Fixing / Replacing Accessory Switches

[Jonah]

Hi everyone,

I have a (new to me) '96 Adventure 208, and it seems that a few of the electronics aren't working. For example, the water pressure switch for the freshwater shower. The switch has a light on it, but the light doesn't come on when I flip the switch. (The lights DO come on when I flip switches for accessories that work, like the nav lights). I'm thinking that before I buy a new pump for the shower, I should just try to replace the switch, or replace the fuse? Does anyone have any advice on where to buy a new switch, or what size fuse to try out, etc?

I'm entirely new to this, so any advice would be appreciated! I'm attaching an image of the kind of switches I have. This is not a picture of my actual boat, but the switch-style is the same.

 

[DennisG01]

It looks like (from the picture, anyways) those might be breakers, not fuses. Fuses would have a screw off cap - it doesn't appear to have that. A breaker, in this case, would have a little piece/pin that will "pop out" from the middle when tripped.

I would start by verifying proper voltage at the breakers and then the switch, both the input and output side (when the button is pressed for the output side of the switch, of course). Knowing that will tell you a lot of information right there. If +12V at the output, then check for voltage at the actual accessory. Never "just replace" - always diagnose. Otherwise, you often spend a lot more money than you need to.

 

[suzukidave]

i agree on diagnosing the problem first. you need to make sure the pump is primed with water and then test it at the pump first.

if you do need them i have the same switches i think on my 94. they are mcgill model 0852 style and there are numerous variants. you can buy them online for under $10 each.

 

[reelserious]

Just an FYI. The fact that the light doesn't come on does not mean the switch is not working. I have had a light out on one of mine for years.

Having said that, the above advice sounds good.

Good luck.

 

[BobP]

Check voltage on both sides of the switch, between each terminal and a negative or ground. If both sides are hot when sw is on, check again at the load connections, while sw is on. If full voltage present, it's not the sw. As far as the light goes, I have a few out but sw works fine.

 

[Jonah]

It looks like (from the picture, anyways) those might be breakers, not fuses. Fuses would have a screw off cap - it doesn't appear to have that. A breaker, in this case, would have a little piece/pin that will "pop out" from the middle when tripped.

I would start by verifying proper voltage at the breakers and then the switch, both the input and output side (when the button is pressed for the output side of the switch, of course). Knowing that will tell you a lot of information right there. If +12V at the output, then check for voltage at the actual accessory. Never "just replace" - always diagnose. Otherwise, you often spend a lot more money than you need to.

Thanks Dennis,

I've now pulled the boat, and am ready to try this out. Could you explain a little further how to check for proper voltage at the breakers? I have a 'multimeter', which can read voltage, and which also has an 'amp' setting, to read the flow of electricity through a wire. Which setting should I use, and where do I touch the two 'pins' in order to check voltage at the breaker? Just on either side of it?

Sorry to sound dense; I know nothing about electronics, and I know only a little about electricity.

Thanks!

 

[DennisG01]

The breakers are easy as there is only one wire in, one wire out. Check for + on each one. Connect your negative lead to any suitable ground. Always keep in mind that while the contacts may be dirty, you might get a good reading with your DVM/DMM since it can "clean it's own way". The switches are not "hard" to figure out if you take your time, but depending on which switch it is (and how many circuits it controls), it can start to look like a spider web of wires. It's really not all that hard, but at first glance it can look a bit daunting. Rather than trying to explain everything, and I may not do it justice either, here's a good link with info on the various types of switches. http://www.colehersee.com/home/spst_spdt_dpst_dpdt

When you look at the switches, and compared to the link, the wire coming from the breaker will be your "battery" (input). Depending on the switch, you may also see a jumper being used to connect two inputs together )as opposed to two different battery inputs.

 

[Jonah]

i agree on diagnosing the problem first. you need to make sure the pump is primed with water and then test it at the pump first.

if you do need them i have the same switches i think on my 94. they are mcgill model 0852 style and there are numerous variants. you can buy them online for under $10 each.

Thanks suzukidave, that will be very helpful if I end up needing new ones.

 

[Jonah]

The breakers are easy as there is only one wire in, one wire out. Check for + on each one. Connect your negative lead to any suitable ground. Always keep in mind that while the contacts may be dirty, you might get a good reading with your DVM/DMM since it can "clean it's own way". The switches are not "hard" to figure out if you take your time, but depending on which switch it is (and how many circuits it controls), it can start to look like a spider web of wires. It's really not all that hard, but at first glance it can look a bit daunting. Rather than trying to explain everything, and I may not do it justice either, here's a good link with info on the various types of switches. http://www.colehersee.com/home/spst_spdt_dpst_dpdt

Thanks DennisG01,

I'll give this a shot and see what I come up with.

 

[Jonah]

The breakers are easy as there is only one wire in, one wire out. ... http://www.colehersee.com/home/spst_spdt_dpst_dpdt

Thanks DennisG01,

I'll give this a shot and see what I come up with.

p.s. What makes a suitable ground? When I said I know nothing about electronics, I meant it! If I'm digging around in the switch panel, my multimeter will only reach about 4 feet, so there's no way that I could touch the negative end of the multimeter to the negative end of the battery, for example.

 

[Lt.Mike]

When I said I know nothing about electronics, I meant it!

Guess what? Now that your a boat owner your gonna learn!
That is unless you can afford to throw money at the problem and run the boat to the dealer everytime theres an issue.
(BOAT : A hole in the water you pour money through / Bust Out Another Thousand) :wink:

Don't worry the basics of wiring, and most problems with wiring are basic, this is easier to do than it first seems.
Meters have their purpose but start with a simple test light. With that you can confirm if you have ground (-) or power/positive (+).
With a boat corrosion is a constant battle and wiring takes the brunt of it. Its gonna happen.
99% Of electrical issues can be cured by cleaning up the connections then coating with a light dab of silicon based grease. Do you have power into the switch, how about out? A test light will confirm that in short order. Corrosion can walk its way up under a wires jacketing quite a ways too so If you fail to get ground or power after cleaning the contacts it is probably time to fish a new wire.
Again. electrical issues will eventually pop up. Running the boat to the shop, draining your budget, losing time on the water as the shops do get backed up, and you'll start to feel like you bought junk. Thats not the case. If you learn to do the basics yourself you'll like your boat more and also get a sense of satisfaction and confidence that if (when) an issue happens on the water you can handle it!
You've got lots of room under that tarp so have at it! I'm thinking you will probably enjoy it too.
Mike.

my multimeter will only reach about 4 feet, so there's no way that I could touch the negative end of the multimeter to the negative end of the battery,

PS - if the test lights connection doesn't reach, extend its length with a roll of 18 gauge wire. Clamp to the wire thats clamped to the battery.
Sometimes when its your baby the easy answers escape you. Its ok. We used to call that owner fog as we all got it at times.
When that happened we'd invite a friend over with a clear head to provide the otherwise obvious answers. Slow down, think simple! (because it is) You'll get it.

 

[Jonah]

Hi Everyone,

Thanks again for the advice on this. Turns out that I just had a bad connection on one of the wires on the back of the switch. The light on the switch now works, and the pump came on. Ran for about 3 minutes, but not strong enough to actually pump out any water through the shower head. It then stopped running, though the switch light was still on. I'm thinking the pump must just be dead (it didn't sound too strong), so I'm going to order another one.

If I have any trouble with the new one, I'll post a new thread, since this thread is no longer really about the title.

Thanks again!