Home › Forums › Bass Cat Faq Archive › New touchpad did not solve the issue, can use some help with 2011 Puma FTD
2011 Puma FTD. No compartment lights, no horn, no bilge pump (auto or manual). Troubleshot it last week with BCB and they kindly sent me a new A-10 touchpad to install which I have and all systems are operational except the compartment lights, horn, and bilge pump in both auto and manual mode.
Have pulled the oil reservoir, support plate for the oil reservoir, and gone over every connection in the bilge and everything is in tact and well seated. Disconnected the bilge and ran the system test and no difference. Reconnected it and no change.
Out of ideas as support was pretty sure as was I that it was the touch pad but the new one is in and works exactly as the other one minus these 3 systems which leads me to believe they share a common ground or some other in circuit commonality and therein lies the problem.
Need help from someone who knows BCB wiring convention to help troubleshoot it if you are out there. Will be on the phone with BCB in the AM but am still testing with my meter and trying to find the culprit. Any help is much appreciated. Thanks
Chuck did you check the “terminal strip” located behind your batteries on the driver’s side? If you didn’t, I would get your voltmeter and check both red wires for power while moving your common lead to all of the grounds. There is a jumper there that needs to be in good condition. I would pull on all wires to ensure that the crimps are good and they do not pull out in your hand. If you run out of things to do then disconnect the terminals and clean them before putting them back on. Make sure you disconnect your positive lead on the cranking battery before doing this .This series of tests could possibly point out your problem. It’s worth a try.
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Everyone should believe in something. I believe I’ll just go fishing!
I did check them by “feel” and they felt very solid. Even gave the screw heads a tension test to be sure none backed out due to vibration, etc and everything feels rock solid. Am noticing a slight bit of chalkiness on a few terminals so am going to disconnect each, clean, and reconnect.
This may be the key as upon doing this again this evening was able to get the compartment light to “flicker” which points to a ground likely unless the other 2 systems (bilge & horn) are on the same positive circuit.
**Update** Found 2 issues with the terminal block. While all connections felt solid upon loosening each (after disconnecting the positive lead on the cranking battery) I found that one terminal had significant corrosion on it and so I cleaned it with fine file to get a good “shiny metal to metal” connection upon reconnecting it. Second thing was that the jumper pointed out by JEH was not seated within the crimp real good and had a little “wiggle” in it which was only noticeable when the terminal screw was loosened.
Went ahead and cleaned each terminal post, replaced the terminal block “loops” on both ends of the jumper and also the corroded ground terminal post I found and reconnected everything and IT WORKS!
Great call JEH, that was the needle in the haystack I was hunting for!! Thanks a TON!
Thanks to BCB Admin here who contacted me and although closed for the Holiday week was willing to see if there might be someone who could contact me from the plant to give me some guidance which is phenomenal customer service; particularly for a second owner (me). Many thanks for the contact BCB and a special thanks to JEH for your help. Hoping that this thread helps someone else who searches on the title topic in the event that they have an issue like this.
The horn,bilge pump and lights run off of a seperate power source from the rest of the boat. You have 2 red power wires going to the A10.. One is thru the master power switch and powers graphs, livewell pumps, nav. lights & accessories. The other powers without being switched off and that’s the bilge, horn and security/compartment lights. I’d start by confirming power to the second red wire if you haven’t. Good Luck
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