Wiring Mess, What Is This Block?

[Todd in NY]

I'm trying to rewire much of my 1988 Crestliner Sabre. I'm making good progress, but I found a strange "block" thing that has me stumped. It's located under the right side of the instrument panel. It is grounded to the frame with a black wire, but the white wire is cut and I don't remember off hand where the red wire ends up. Maybe nowhere? Here s a pic of the block in question, any ideas what purpose it serves or served?

 

 

I replaced an old fuse block at the back of the boat, and this week I will replace this fuse block behind the instrument panel.

 

 

Notice all those blue pinch-type wire connectors? Those are ground wires for various gauges and other things, all "spliced" together. I'll be correcting that mess this week too.

 

I also found this tv coax cable running from the stern fuse block up to the 6 gang switch panel. I replaced it with 12ga wire. I'll be replacing this old switch panel this week too.

 

Edited April 5, 2018 by Todd in NY

[Knotlost Charters]

O my you had a mess


Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

[Todd in NY]

19 minutes ago, Knotlost Charters said:

O my you had a mess


Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

 

Lol, it looked like 30 years of "Billybob's best redneck wiring".

[Knotlost Charters]

That thing you're wondering about looks like it may be a galvanic isolator if it has shore power, some other type of isolator if it dose not. I'm not positive but I would test it and see. You can find lots of info on the web about them. They are extremely nice to have on your boat, but that one looks old, but if it works keep it and use it.

 

PK

Edited April 1, 2018 by Knotlost Charters

[Todd in NY]

Thanks for the info, PK! I'll test it and do some research on them. The boat had a livewell at one time but it was removed long before I bought the boat. There's no telling what other equipment it had before, that previous owners installed or removed. It doesn't have an oil tank any more because the VRO on the 1989 Evinrude 150 (2 stroke) was removed and disconnected before I bought the boat as well. I pre-mix the gas and oil before I fill my tank and the motor runs great on a 50:1 ratio.

Edited April 1, 2018 by Todd in NY

[Tyee II]

That coax thing is just crazy. I can't figure that one out at all...

 

It's good to see the weather has finally allowed you to get some work done though! 

[Todd in NY]

They had so much extra coax that, rather than cut it to the correct size, they had it coiled up behind the plywood that the battery switch is mounted on. Must have been 8ft all coiled up back there.

 

I'm glad the weather is starting to warm a little too. It just isn't warming that much or that fast.

 

[Todd in NY]

Ok, here is some more info...

 

The "block" in question has a black wire connected to the frame. The block has a white wire that has been cut. The block has a red wire that has been spliced into a red/black wire (labeled A). This red and black wire goes to the positive & ground sides of the helm fuse block. Should the white wire be connected to the black wire/ground side of the fuse block? I'm replacing that fuse block this weekend with a new Blue Seas grounded fuse block. I'm also replacing all those "cheap" connectors.

 

What is this "block" for, and how should it be wired?

 

 

[gasman2438]

That coax thing is NOT crazy I HAVE WIRED A LOT OF BOATS AND I RUN COAX TO THE GRAPH AND VHF RADIO IT KEEPS ALL INTFERENCE FROM OTHER UNITS OUT.. CENTER +++ SHELD,OUTSIDE - - -

THEY DO NOT DRAW A LOT OF POWER AND IT REALY HELPS WITH STATIC.

[Todd in NY]

2 minutes ago, gasman2438 said:

That coax thing is NOT crazy I HAVE WIRED A LOT OF BOATS AND I RUN COAX TO THE GRAPH AND VHF RADIO IT KEEPS ALL INTFERENCE FROM OTHER UNITS OUT.. CENTER +++ SHELD,OUTSIDE - - -

THEY DO NOT DRAW A LOT OF POWER AND IT REALY HELPS WITH STATIC.

 

Thanks for the info. It makes sense, but I've never seen it used before. The center wire broke as I was unscrewing the connector from the distribution block. Since it was the main power wire from the battery, and such a weak connection, it wasn't doing it's job like 12ga wire does.

[gasman2438]

I USE A STRANDED CENTER COAX ALL THE WAY TO THE BATTERY OR THE MASTER SWITCH WITH A BREAKER ON THE BATTERY END.  HAVE FUN. SPRING IS COMMING!

[lineman49]

  The coax helps

1 hour ago, gasman2438 said:

That coax thing is NOT crazy I HAVE WIRED A LOT OF BOATS AND I RUN COAX TO THE GRAPH AND VHF RADIO IT KEEPS ALL INTFERENCE FROM OTHER UNITS OUT.. CENTER +++ SHELD,OUTSIDE - - -

THEY DO NOT DRAW A LOT OF POWER AND IT REALY HELPS WITH STATIC.

X2  I had to use coax to stop interference in my fish finder(lowrance) & radio also.  Also have run wires inside a rubber garden hose to help with static,& it works.

[L&M]

That appears to be little more than an inline noise filter for some type of electronics the owner had on the boat at the time. It can be eliminated & wire your fuse block up as you see fit. You made reference to it was grounded to the frame assuming hull, under no circumstances should any part of the 12 volt system or electronics be grounded to the hull.  

[gasman2438]

EVERYTHING ON A ALUMINUM BOAT IS GRONDED TO THE HULL RIGHT IN THE MOTOR.?

[L&M]

You are right > The battery is grounded directly to the engine block & that's as far as it goes. Any other grounding should go directly to the battery or engine block, NOT using the hull as a ground plate on an aluminum hull boat.

[Todd in NY]

6 hours ago, L&M said:

That appears to be little more than an inline noise filter for some type of electronics the owner had on the boat at the time. It can be eliminated & wire your fuse block up as you see fit. You made reference to it was grounded to the frame assuming hull, under no circumstances should any part of the 12 volt system or electronics be grounded to the hull.  

 

That's why I'm scratching my head over this block. My negative bus bar is grounded to the negative battery terminal, and so are the grounded fuse blocks. Nothing is grounded to any other part of the boat... except this block. The block feels like a hard plastic material, but it's hard to tell what it's made of.

 

If you look just left of the block you will see a pinkish colored connector. That's the black wire from the block, grounded to the frame. It's the framework that supports the helm area, and it might contact the hull further to the right.

 

Having never seen one of these blocks before, I wanted to try to find out what it is and what purpose it serves. Since it appears to serve no purpose at all, I will disconnect it and get it, and those wires, out of my way.

 

Thanks for the feedback!

Edited April 6, 2018 by Todd in NY

[garrymny]

My guess is the "block" is a noise filter. Used to filter out an AC ripple that may be on the DC voltage bus. Caused by the engine alternator. I would remove it. If you have some "noise issues" later you can buy a cheap filter. I agree on the coax. The outer shield is grounded, and the inner conductor carries the voltage or signal. Used to help eliminate interference. Or maybe thats all the wire he had available.. Just be sure the power wire feeding your electric bus, is fused right at the battery. I almost had a catasrophe last year when my kicker motor starter wire (4 or 6  AWG) shorted together and caught fire. It was chaffed back and forth so much it rubbed the insulation off. It was not fused at the battery so all my wires started melting and burning. Everythign coming off the Positive terminal of the Battery MUST be fused right there.  

[Todd in NY]

I removed that block a few days ago. I also installed a 60 amp inline Maxi Fuse (on 6 awg wire) between my battery selector switch and the rear fuse block.

 

That kicker motor wire problem had to be scary, especially if you were out trolling when it happened. My kicker motor doesn't have a charging system, but I will be checking my wiring very carefully on a regular basis.

 

I plan to buy new starter wires this year, the ones that run from the Outboard starter to my battery. I've already replaced the other 4ga wire between the batteries. The last thing I want is an electrical problem out on the water.

[garrymny]

On 4/10/2018 at 3:44 AM, Todd in NY said:

I removed that block a few days ago. I also installed a 60 amp inline Maxi Fuse (on 6 awg wire) between my battery selector switch and the rear fuse block.

 

That kicker motor wire problem had to be scary, especially if you were out trolling when it happened. My kicker motor doesn't have a charging system, but I will be checking my wiring very carefully on a regular basis.

 

I plan to buy new starter wires this year, the ones that run from the Outboard starter to my battery. I've already replaced the other 4ga wire between the batteries. The last thing I want is an electrical problem out on the water.

I was running full throttle when I began smelling smoke. looked back and saw transom area fully engulfed in smoke and sparking fire. A 3 gallon fuel tank was nearby. I shut down, grabbed fire extinguisher and emptied it. then I had to take dikes and start cutting wires at the battery, until i got the shorted wire, everything continued melting and burning.  Most heavy starter cables are NOT fused at the battery, and connect direct to the battery. My kicker cable to the starter on the kicker, became frayed and shorted to the ground wire.  Mine now are, and I also installed a master cut out switch. I can kill power instantly by turning the switch now. The embarrassing part is that I was an Avionics Technician in the Air Force and then in the Civilian world since 1985. Now I am an Aviation Safety Inspector-Avionics,  for the FAA for the last 8 years. It can happen even to those who know better. The only wire I didn't have fused was the Starter, and I did not have a master cut off near the battery.  

[Todd in NY]

That situation would scare anyone who had to live it. Glad everyone survived the incident!

 

We all learn to trust our equipment, so as long as things are running "normally" or as they should, we assume that everything is good. There are mechanical/electrical failures that give warning signs before they fail, and there are surprise failures that give no warning at all.