Very Baffling electrical problem

[Kettlewell]

You did good--those sorts of problems can be hard to find.

[skipmac]

Congratulations. Feels good when you figure out a tricky problem like that. Plus you have added one more skill to your arsenal and, like you said, you now know a whole lot more about the boats wiring system.

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by RLewis

Success !!... I learned much more about my boats system and I do appreciate all of the input I recieved on the forum.

That's awesome. Good on you for sticking to it.

[GrowleyMonster]

Bravo!

[JK n Smitty]

Good work!

[captain58sailin]

Glad you got is sorted out, those kinds of problems can be vexing sometimes.

[Habana Vieja]

Randy,

Did you ever solve your problem. Came across your post looking for info in a similar problem we are having aboard our Sabre. Batteris are fine, engine runs A OK, the
12 volt outlets are functioning but the battery selector is non functional, and only when it is
turned off will the battery volt meter give a reading. The "on" light for the selector refuses to go on and we cannot use any of the 12 volt systems ( water pump, bilge
pump, stereo ( wired to the electric panel) cabin lights etc. Sound similar to your
problem?
Thanks,
H V

[EzzyD]

Originally Posted by Habana Vieja

Randy,

Did you ever solve your problem. Came across your post looking for info in a similar problem we are having aboard our Sabre. Batteris are fine, engine runs A OK, the
12 volt outlets are functioning but the battery selector is non functional, and only when it is
turned off will the battery volt meter give a reading. The "on" light for the selector refuses to go on and we cannot use any of the 12 volt systems ( water pump, bilge
pump, stereo ( wired to the electric panel) cabin lights etc. Sound similar to your
problem?
Thanks,
H V

read post #30...

bad ground.....

[Habana Vieja]

Thanks Randy,

Our problem too ended up being due to a grounding issue. The good that came
of it however is that we realized our bilge pump runs through the selector switch and does not have a direct connection to the battery so, if we lose shore power or diesel power while at sea, there is no electric bilge pump since the pump runs through the battery selector switch. Love our Sabre MK II but this came as a surprise and we will address the issue.

Best,
HV

[sv.antea]

When troubleshooting electrical problems aboard, most folks reach for a multimeter. I think it's good to measure the voltage at the battery, and the voltage reaching the appliance when it is working, but to trace a problem (typically a poor or no connection somewhere) it is best to use an old fashioned 12V test light. I say old fashioned, because the latest test lights on the market use LEDs, not incandescent bulbs. Better yet, make your own test light with a 25W bulb.
The problem with a multimeter and possibly the above LED test light is that it puts little or next to no load an the circuit investigated. A bad connection, such as a broken, corroded wire with some moisture present will deliver 12 volts to some point in the circuit. Voltmeter will show 12V, but when the load is switched on, the voltage disappears. With the voltmeter, you could now find it across the problem spot (break in a wire or poorly crimped and corroded terminal).
A "heavy duty" test light (a 12V/25W bulbs with two wires) will check voltage and load the circuit at the same time. A better diagnostic tool.

[GrowleyMonster]

Originally Posted by sv.antea

When troubleshooting electrical problems aboard, most folks reach for a multimeter. I think it's good to measure the voltage at the battery, and the voltage reaching the appliance when it is working, but to trace a problem (typically a poor or no connection somewhere) it is best to use an old fashioned 12V test light. I say old fashioned, because the latest test lights on the market use LEDs, not incandescent bulbs. Better yet, make your own test light with a 25W bulb.
The problem with a multimeter and possibly the above LED test light is that it puts little or next to no load an the circuit investigated. A bad connection, such as a broken, corroded wire with some moisture present will deliver 12 volts to some point in the circuit. Voltmeter will show 12V, but when the load is switched on, the voltage disappears. With the voltmeter, you could now find it across the problem spot (break in a wire or poorly crimped and corroded terminal).
A "heavy duty" test light (a 12V/25W bulbs with two wires) will check voltage and load the circuit at the same time. A better diagnostic tool.

Good point! Best to have both, though, IMHO.

[jgbrown]

Originally Posted by GrowleyMonster

Good point! Best to have both, though, IMHO.

Another good check(imo) is resistance, If it's abnormally high, then I think you are likely to find trouble somewhere.
Really like the tip about using the old style light, I plan to add one to my kit now.