Boat Puzzler

[Stranger]

Our new to us boat. 1992 Hewescraft "River Runner" 302 Ford/Berkeley Jet.

2 Batteries Perko switch. The non switchable while running switch.

Battery 1, Positive to Perko, Ground to engine block. Virtually ALL system grounds are to this ground post.

Battery 2, Positive to Perko, Ground to Ground of Battery 1.

302 off, FF and Marine Radio on, start 302, FF shuts off. Have to restart FF and go through a number of steps to get back to the screen I was at. Not fun.

Any ideas? Also, would like to bypass the Perko for a switch for the bilge pump to power that and install a float switch.

Thanks in advance.
PS. I'm really good with diagrams.

 

[fest3er]

Voltage at FF drops too low and it shuts off.

• starter draws too much current
• a bad +12V connection
• a bad ground (running starter causes the ground to 'rise', thus reducing the voltage to the FF)

• Use an automotive jumper cable to jumper the battery neg. to the block, see if behaviour changes.
• Jumper FF's ground directly to the battery, see if behaviour changes.
• Jumper FF's +12V directly to the battery, see if behaviour changes.

 

[Stranger]

Thanks fest3er

 

[B.G. Smith]

Try wiring the FF to batt. #2? It should be stable even when the 302 is cranked. The FF is not wired to the accessory side of switch is it? h bg

 

[DonFitzwater]

Did you figure it out Stranger?

 

[RCapehart]

Voltage at FF drops too low and it shuts off.

• starter draws too much current
• a bad +12V connection
• a bad ground (running starter causes the ground to 'rise', thus reducing the voltage to the FF)

• Use an automotive jumper cable to jumper the battery neg. to the block, see if behaviour changes.
• Jumper FF's ground directly to the battery, see if behaviour changes.
• Jumper FF's +12V directly to the battery, see if behaviour changes.

Yep I agree. I have the same set up and right now mine does the same thing. I have one weak battery and one good one. If I select the weak one the FF goes off but the boat starts. If I select the other one or both everything is ok. Next year I will start out with new batteries.

Ron

 

[Stranger]

Did you figure it out Stranger?

Going to work on it tomorrow. I'll post what I did and what happens.
Thanks for asking.

BTW. I got a BlueSea switch with field disconnects. Which wire from the Alternator do I use?

Thanks.

 

[B.G. Smith]

You use the field wire. Unsure what charging system you have. If it is a one wire system or is computer controlled it could get complicated. bg

 

[Stranger]

Not a one-wire and, not Computer Controlled. found a wiring diagram that shows I'm looking for a pink wire w/grey tracer. Life is getting in the way of rewiring this boat. Should have some time the early part of this week and then all of 2 weeks.

Thanks for the help.

 

[Stranger]

The plot thickens.

I ran a 2 conductor 12ga wire from Battery #2 up to the dashboard.

Installed 2 separate Bus Boards. One POS and the other NEG.

Wired the Searchlight and it works (for the first time, I might add).

Wired the Marine Radio and it blows the fuse.

Red to POS, Black to NEG on both Searchlight and Radio.

I might get a handfull of fuses and try to wire it backwards just to see what happens.

Thoughts?

Thanks.