Topic: need some tech electrical assistance.should be easy

This topic has 4 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 11 years, 10 months ago by 3broscat.

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July 31, 2014 at 3:18 am #432664

3broscat
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my 2010 cougar ftd has had depth finder voltage issues all this time.i finally found the culprit.full battery voltage is present at both connectors unplugged but yet when connected voltage shows 3 to 4 volts low on display.i show continuity between power and ground of 3 to 4 ohms resistance with the master switch off. can someone please tell me where they have these 2 tapped in to the wrong circuit and why? im thinking the rear junction block or alarm system.dont want to run new wires if not needed.thanks

July 31, 2014 at 11:27 am #432668

laps19
Participant

I have a 2008 Puma and I will get a low voltage alarm throughout the day. They are also wired to the harness or tapped off existing connections. The general best practice is to wire directly to your battery. I am about to do this on my rig. The easiest way to fish a wire from the back is to remove the starboard chrome vent and use a fish-tape to run the wire to the console and then tuck it in to the rod box and make your way to the front graph. I removed my speaker to give better access to route the wires and find the fish-tape. If you are going to pull a wire for the the front you might as well pull a pair for the console at the same time to save your self some aggravation Mike

July 31, 2014 at 12:18 pm #432669

Bass Cat Boats
Keymaster

The wires are going show proper voltage without a load. Its like your measuring the extension of the battery terminals. when you put a load on them (turn the df on), the voltage will drop. Main causes for this is connections and wire size over the run to the depth finder. Also, if the DF wires are “tapped” into other wires, the switches and loads from the other wires can cause this drop. If youre going to run new wire, run a set of 10ga from the back to the front and connect to a terminal block. These will be big enough to carry what you need and to allow for more accessories to be added in the future. Dont forget to put a switch on the wire somewhere that can turn the depthfinder circuit off.JohnJones Trolling Motor Services870 773 3474Motorguide/MinnKota/PowerPole/Lowrance/Humminbird

August 1, 2014 at 3:48 am #432670

Bass Cat Boats
Keymaster

The older boats were smaller wire on the main trunk line than todays boats. Todays boats are also tinned wire. The tinned wire does not work as well new (99% power) and does work better when aged as the corrosion on copper diminishes current flow, which is what your experiencing. If you replace the wire with a direct line from the terminal block as John suggests, we would use tinned wire. What your facing is either an aging circuit breaker with corrosion, aging wiring with copper fouling, bad connections or all three. BCB

August 1, 2014 at 5:45 am #432671

3broscat
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ill find it.
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