Boat el wiring open circuits/bad solders/corrosion

[s vernon]

I wrote this in an email to Skip to try to help him pin point his wiring problem. Do I know what I am talking about? This seems logical to me. (Marc Smith ultimately solved the problem on my boat which was an open at the boat-side (red wire) where it plugged into the battery.)

You should check your battery wiring - on the battery pack and in the boat - under the shrink wrap for corrosion or something else causing an open or an intermittent open circuit. I am sure the first thing you try is another battery and if the problem persists then the problem is the boat wiring. I am assuming that the problem is at a plug not in the middle of a red or black wire. Of course there should be only one "open" in either a red or black wire at a plug.

You should be able to just tug on a wire and it should be evident whether that the solder connection is good or is loose. I say that, but if the problem is corrosion maybe it will not be so evident.

It should not be overwhelming as you can isolate which set of wires should be at fault.

There could be 3 different symptoms depending on where the open is. I am assuming you have one battery.

If the system is completely shut down then the open would be right at the boat side battery plug.

If you still have RMG but no rudder and no jib trim then the open would be in the battery wires/plugs that plug into the receiver - maybe at the splice where the battery wires split to run to the reveiver..

If you only have rudder and jib trim and no RMG then the open would be at the RMG or at the splice where the wires split and run to the RMG.

There is only one splice, but I am just talking about which leg has the open.


Scott