2002 Aquasport 215 DC Osprey electrical issues

[vacottonking]

The motor cranks, the electrical tachometer & speedometer work. Nothing else will work. Not the Bilge pump, fish box pump, horn, gps, running lights, radio, interior lights, etc.  Battery is strong.  Everything worked fine last week.  There is a black box attached to the transom close to the batteries with a 40 amp main thingy, then there are three more breakers (10 or 15 amp) in the black box and all of them appear fine.  I hope there is some help on this forum.  I do not see any corrosion or rust.

[RickK]

Welcome aboard vacottonking  :!:  :!:
The engine functionality, i.e. tach and speedo is from signals in the engine wiring harness.  The engine has direct connection to the battery (may be through a main on/off switch).
The other things that aren't working are usually connected to a circuit panel under the dash and the main feed to that fuse box is also fused.  Sounds like, since everything went dead, that it may be the fuse in the main feed line to the circuit panel OR you may have lost the ground to that panel.  Sounds like something simple though.  Look for a thinner Red wire connected to the battery that has an in-line fuse on it (yellow fuse casing?) -  some people connect this after the main switch too.  Look for a thinner red wire coming out of the back of the On-Off switch.  There should also be an extra thinner wire connected to the neg battery terminal - this going to ground planes in the boat.

[vacottonking]

update - The red battery wires go into the Perko Switch and one 6 AWG wire comes out and feeds into the black box.  current is going in and coming out of the box.  Then I follow the red 6 AWG wire into a wiring harness with endless wires.  Some of it is wrapped with electric tape and you cannot determine if there is a main in line fuse in the battery area.  Then under the helm, I can see the main red 6AWG wire coming in and do not see any main line fuse.  The condition of all the wires and connections is in very good condition with no corrosion.  This has to be a main line fuse blown.  Where should I look?

[seabob4]

Good man,
You brought it over here.  AS folks are much more accomodating than the group at THT.  Check out my pm to you on THT so I don't have to retype it again (or cut and paste!) then see what you think.

Bob C

[RickK]

Put a volt meter lead on the red at the dash and the other on a ground buss up there and see what you have when the Perko switch is on.  I suppose it's possible they didn't fuse the main feed, being #6, and just fused each circuit.  Most of the electronics don't draw that much.
And let us know what Bob said  

[seabob4]

Cottonking,
Seabob here, from AS. Please refer to me as 250 Osprey if we're on THT. Some people there don't like me. Political , you know. Anyway, on to your 215. There should be a breaker box in the transom area, black with a 30 or 40A push-button breaker in the center of it. This feeds your helm, and is the source of the 6GA red that you found behind your helm panel. You should also see a blue connector about 2"-3" long that connects the 6GA red in your main accessory harness to the 6GA red that is connected, and feeds your switch panel.

Now, if your not a big fellow, climb into the console behind the helm with a meter, and see if you have voltage to the breaker the 6GA feeds. All your other breakers will be daisy-chained from that one. There should be a ground bussbar behind your helm, so it makes checking voltage easy. You can get into that console and work reasonably comfortably, as I used to wire those helms up to '00. Just bring all the stuff you need and lay it on the pass-through beside you so you don't have to get in and out to often.

Let me know what you find.

Bob C

Well, that was my response via PM on THT.  As I said, some people on there don't like me.   Anyway, did a little searching  to make sure the '02 215 DC was the same as the '00, and it is.  So, that being said, continue on with my diagnostic plan (pretty big words there, huh?) but also do yourself one extra favor while your in that console.  Put a 7/16" wrench on the main 12V- feed that supplies the helm ground buss.

And, as usual, let us know how it goes.  We'll get you squared away.

[vacottonking]

All of the wiring is wrapped up tight so it is hard to distinguish the main breaker under the helm.  (And Bob, you must be tiny if you can fit in that console)  I tested several of the daisy-chained circuits and nothing on the meter.  I found two black rubber fuse housings and pulled them open.  One had red wires and one had yellow wires.  There was some voltage here.  Unfortunately  I broke the fuses when I pulled the rubber housing open.  Both of these fuses are 10 amps.  Motor still turns over but my gauges do not come on after disconnecting these fuses.  Would it help if posted a picture?

[seabob4]

Cottonking,
Actually, I'm 6' 2", 170 lbs.  When you build boats for a living like I used to do, you learn how to get in spaces normal folk wouldn't even think about going into!  Anyway, those two fuse holders were for your stereo, I bet.  All AS/Wellcrafts use breakers for the normal boats appliances.  The red wire would be stereo power and the yellow wire, which most likely was tied into your bilge pump float constant power would be stereo memory.  What you really need to see is that 6GA and see where it ties into the helm breaker/switch panel.  It sounds to me like that big blue connector has some issues.

Yes, believe it or not, at my size, I got into and wired about 150 DC's.  Got it down to a routine.  But I never did like that blue connector.  Donzi, our sister company, still uses it and, frankly, I think it's a POS.  Anyway, let me know what you find.  Remember, that 6GA feeds your helm panel, that is the key.

[bdtsr]

Power to the gauges is usually supplied from the ignition switch. I'm sure Bob will chime in if this is not correct on AS boats. I'm not familair with Yamaha ignitions, but does the motor start and run? We can rule out a short for the accessories, if there was one you'd know it. So, seeing that none of them work, the problem is prior to the breakers for the accessories (divide and conquer). As Bob said, the helm breakers are commonly fed from one source. Just for kicks, pull out the 40 amp breaker in the box, remove one wire and install both wires on the same terminal. This will eliminate the breaker from the circuit, just don't leave it this way. Now do you have power to the accessories? If yes, the breaker is bad. You can have voltage present but the contacts may be bad enough to not let enough current flow. If they still don't work, you'll need to isolate the red feed wire from the harness and check for any breaks or cuts. You'd be surprised how many people drill or cut BEFORE checking what's back there! Just being nosey, did you by chance have the batteries out or disconnected? Always the chance a ground wire was not put back on (don't ask!).

[seabob4]

Bdtsr,
You, as any good 12V electrician knows, 99.5% of electrical issues stem from a bad ground.  The remaining .5% is corrosion.  The push-button breaker we used back in those days (yes, it is 9 years now, OMG!) was a basic Cooper-Bussman with the red push-button etched with the amperage rating.  Nothing fancy, but they worked.  But still working after 7 years?

Barring a missing ground, or a loose ground connection, I'm betting on that POS blue connector not making the proper contact.  Cotton, if you can bring her down to Tampa Bay, we'll have her up and running in 10 minutes.  But, seeing as that is not probably likely, keep plugging away and report your findings.

Post-Post:  My bad as to not noticing the part of cotton's post about the gauges losing power with the fuses he mentioned unplugged.  So, Cotton, now would be a good time for a couple of good pics.  Put them in Photobucket and post a link.  It would be "nice" to see one of my old haunts!

[bdtsr]

I agree on the ground issue but going by that fact he has said his connections look good with no corrosion, we have to continue forward. But that is why I asked about removing or disconnecting the batteries. Not only have I seen wires not put back on, I've done it myself when in a hurry to get someone going. Not being familiar with AS boats, I'm not sure how good that push button breaker is. Also not sure where it's mounted (can it get wet?). Most of these breakers are junk and only work one or two times. Of course some builders place things in the dumbest places. My 23 WA has the freshwater pump in an almost non-accesable spot!

[vacottonking]

The battery has not been disconnected in 18 months.  Also I checked the push button breaker, and it has current coming in and going out so the problem must be after the initial breaker box.

[bdtsr]

Did you use a volt meter or amp meter? If nothing is turned on then there is no current draw. Voltage being present doesn't mean there is enough current flow to power the accessories. Try this, disconnect the red power wire from the battery switch, get a length of 10 gauge wire, connect it to a battery and then to one of the accessory breakers (feed side) on the panel. Since the breakers are commonly fed, this will power all the breakers. Do the accessories work now? If yes, then divide and conquer the red power wire and the items in the path (breaker, blue connector, etc.). If not then leave the wire connected and remove ALL ground connections and wire brush them and try again. There may be hidden corrosion you can't see.

[vacottonking]

This morning I replaced the two 10 amp fuses I broke last night.  The fuse with the orange/yellow wires is the one that made the speed and tach gauges work.  I also changed the fuse with the red wires and not sure what it does.  I trailered the boat to fish today, some choppy water.  And low and behold out on the water, everything appeared to work except for the garmin 188 gps/depth sounder.  Running lights, vhf radio, horn for sure.  After about an hour nothing is working again except the motor and yamaha gauges.  I am not sure if moving the wires around or the trailer ride improved a connection but mystery is still in place.  the fact that it the stuff did come on for a while should rule out some problems.

[vacottonking]

This is the link to the pictures
http://s419.photobucket.com/albums/pp28 ... c%20Issue/