Hello. I believe I have issues in this circuit for a year or so that seem to be getting progressively worse, culminating in a more worrisome issue that manefested this weekend. Since I purchased the boat three seasons ago I only intermitently heard the alarm when the key was turned to on position. In the last year I don't think I've heard it at all. I read somewhere else on the forum that this was more likely due to the cheap quality of the alarm and not an electrical issue. The next bigger issue was start of last season the tach seemed suddenly to become wildly innacurate. Reading from 500 to 1000 rpm off through the operating range based on my readings with a photo tach. This was a nuissance, but as I'd checked it and noted what tach on the instrument corresponded to on the engine, it was easy to workaround. (I asked the yard to address this last September and they just never did it and then told me last week if I want it done there it would delay my delivery over a week....)
Now onto this season; no power to starter when I went to start it to leave the dock from the boat yard this Saturday. First thing I tried was the 20 amp CB on the engine. It was open and resetting allowed the engine to start. I think in three seasons this was the second time I have ever had to push that CB. This was not the first start of the season; the yard did an engine start when they launched the boat and based on the hours meter ran it for about 40 minutes and made no mention of any problems. About twenty minutes after leaving the dock and clearing bridges into the lake I glanced down as I reved up and noticed the tach was dead. Then noticed temp was dead and fuel was E; the panel was dead. It was kind of choppy and I planned to get sails up so I never bothered going below and resetting the breaker. I was nervous about motoring with no temp gauge to alert me to an issue, but anyway, wind didn't cooperate and we motored whole two hours to harbor. (Side note: I understand this means we had no fuel pump either, but we had a full tank of fuel and it never stumbled or died. Of course we had no tach either so we probably were well under cruising rpm.) At the dock I've duplicated this problem numerous times. The odd thing is that after it starts it takes up to twenty minutes before that breaker trips and the gauges go out. I guess I assumed the preheat solenoid would trip it faster if it was a short in that circuit. I'm handy with the basics of a volt meter if someone tells me where to start, but not great with wiring diagrams. What are thoughts? Is this some sort of ground short? I have no intention of contiuning to operate it this way as it seems there is an obvious electical problem. Sort of a side note, but I've noticed with the engine running a while the instruments fog up almost to the point of being unreadable, so I'm guessing moisture in the pod as well, but seems like that wouldn't cause this issue. Sorry for the lengthy post, as mentioned electronics not a strong suit so trying to give as much history/detail as possible.
Catalina 36 Mk II
Hull number: 2106
Year: 2002
engine hours: 1,070
Name: erik
Homeport: Chicago
Erik
Chicago, IL
C-36 MK II #2106
Erik, it is hard to guess what the problem is, I will try to shoot in the dark. Check the batteries, what are their voltages when the engine is not running and shore power is not connected. Voltge below 12.7VDC could indicate bad batteries. Do you have battery monitor? how much current is being drawn after the engine starts? What is the voltage? Are the batteries charging? When the engine is running you should see about 14.5VDC. I have not looked at the wiring diagram - but when the instrument panel becomes inoperable, is that after the CB is kicked off? I have heard that sometimes the started will continue to run even after the engine has started.Start the engine then disconnected the starter positive cable and see if it will kick the CB. It is good that you can produce this problem at the doc.
I will be follwing this thread. I am curious myself.
Haro.
Sail La Vie 1999 Catalina 36 MKII, M35B-17031, Coyote Point, San Mateo, CA
About Sail La Vie
Haro,
Thanks for the response. To clarify, the batteries are both charged and the alternator is working fine; charging voltage is something like 14.7 when I checked it last week. To answer your question, the dead panel is definitely a result of the CB tripping, but I'm wondering where I start in diagnosing why the CB keeps tripping. The starter continuing to run after starting sounds dangerous, I hope that isn't happening, but I would think if it did that 20 amp would trip much quicker and stop it. I looked at the diagram on the technical page here on C36, but I was having trouble figuring out if was applicable to my boat; the link said MKII, but the date on the diagram looked like mid 90s.
Erik
Chicago, IL
C-36 MK II #2106
Sea Bird
Consider this a mystery novel. You might start with checking the ground integrity at the instrument gauges. If all of your instruments are going out or acting up, the common denominator is ground. If you are throwing the CB then check for a loose or corroded ground or positive connection. What can cause more current is a loose or corroded connection some where thus causing the CB to trip. Tug and pull the connectors to see if any are loose. Check all connections on your gauges and the wires feeding them. Look for any discoloration as this may be a sign of over heating at a connection or in the wire itself. Best of lucj with this.
2003 Catalina 36
Eric;
It might just be the circuit breaker itself. I seem to recall a diesel mechanic telling me that the circuit breaker should be replaced by a fuse of similar rating as circuit breakers tend to become unreilable as time goes on and this replacement seems to be a common practice on older Kubota tractors. That aside, it certainly seems like corrosion is reducing the voltage some where in the circuit and you are just going to have to trouble shoot the circuit one leg at a time. As the voltage drops (due to corrosion) the current load will usually increase. It may be something simple like an (iginition) master key switch. Look at the simple stuff first.
The part of your comment that bothered me the most was the part about you thought the fuel pump stopped working. Are you sure that was the case ?
What is the voltage at the fuel pump ?
Bill
Bill Dolan 1990 Catalina C-36 MKI - Hull #1041 'Williwaw'
Std. Rig, Walk Through, Wing Keel
M35, Oberdorfer Conversion,
Home Waters; Charlotte Harbor & The Gulf Islands of Florida
'You are never out of work if you own a boat'
Thanks Bill. I do know for sure that after this breaker trips and you turn the key to preheat position I don't hear the clicking of the pump anymore and I THOUGHT I read somehwere else on this forum that it this breaker tripping does stop the fuel pump, but the engine will run without it due to location of fuel tank. I haven't checked voltage at the pump yet since I haven't gotten a second set of hands down there with me yet, but will try and confirm.
Erik
Chicago, IL
C-36 MK II #2106