Not sure of the cause, it was down under the cupholder and the fiberglass is rough, maybe it rubbed, or maybe there is a screw down there???? Not sure why it melted. Here is a picture:



There is a fuse on the wire, but it was after the break. I traced the wire and found that the depth gauge was wired with the hour meter. See picture:



Since both the depth gauge and hour meter are wired to the ignition (to turn on when the engine starts) and the depth gauge wire appears to have heated up and melted, I am "assuming" that was what caused the ignition fuse to keep popping (6x). Thus, once I stopped replacing fuses and the depth gauge wiring cooled off and evidently split, the depth gauge stopped working (did not recognize that the day of the fuse popping) , the ignition fuse was fine and has not been a problem since.

Do you agree?

How should i wire the depth gauge? I want to leave the hour meter on the ignition for obvious reasons, but the depth gauge could be on a switch I suppose or some other item that turns on with the ignition that is not critical? Radio?

_________________
2010 Sea Hunt Triton 220 "Big Whiskey"
2003 FW Freedom 180 Volvo Penta 4.3GL/SX-M "It'll Do Four Now" (Sold)
2012 Avalanche LTZ 4X4

Here is a picture of where the depth and wiring is located. Down by your feet on the helm. Installed by previous owner. Will eventually not use once I pick my chartplotter.

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2010 Sea Hunt Triton 220 "Big Whiskey"
2003 FW Freedom 180 Volvo Penta 4.3GL/SX-M "It'll Do Four Now" (Sold)
2012 Avalanche LTZ 4X4

One BIG problem comes to mind right away, and that's the way the wires aren't secured. You really MUST secure all wiring in a boat. Otherwise the motion of the boat can eventually cause the wiring to break. That and that in-line splice doesn't quite look like a factory job. Can't tell for sure, but the wire your arrows point toward also looks to be a thinner gauge than the rest. Not a good thing. Trying to pull too much power through too small of a wire will cause it to overheat.

SIX times you replaced fuses? Ok, that gets you a slap upside the back of your head. NEVER, EVER allow an electrical problem on a boat to go unsolved like that again. Let's be clear, boats have gasoline on board. All electrical stuff on board is designed to be non-sparking. This to prevent the VERY big risk of EXPLOSION should gas fumes be present. It does not take much gas to cause a very big explosion in a confined space like a boat. It doesn't take much to cause a fuel leak. And here you let a wire get hot enough to BURN through it's insulation. Reach back and slap your self upside the head. Perhaps once for each fuse. I'm kidding, of course, but perhaps only just barely...

Ok, so now that you've learned the joys of discovering what half-assed nonsense previous owners can inflict on a boat you'd do well to REALLY look over the rest of the wiring. Make sure it's all secured and doesn't show any signs of heat or other damage. And if you discover anything stupid like wire nuts having been used then replace them with connectors intended for marine use. Oh, and DO NOT solder anything as that actually makes the join more susceptible to breakage. Stick with the crimped style. Get a decent ratcheting crimper if needed.

Where does the schematic show the depth gauge and sensor wiring going? Or was it not an option from the factory?

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

Dang! My knuckles are hurting from the rapping Bill gave me with the ruler! Hope I can type!

For the record, we had just come through a very busy and high current pass from the Gulf of Mexico to the ICW when the engine died. Realizing I had no power, my first thought was the fuse, it was blown, swapped it and tried the key. Boat would not start. Looked under and the fuse was blown. Swapped it a second time and it pops. We switch to plan B and toss the hook as the current is soooo strong. However we are on the left side of the channel. We all don life jackets to be safe and then do some preliminary inspections. No wire issues that we could see, switched from battery 1 to battery 2, checked the engine etc. Then we tried yet another fuse. The engine turns over, but dies. Keep in mind, others on the boat were asking some other boaters to tow us to a dock that was on either side of the channel. One ahole is telling us to not drop our hook in the channel and yelling at us for not having a back up rope ready and that he wont help as it would sink him. Dumb ass.

I lay under so I can see the fuse panel, with the next fuse and turn the key and the engine starts and the fuse blows. I watched closely and I could see the little spark in the fuse on the next and we stopped messing with it. A charter fishing captain comes to help. There is more exciting parts to the story, but we eventually get towed to a nearby dock and tied up. A friend comes to grab some of the passengers off the boat. This is about 45 min later. He says try another fuse as everything should be cooled off. Boat fires up and runs fine and we take it back to our marina and put it on the trailer.

Now to the wiring. I did not do or have the depth and hour meter installed. That was the previous owner. It is not factory, but I believe he had his dealer install it. Those wires are actually pretty tight under the helm. They do not move and are secured. What i found not secured was the wires under the depth gauge and cup holder. One little zip tie and they were all over the place in there as though they shoved them in the openning.

The depth and hour meter are not on the schematic as they are aftermarket. I traced all the wiring that I could see and found nothing that looked burnt or frayed or anything abnormal. Those are the only "non-factory" items other than what I installed (transom trim swithc and rear stereo control and second battery). All my stuff was done with the crimps and the heat shrink connectors. Nope no wire nuts in use!

The splice is odd and probably lazy. Ran one wire to the ignition and then spliced and sent it off to the two accesories. I understand the hour meter being tied to the ignition in order to be accurate, but why the depth gauge. There is an ACC switch on the helm that is tied to nothing and could be used. The wiring is different gauge on the splice. The hour meter's is a bit heavier.

The burnt wiring was hidden under the cup holder and depth gauge. Not visible at all. I am guessing that it had somehow frayed or maybe been touching something and rubbing and got heated up. Whether it melted through when the engine went the first time or from my fuse parade, I do not know.

Learning experience on this one with your advice on the potential fire hazard I will remember for next time which I hope does not happen. I think I was focused on getting out of the channel and the very strong current by trying to get the boat restarted.

_________________
2010 Sea Hunt Triton 220 "Big Whiskey"
2003 FW Freedom 180 Volvo Penta 4.3GL/SX-M "It'll Do Four Now" (Sold)
2012 Avalanche LTZ 4X4