Wires connected to battery-gctid806671

[Car2n]

I have three wires (with fuses) directly connected to my starter battery. I assume one is for the bilge pump.

What would you think the other two would power?

1989 2955 Avanti

I have three positive wires and two ground wires going to the starter battery. I bought a couple Blue Sea bus bars and would like to clean up the wiring.

[Dadrock33]

I'm thinking maybe a mini circuit panel for "live" stuff or maybe a radio??

[builderdude]

Good idea to add a aux fuse panel for future circuits but power it from the house bank. Nothing connected to the start bank so it's always ready to start the engine when the house bank gets to low to do so.

Chase those wires to find out what they power.

[Car2n]

I'm starting the chase by asking for ideas of what they may power. Then I can pull the fuse and see if the 'whatever-it-is' still powers up.

Following the wires themselves may not be possible.

What else would require a direct live connection other than a bilge pump or perhaps the radio?

[builderdude]

Ya never know how a PO may have wired things. The only direct connections to the battery on my boat are the float switches for the bilge pumps and the trim/tilt pump for the drive. Both run from the larger house bank via an auxiliary fuse panel.

[Four_Pyrates]

"builderdude" post=806697 wrote:
Ya never know how a PO may have wired things. The only direct connections to the battery on my boat are the float switches for the bilge pumps and the trim/tilt pump for the drive. Both run from the larger house bank via an auxiliary fuse panel.

Everyone wires diffrnt'. Three wires could be bilge, gps, radio, trim or a host of other junk. He needs to find out

[Car2n]

I have to try following the wires.

[Guest]

I'm pretty sure the mercathode/s are wired directly to the starter battery. They could be wired to the house battery but I'm pretty sure they, along with bilge pumps, are always direct wired. Unless someone changed the wire it should be a ground to the negative post and a red and purple wire (for the mecathode/s) at least. If you are equipped with them that is.....

[2850Bounty]

"Car2n" post=806671 wrote:
I have three wires (with fuses) directly connected to my starter battery.

[color]#000088 wrote:
IMO, other than battery cables ONLY, there is no need for any direct battery connections.

These small circuits can connect to the rear of your MBSS to either terminal #1 or #2.

#1 and #2 will be Un-Interruptible.

The "Common" terminal will be Interruptible..... In other words, with the MBSS turned OFF, the Common terminal is interrupted (i.e., OFF). [/color]

I assume one is for the bilge pump.

[color]#000088 wrote:
The bilge pump's power will come from the helm switch, of which receives power from the hull harness via the Common terminal.

The main bilge pump float switch will need to receive Un-Interruptible power! This supply will come from the MBSS terminal #2 (the larger House Battery Bank). [/color]

I bought a couple Blue Sea bus bars and would like to clean up the wiring.

[color]#000088 wrote:
A bus bar would be good for some of the accessory Negatives.

For Positive, you may want to use a fuse block or circuit breaker unit.

For Un-Interrupted power (float switch or radio pre-set memory for examples), you can pull power from the MBSS #2 terminal, which is schematically the same as though it was a direct House Battery Bank connection.

For other accessories that would be Interruptible, you can pull from the MBSS "Common" terminal.

By eliminating small circuit direct battery connections, you will:

..... prevent the common "Rat's Nest" that we often see at our batteries.

..... eliminate confusion when removing and replacing batteries.

..... avoid small terminal corrosion that is caused by direct battery connections.

I agree...... you will need to identify these circuits, and then re-power them accordingly.

Here is a very simple, single engine, battery bank and MBSS schematic.

Note that battery cables ONLY connect to each battery bank.

Note how the accessory panel receives Positive and Negative.

Note the bilge pump float switch connection.

Note where the O/B Charger charge leads connect. [/color]

[attachment]35752 wrote:
MBSSandAccpanelPosNeg-2-3.jpg[/attachment]

.

[ken51k]

Here is a link to the Bayliners owners manual

http://bayliner.com/owners-manual/

[2850Bounty]

The OEM wiring schematic will give you a starting point, but it will only show the OEM system. It will not show what a previous owner may have done, nor what colors the previous owner may have used for these circuits. (believe me..... I have seen the messes that these guys have created)

.

[Car2n]

That's what I'm doing,,,, cleaning up someone else's mess. And adding in future connections via buss bars and fused positives.

You couldn't imagine how some previous owner wired in a new Xantrex charger. It was deplorable.

Instead of connecting into the charger directly, they spliced a longer 14/3 onto the original wiring with Marrette connectors (corroded and barely on there at that), exposed ground and added in a household electrical receptacle box. Then added a plug to the charger to plug into the receptacle. All in the engine compartment.

[Four_Pyrates]

"Car2n" post=806779 wrote:
That's what I'm doing,,,, cleaning up someone else's mess. And adding in future connections via buss bars and fused positives.

You couldn't imagine how some previous owner wired in a new Xantrex charger. It was deplorable.

Instead of connecting into the charger directly, they spliced a longer 14/3 onto the original wiring with Marrette connectors (corroded and barely on there at that), exposed ground and added in a household electrical receptacle box. Then added a plug to the charger to plug into the receptacle. All in the engine compartment.

There you have it..A good wiggling dock hookup and some fumes could bring the 4th of July fireworks close to home. Home Depot must love hepin' boaters that are wirin' her up.

[Alan_Teed]

I know it sounds simple, but if you cant follow the wires you can disconnect the wires one at a time and see what no longer works (assuming all bilge pumps radios etc currently work).

[Iproff]

The bilge pumps and the float switch for the rear bilge pump.

Ken