Sailfish wiring help

[dstarok]

On my 1989 Sailfish I am trying to repair the issues I have with the wiring that feeds the nav lights, wipers and horn. Any one have any information about accessing these wires without ripping out ALL the overhead liner/carpet? If I knew how they were routed it would make it so much easier to start troubleshooting. Anybody traced these runs out before? It seems I have a bad ground as the light in the panel for the wipers goes on when I turn on the nav lights, indicating to me a backfeed thru the wiper circuit for the nav light ground. Other issues as well....
Thanks for any help or pictures!
Dave

 

[seasick]

Before you start undoing the liner, take a good look at the fuse block/breaker panel and associated connections at the helm. Make sure you have good grounds. If you measure voltage at the main fuse block ground terminal relative to a direct connection to the battery ground, you should measure very little voltage, with some loads turned on. The voltage should be less than a volt and preferable much less. If that seems OK, you will need to move farther up the line but from the number of issue you mention, it is likely that your problem is closer to the breakers and/or fuse block or even farther back towards the main battery ground.

The same theory works for all your devices assuming you can get to their grounds ( even the ground at the bulb in the nav lights will do). The voltage measured from the device ground to a direct battery ground should be quite small.

 

[JeffN]

When trouble shooting remember you need both Pos. and Neg. to make a device work. Make sure you have power going into and out of your switches and check at the negative that goes to that load. I would find it unusual for the wires in the headliner to go south. Never say never though. I'm thinking the problem is around your switch/fuse panel.

As to finding a wiring diagram you may be able to find that on the Grady site. You can pull up old owners manuals and IIRC there was a wiring diagram printed in them. It was not a great diagram but it did generally show where the wires were run. Might give you clue before you do too much headliner removal.

Just looked at Grady's diagram they are quite vague as to where the grounds run, just shows a ground. Do any of your nav. lights work? If it was just your horn, bow nav. lights (if indeed they are on the bow) and wipers that don't work I might suspect a bad shared ground.

 

[dstarok]

I will definately check the grounds. I have the generic outline from grady about the wire runs, nothing too specific. just wish I knew which accessories shared ground and where those connections were located. Making progress on the refurb, believe this or not the original fresh water and raw water pumps still work. They have the labels still which show them manufactured in 1988.
Thanks,
Dave

 

[dstarok]

Found a loose ground wire in a wire harness connector. Thanks for the help.

 

[JeffN]

Everything working now? If so - Nice!

 

[dstarok]

Looks like most is working. Ordered 2 new wiper motors, horn doesn't work, but if i connect it directly to battery 12 volts it works. Bad connection somewhere, I haven't had time to troubleshoot it yet.
Thanks,
Dave