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electrical issues - starboard lights

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sambalero	electrical issues - starboard lights		Lead	[-]
Posts: 4 08/20/60 11:18:42	Tags : None We are new Catalina owners and are working with an older boat. Recently (and very suddenly!) the starboard lights went out. After checking all the basics (shoreline power connection), instrument panel (batteries were all charged and on), etc., we still could not get these lights back on. The other lights remained on. We knew the batteries were old and in need of replacement, which we did promptly. We also checked the fuses we could locate and the light bulbs. There must be a short in the wiring. The boat's electrical system is a disaster and needs to be redone (however, this ranks lower on the list of things to do at the moment). Has anyone experienced a similar situation? Any suggestions would be helpful. We are trying to learn as we go!
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sambalero	electrical issues - starboard lights and more!	#1	[url]	[-]
Posts: 4 08/10/08 19:08:38	One more thing - when we took the boat to the mooring, we discovered that the instruments at the cockpit have also stopped working! So, the electrical items not working include: starboard lights (galley, main cabin, forward head) and cockpit instruments.........let's hope this is it.
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peter	same	#2	[url]	[-]
Posts: 257 08/11/08 04:37:32	Check the DC power panel, ground( separate gang strip) and positive feed (gang strips to various components). A voltmeter is a must. Make sure your shore power is disconnected and inverter is off as the AC supply is close by. Nine times out of ten it will be your ground is the problem.
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azure42		#3	[url]	[-]
Posts: 328 08/11/08 05:57:22	I have an older model boat too. Here are a few simple things to check at the panel: 1. The "rocker' type switches for port and starboard lights at the top of the panel field are on. 2. The small push button fuse re-sets at the end of the row containing the rocker switches are pushed in (each row has one of these). 3. The larger push button fuses for port and starboard at the upper right side of the panel are pushed in. 4. For your instruments, also check the smaller push button reset at the end of the rocker switch row. Hopefully a simple fix is the answer for now, but you'll still need to track down why these fuses might blow. Good luck. Rod Williams Azure' #343, 2-cabin fin Alameda/San Francisco Bay, CA. Last Edited By: azure42 08/11/08 06:01:25. Edited 1 time.
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azure42		#4	[url]	[-]
Posts: 328 08/11/08 06:04:31	I had another thought about your starboard lights not working -- check the boat and find the GFI plug-in outlets (one for each side, starboard is usually in the forward head). Make sure the GFI button is pushed in. This would be a symptom of the AC outlet plugs not working, but it's worth looking at. Rod Williams Azure' #343, 2-cabin fin Alameda/San Francisco Bay, CA. Last Edited By: azure42 08/11/08 06:08:50. Edited 2 times.
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sambalero		#5	[url]	[-]
Posts: 4 08/12/08 07:19:12	Thanks for the useful suggestions. We just purchased a voltmeter to help us narrow down the problem area. Rod - the buttons (beside the rocker switches) you speak of on the panel are among the things that I first noticed. They do not pop in or out. There is one for the starboard lights specifically - if this is the fuse reset, then we clearly have a problem. I will look into it further. Also, the one GFI outlet we could locate on the starboard side is not working. Perhaps this is contributing. Again, the ideas are much appreciated - Maria
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yorkrose		#6	[url]	[-]
Posts: 275 08/12/08 07:23:32	Not to be too contrarian, but the GFI and the DC lights are completely unrelated. It is a good idea to check the GFI, and repair any problem, but it will not have any impact on the 12 volt starboard lights. Regards, Gene Fuller Yorkshire Rose, C42 #870
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azure42		#7	[url]	[-]
Posts: 328 08/12/08 14:33:44	Maria, I was hoping the solution could be something very simple. One more simple thing (almost as simple) that you can look for is behind your electrical panel. If your boat is similar to mine, the starboard and port lighting rocker switches are in the top row of the panel. Open up the panel (be ready for a rat's nest of wiring) check the bayonet style connection for the starboard light switch and see if there is good contact. Wriggling it may get the lights back on. I'm not sure which of your instruments aren't working -- are your navigation instruments out, or your engine panel instruments? The engine panel ones (tach, temp. oil pressure) are wired through the ignition switch, your navigation instruments (wind, speed, etc.) should be wired through various rocker switches on the electrical panel. Again, check the connections for all, it's possible the connections at the panel. the switch, or behind the instruments have worked loose or built up corrosion. Gene's right, and possibly I wasn't clear in my other post -- the GFI is related to the AC plugs, not the DC cabin lights, however, if you're having a series of electrical failures it won't hurt to check them. The GFI plug for the port side on my 2-cabin boat is located in the "garage" area behind the galley. I'm guessing your boat is a 3-cabin as you mentioned the starboard light failure affecting your galley lights. Yours may be somewhere in the aft port cabin. Good luck! I hate working on electrical problems. Rod Williams Azure' #343, 2-cabin fin Alameda/San Francisco Bay, CA.
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Malcolm Smith		#8	[url]	[-]
Posts: 6 08/14/08 06:40:49	I see a lot of it may be this and it maybe that, it's only a simple task of testing the circuit but I am an Electrical Engineer so that may be unfair. Open the main panel; you will notice there is a common bus on the positive side (that means it connects to other switches) test to see if there is 12 volts present on the positive bus also the bus for your instruments. If it's OK then turn on the light switch, is there a positive on the other side of the switch? If yes, then trace out the wiring there will be a point I would think that acts as a distribution point for runs to each light. If there is no output at the switch, then it is either the switch that is defective or there is a poor connection (high resistance) on the positive bus that drops the voltage low when a load is applied (the load being the lights). You could check by removing the output from the switch (load) and see if there is voltage when the switch is closed but supplying no load (open circuit). If there is 12 volts, then this proves a poor connection on the positive bus and may also be the problem for the fault on the instruments. If no output the switch is at fault. QED.
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