Gulfstream 1998 Electrical Problem

[outnabout]

I have lost power to my entire Rocker switch panel. No accesories work that are controlled with these rockers. 1998 Gulfstream.
Can anyone give me advice seems that it should be one line or fuse but unable to trace.
Please help

 

[Grog]

Check the breaker by the battery to see if it tripped or went bad. How are the connections at the battery?

 

[outnabout]

I checked the circuit breaker in the transom area and it was not popped. I have power everywhere else for radio/accessories just no power for anything controlled by rocker switches.

 

[outnabout]

How can I tell if the breaker is bad even though it is not popped?

 

[Walkers Edge]

I also have a 98' Grady with the rocker breaker switches. The switches are basically going bad one at a time. Right now I have 6/10 functional and have even taken them apart to try and diagnose the problem.

Using a meter the best I can tell is that the breakers are losing contact but not tripping. I intend on replacing the switch panel with one from Blue-Seas in the near future.

Seems odd that the whole panel lost power. Use a meter and check the source power, start at the switches and work backwards towards the battery verifying voltage, both positive and negative.

 

[seasick]

The first step is to see if there is 12V going to the bank of switches. You will bnned to access the back of the panel to test. Use a known good ground as a reference such as a direct connection to the negative terminal on the battery. If you get 12V at the breakers, there is an open ground somewhere between the panel and the battery.
Check for 12V on both sides (connections) to the switches. Test with the switch in the ON position and a load ( lights for example) turned on.

I don't think there is an inline fuse or breaker for the panel. The master breaker at the battery should be the feed. I am not sure if the switch panel is fed from that master breaker or from the fuse panel.
You might want to call Grady to see if they can look up the wiring diagram. That will tell you where the switch panel is fed from.

 

[catch22]

1998 manuals - http://www.gradywhite.com/customer/manu ... ected=1998

That breaker does feed the accessories, see page 6-12, "power supply for accessories".

See page 6-8 for switch panel wiring.

Those breakers do go bad.

Check the breaker by removing it from transom and put your red meter probe, (set to dc volts) on the out going wire, (feeds up to your accessories). Black probe on battery ground. Battery selector switched on. If no, or very low voltage is present, it's the breaker. Check the in-coming side of the breaker too... to make sure you have power coming from the battery selector switch.

Or... with battery selector switch off, place the probes accross the breaker connections, meter set for ohms, (or continuity). Should be close to 0.

 

[seasick]

1998 manuals - http://www.gradywhite.com/customer/manu ... ected=1998

That breaker does feed the accessories, see page 6-12, "power supply for accessories".

See page 6-8 for switch panel wiring.

Those breakers do go bad.

Check the breaker by removing it from transom and put your red meter probe, (set to dc volts) on the out going wire, (feeds up to your accessories). Black probe on battery ground. Battery selector switched on. If no, or very low voltage is present, it's the breaker. Check the in-coming side of the breaker too... to make sure you have power coming from the battery selector switch.

Or... with battery selector switch off, place the probes accross the breaker connections, meter set for ohms, (or continuity). Should be close to 0.

If the breaker were bad (open) the radio wouldn't work and he said it did.

 

[outnabout]

electrical issue

The radio , fish finder & radar all work
The only items not working are all accesories that are controlled by the rocker switches.
No ligts, horn washdown and livewell
I thought the circuit breaker was for the accesories not the switches.
The switches each have there own breaker. There is no way all 10 switches went bad at the sametime.

 

[BobP]

Between the breaker and switch panel may be a multipin harness plug connector under the bridge, the connector may be pulled apart or otherwise bad. Presuming there is voltage on the panel side of the breaker.

 

[seasick]

Re: electrical issue

The radio , fish finder & radar all work
The only items not working are all accesories that are controlled by the rocker switches.
No ligts, horn washdown and livewell
I thought the circuit breaker was for the accesories not the switches.
The switches each have there own breaker. There is no way all 10 switches went bad at the sametime.

It is very unlikely that all switches went bad. You have a wiring/connection issue either in the 12v or the ground. The panel is probably fed off of the main fuse panel but noy by a fuse but rather by a bus bar connection. As I mentioned earlier, you need to determine if you lost the 12v or if you lost the ground at the panel. That is not hard to do. Then you need to trace back. I doubt there is a connector in line. I would expect a hard wire connection.

 

[catch22]

Bottom of page 6-5 in the manual states the 40 amp breaker supplies power to the accessory switch panel. http://www.gradywhite.com/customer/manu ... &model=232

Unfortunately the manual does not clearly show how the fuse blocks, (dash and hard top) are supplied, but page 6-18, (hard top wiring) does show the fuse blocks are jumped together.

Looking at the wiring diagram on page 6-16, it shows 2 sets of feed wires exiting the rigging tube, (10 gauge red and black). 1 set for the fuse block and 1 set for the switch panel. Ok, that makes sense, and it might explain why your electronics work, but the switch panel doesn't. However, back at the battery, the diagram shows only one 10 gauge red wire coming from the 40 breaker and one 10 gauge black, (battery ground). Kind of confusing.

So... where is the supply for the fuse blocks? Are there 2 supply wires fed from the 40 amp breaker, (one for the switch panel and one for the fuse block)? And, are there 2 seperate ground cables at the battery? I'm only saying that because of the diagram. Or, if it is a single feed from the breaker, is there simply a jumper wire or buss bar connection, (like seasick suggested) from the fuse block to the switch panel, and one ground at the battery.

If it's a 2 wire set-up, I would first look to see if there's a bad ground cable at the battery. Or... Did you recently replace the battery, or do some wiring? You might have actually missed re-attaching a ground cable. 2nd, (again, if it's a 2 wire feed) check the red cable connections at the breaker.

If it is a single wire feed, check the red supply wire on the switch panel with a meter. Check the connections, (red and ground) to make sure they're tight and clean as well.

Also, power runs to the first breaker, "cockpit lights". on the switch panel, (see page 6-eight). If for some reason that 1st jumper is lose or disconnected, you'll lose power to everything on the panel. Might want to check that out.

 

[outnabout]

Cath 22 thanks will let you know how I make out.
Hope to resolve issue so I can get back to striper fishing in Montauk

 

[BobP]

Montauk? Better hurry up - remaining season is slim !

Go behind panel and check the jumpers, pull on them, one may have broker at the terminal.
(Been there, done that).

 

[outnabout]

The weather has benn killing me Montauk wind & Waves.

 

[BobP]

Weather sucks this year from day 1 of season, still does.

We are overdue for a real nice and dry season next year- look forward to it.

 

[OffTheCharts232]

I had switch issues on my 2000 232 and found that all the fuse holders behind the dash were in various stages off corrosion. removed them all and cleaned up the corrosion and then greased all the connections, now no problems. always start with the basics, there is nothing to keep the weather out of the electric panel on the dash.

 

[outnabout]

On the 1998 I can see the back of switches from the cabin side. They don't look bad. Having a pro look at I cant find the problem

 

[BobP]

You can have a cracked crimped connector. To troubleshoot, you follow the voltatg from the battery forward until you find it lost. Or ground, in the the other case. The grounds may be collected partially together and crimped.

Let's hope the guy knows how to troubleshoot, not my experinece with pros, few due, they usually do wholesale replacement job: new panel, wiring, batts, etc. The problem will no longer exist with this approach.

I never let these guys step on my boat, I'd loose my shirt !

 

[freddy063]

looking at the way it's wired, check the red wire coming to your cockpit light rocker switch, if you don't have power there, it a breaker/ battery trouble/ battery ground/ open, or dead battery, or the black ground. You should able to drop the panel in the head to get to all those wires. But I’ll tell you gradys have the worst wiring. :shock: the way they run the wires, the way they don't connect the wires is a trouble just waiting to happen. :roll: , they don't water proof a thing and a spade connector jumper no water proofing, and there routing of wire a drunk mans walk :wink: they just ram them in and hook them up.when you find out why it’s not working you’ll be saying what the, why did they do that????? for what a grady cost you think they wire them right. Shame full.