Osprey 225 Wiring - Newbie to this stuff.

[miamiguy]

I just got the '01 225 Osprey, alot of the wires are corroded on the ends. There are alot of loose wires too, some that seemingly are connected to nothing.  A few of the wires have factory numbering on them on both ends, I'm guessing to indicate where they belong, but most dont.  I need some tips and strategy on how to get this mess under control and make sure everything is working right. :)




This is what I need to replace.. briefly talked about it in my introduction post, There are currently no fuses in the box at all, but it seems to be bypassed because the stereo still works and the rear bilge on a floater still comes on. I'm confused to as where they are hooked too if they are coming on with no fuses in the box..


Inside of the transom battery compartment.. *note the free bilge pump, its connected to a scupper on the hull, but i dont know where it goes, there is one in the rear bilge already.


More from the inside of the transom/battery/bilge compartment. I can only think the circle peice of fiberglass has been there since the boat was assembled...


This ground bus bar was in rear transom above batteries, i switched it out for the new one in the back, and put new end connectors on the wires.  


Console wiring, there are some random wires in the bundle that are not attached to anything.


Think this is some ground wiring in the console.



Both of these pumps are inoperative, they are getting power, but just are not working at all.  The left one marked 4305 is connected to my live well, and the right one is connected to my freshwater washdown/shower head.  Do I have to replace them with the same ones? Any suggestions?

[wingtime]

HOLY CORROSION!  Is it just me or does that look like a lot of corrosion for a ten year old boat?  I know that is not the answer your looking for.   Hopefully the wires are long enough  so you can just trim off the ends and replace the terminals.

[miamiguy]

HOLY CORROSION!  Is it just me or does that look like a lot of corrosion for a ten year old boat?  I know that is not the answer your looking for.   Hopefully the wires are long enough  so you can just trim off the ends and replace the terminals.

Unforunately, this is the farthest I've gone into the "guts" of a boat, I wouldn't know if this is super bad or not. At least when I replaced the ground bus in the transom there was enough wire for me to clip them and put new terminals on them.

[seabob4]

HOLY CORROSION!  Is it just me or does that look like a lot of corrosion for a ten year old boat?  I know that is not the answer your looking for.   Hopefully the wires are long enough  so you can just trim off the ends and replace the terminals.

Unforunately, this is the farthest I've gone into the "guts" of a boat, I wouldn't know if this is super bad or not. At least when I replaced the ground bus in the transom there was enough wire for me to clip them and put new terminals on them.

You need to bring her to me...I know her like the back of my hand...

[gran398]

Miami,

Yep, it's a rat's nest, but guess you knew that. Best thing for you, your boat, your crew....track everything down, see what goes where, get it straight, cut it out...you had a fox in the hen-house, didn't come from the factory looking like that.

Good wiring is an art. Folks who appreciate good wiring can find professional guidance right here. Just search.

When you search...you'll find Seabob's posts.

[miamiguy]

SeaBob, if only I was in Tampa and could afford your expertise! :)

Unforunately, or forunately?, I have to do it myself which will give me some bonding time with the boat....

[Circle Hooked]

When you sniped off the ends on those ground wires how did the wire look,mine didn't look as bad as yours but i replaced every ground wire last year,the wires were all black after i sniped the ends,don't know why they used those cheap connectors to start with.

It looks like the po half azz installed a few things,your just gonna have to go through it and remove whats not needed.

Maybe this will help,it's from my owners manual.

[miamiguy]

Thanks!

The wire at the very end was black, and got a little better where I clipped them.

[gran398]

Your first concern should be safety. Ease of use offshore in a breakdown situation is paramount. Where things are, how they tie-in, how they connect.

You don't have to travel to Bob to understand how he powers his boats. It's all here. Just invest the time to dig it out.

But, if it were me...Weeki-Wachee seems like a nice place to visit.

[Circle Hooked]

I must say i'm glad i did my rewire myself,wasn't easy but with the guys here i got it done and learned so much,now if i were to have a problem i would have a good idea where to look to fix it.

On those pumps,maybe i'm lucky but i'm still on the originals and they still work so when one stops working i will replace with the same if i can.

[Glock Diver]

Those pumps might be OK.  Remove them and bring in the garage with some reliable 12v juice, and try priming with some water. I was able to get my live well pump working again in my 225, by trying this method.  Saved me some $$$.

Does your boat have a forward bilge pump?  Mine does not.

[miamiguy]

Would older batteries prevent the pumps from running even if the motors are on? I would presume the etecs put out enough voltage to run the accessories on the boat?

Also how can I test the batteries? What sort of range should they fall in? They have no stickers on them that I can see, so I have no idea what Amps they are.

[fitz73222]

The batteries when fully charged should hold at about 12.5-12.8 volts. You need a volt/ohms meter to check them. If they drop voltage overnight below 12 volts; they are done. Looking at the general electrical condition of the wiring I wouldnt think twice about replacing them. Someone seriously neglected this boat.

[gran398]

Looking at your pics again. Unfortunately there are serious corrosion issues. Would not take this boat in the ocean until she is professionally re-wired, using all new marine-grade stock. Just my $.02. Take care.

[Mcdiver]

When you put new ends on the wires, use dielectric grease to seal the connections and keep out the corrosion.  Then use the end connectors that also are heat shrink.  This will give you double protection.  The grease will keep water and corrosion out, and the heat shrink connectors have a sealant in them that will seal like glue when heated.  Wiring should not be that scary, you need a hot and a ground to make something work.  In the US, everything is wired directly with a ground, then we break the hot to turn things on or off.  The next concern is to make sure you have proper size wire (#14 should be adequate for most applications as it will handle around 15 amps) as well as the proper insulation on the wire.  You will want something that is gas and oil resistant, as well as marine rated.  

Something that is not well known about wire size is that #14 has a thicker insulation then other size wire when comparing thickness of insulation:thickness of copper.  

here is a link for the heat shrink connectors http://www.elecdirect.com/catalog/4fc623ff-7652-403d-81d4-daee5a4074d2.aspx?gclid=CNL2uajAjakCFYhM2godPx-qqA