Electrical Gremlins on Bayliner 3288

[knotheadcharters]

For some reason when I disconnect shore power I lose certain electrical systems. ie. All electrical power to the bridge, NAV and anchor lighting, the stereo down below, and my lower VHF. All lower station gauges still work. I have tested all fuses and associated wiring to each helm station. When shore power is connected all is fine. It is only when I remove it. I have tested all batterys and cleaned all battery grounds and coated them in dielectric grease. Has anyone else experienced this on the 3288? The wiring diagram doesn't really help much. I have been chasing this for 2 solid days.

Chris :argh

[SomeSailor]

Chris it sounds as though some of your instrument package is wired inline with the charger and isn't getting a connection to the battery. It might be something very simple like someone changed the charger and got the accessory lead on the outside of the charger lug and corrosion has blocked the connection.

I would do this: Start at the charger. Trace the leads back towards the batteries. There should be an inline fuse to each bank. Locate those fuses one at a time and see which is providing the operating voltage to the instruments while the shore power is on.

At least then you'll be on the right side of the boat (house or start). Then, trace it the rest of the way back to the battery lugs or selector switch. Pay particular attention to the area they connected the charger. If your getting your power only from the charger (which I suspect), you should see the error or problem right in that area.

Hope that helps...

[knotheadcharters]

This problem has just started in the last couple of weeks. The only thing that I have done is clean all battery terminals and grounds. I used a muli-meter and test light on every wire and fuse I can find. All are working as advertised. When Shorepower is disconnected, going over all the same fuses and wires then show no power to the the systems I described earlier? I really believe it is an easy fix. My electrical capability is lacking though. I did check out what you wrote about the charger today and found no problems with in-line fuses or wiring from the charger to the batterys.

Chris :argh

[3788sam]

If your house battery is completly dead or has a bad cell that might be the problem. Check the battery with a load tester, its the only way to find out if the battery is good.
Does all you gear start to work after the engines start? The port engine charges our starting batt and starboard charges house on our boat.

I agree with SS that it looks like the charger is powering the house and once you remove shore power it no longer does this.

Is there a fuse or circuit breaker between the battery and the charger/house circuit that you may have missed? I've seen boats with battery circuit breakers mounted close to the batteries.

You mentioned you checked the batteries. Did you check them with a load on; i.e. did you turn on everything and checked the voltage at the battery?

Raul

[knotheadcharters]

When I checked the house battery, I did not have a load on it. I will pull it today and take it to AutoZone. As far as fuses, I have chased the wiring back from charger to batterys. If there is a fuse I am missing it may be buried somewhere.
Thanks to all for the inputs, this has been driving me crazy.

Chris :argh

[SomeSailor]

It's not a fuse from the charger that's missing... I think your battery isn't supplying that circuit at all... and the tell-tale is the fact that your charger IS. The reason you want to find the fuse or connection to the charger is to find which leg (house or start) of your charger is supplying the voltage.

Once you find that... the missing DC from the battery is right there close by. You can eliminate the battery altogether if everything works while on "house" selection. If it's got a voltage at all (12VDC) with the charger off, then that voltage will at least make it up to the helm.

It could be your 1/2/All switch as well. If the contact is broken inside, your charger would still be connected on the back. This is a pretty straightforward trace of the wires is all. You just need to find where the charger joins that circuit... and the problem is then between there... and the battery pos terminal. Probably within feet of there.