480 DB Owners Club

Happy New Year. I just got my boat back in the water last week after a strut repair, waxing, and cutlas bearings. While the boat was out I had the props sent off for a tune up, which is why I’m late on getting her winterized.

On the sea trial to check for vibrations, the port side gauges on the console would not light up or work. That included all the analog and digital gauges. The starboard gauges worked fine. I checked the breakers and they appeared on. The batteries are new last spring so I don’t think they are the problem. The gauges worked fine prior to the haul out.

When the boat was on the hard the battery banks were turned off. I turned them on when the boat was put back in the water. The boat started fine and ran fine. No alarms or warnings sounded. Where do I start looking for the problem? Is there a fuse somewhere that I need to look for?

The boat is winterized now and it will be a spring issue unless I figure out the answer. The boat shop says they will look at it in the spring also. Due to what work was performed (Strut and prop work), I don’t think they did anything to cause the problem.

Keith

Do you have the CAT EMS instrument system? If so, they are powered by two 12 volt DC to 24 volt DC converters under the stbd side of the helm. One powers the stbd CAT EMS and instruments and the other powers the port CAT EMS and instruments. Check their input and output voltages. My port converter also failed and I found this aftermarket replacement at a lower price than the OEM converter: Analytic Systems VTC120MS-12-24. I chose their option to build the converter to military specs for the marine environment and it has been working fine now for five years.
 
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I believe WDR is looking for the mains battery box in the lazarette which holds two 8D’s. I looked at mine last week and didn’t see any obvious part # markings.

The Todd thruster boxes hold single 8D’s.

Here's a pic of the two 8D box, it's not really a box, per se, more like a tray and a lid held down by rubber T-handle latches. There is no manufacturer info on the lid at all.

I guess I'm not understanding the battery setup on this boat yet. The two separate 8D batteries up forward are for the thruster? And in the pic below, I see another battery peaking out from behind the genny. Are the two 8Ds for a single engine start and there is another set of 8Ds that I have not discovered or does each 8D connect to each engine for starting?
50788908101_e0af1f40e9_c.jpg
 
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So as far as the duckbills go, It seems as a plunger works on the vacuflush system if you just try and send pulses down the hose as opposed to just randomly plunging up and down. Both Vacuum generators now work but take anywhere from 45 - 50 cycles to build enough vacuum to cut off. But at least it is now cutting off. A fresh set of duckbills still seems in order.

Another issue someone might be able to help advise me with is the fresh water system. Right now it seems as if the freshwater pumps seem to take forever to cut off. (Before I left the boat this evening, they actually never shut off after running for a solid 4-5 minutes.) I believe I have purged all the air out and I don't think I have any fresh water leaks. Once the do finally build up enough pressure to cut off, the don't cycle back on and off again.
 
Here's a pic of the two 8D box, it's not really a box, per se, more like a tray and a lid held down by rubber T-handle latches. There is no manufacturer info on the lid at all.

I guess I'm not understanding the battery setup on this boat yet. The two separate 8D batteries up forward are for the thruster? And in the pic below, I see another battery peaking out from behind the genny. Are the two 8Ds for a single engine start and there is another set of 8Ds that I have not discovered or does each 8D connect to each engine for starting?
50788908101_e0af1f40e9_c.jpg
The 480s w Bow Thrusters have a single 8D in front of each engine dedicated solely to the Bow thruster as I understand it (my 480 does not have a BT). The pic above is the lid I am looking for, with zero luck so far. It covers the Port and STBD cranking batteries. They are on 2 different circuits and each cranks one engine, however, on the Helm panel between the engine start rocker switches is an emergency start rocker toggle, if you hold it down, it trips a solenoid near the batteries that combines them for cranking if needed. The battery peeking out from the back is to start the genny, and should also be on a separate circuit. These three all tie back to a larger charger,converter that also runs all your DC circuits when plugged in. There were changes over the years so keep that in mind when getting info. Hope this helps. Thanks for the pic of what I am supposed to have, now if someone can help locate one I will be very grateful. I’ve replaced the STBD head vacuum pump, if you want I’ll see if I can find that info, may be posted here from a year or two back already.
 
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Do you have the CAT EMS instrument system? If so, they are powered by two 12 volt DC to 24 volt DC converters under the stbd side of the helm. One powers the stbd CAT EMS and instruments and the other powers the port CAT EMS and instruments. Check their input and output voltages. My port converter also failed and I found this aftermarket replacement at a lower price than the OEM converter: Analytic Systems VTC120MS-12-24. I chose their option to build the converter to military specs for the marine environment and it has been working fine now for five years.
Thanks Steve. I’m heading to the boat Friday to get some winter stuff done. I’ll check the output and see what she reads.

Keith
 
My 2002 480 Sedan Bridge allows a lot of rain water into the bilge.... like 30 gallons at a time! It is up on blocks for the winter and I am trying to find the leak. I have been in the bilge area while it was raining but cannot find the 'smoking gun'. Does anyone have any ideas where that much water could be coming from? I have sealed up the rod holders and side vents. I have have a full enclosure and the mooring cover. I did NOT shrink wrap this year as I want to figure out where this water could be coming from. Has anyone had similar issues??
 
I know there have been some previous discussions on the washer/dryer combo on this thread over the years, but I'm not clear on a few things and looking for additional info closest in time to my model boat -- 2003/4 480DB. The boat did not come with the washer/dryer combo option.
Was the specific model washer/dryer sea ray was putting in during this time frame a Splendide 8000 HD? Anyone know the measurements or whether the Splendide 2100XC is the same size?

I have a 1999 480DB and I have a Splendide 2000.
 
The 480s w Bow Thrusters have a single 8D in front of each engine dedicated solely to the Bow thruster as I understand it (my 480 does not have a BT). The pic above is the lid I am looking for, with zero luck so far. It covers the Port and STBD cranking batteries. They are on 2 different circuits and each cranks one engine, however, on the Helm panel between the engine start rocker switches is an emergency start rocker toggle, if you hold it down, it trips a solenoid near the batteries that combines them for cranking if needed. The battery peeking out from the back is to start the genny, and should also be on a separate circuit. These three all tie back to a larger charger,converter that also runs all your DC circuits when plugged in. There were changes over the years so keep that in mind when getting info. Hope this helps. Thanks for the pic of what I am supposed to have, now if someone can help locate one I will be very grateful. I’ve replaced the STBD head vacuum pump, if you want I’ll see if I can find that info, may be posted here from a year or two back already.

I have 2 bow thrusters 8-D battery in front of the engines... the 2 batteries you are showing are your engine start battery and the other your house. Yes the one behind the gene is to start it. I have change the battery isolators on mine to newer model and added 2 more 8-d to house and connected to inverter.. I have a 1999 480 DB..
 
Keith I have not, but read about it on this forum. I had a buddy that tried to remove into the crew room and it was a mess.

Let me know if you were able to unscrew it from the floor... I need to push mine in the stateroom so I can access the back of it to change the strap, but I can’t move the thing at all... it cannot go out from the back under the stairs, too narrow...
 
My 2002 480 Sedan Bridge allows a lot of rain water into the bilge.... like 30 gallons at a time! It is up on blocks for the winter and I am trying to find the leak. I have been in the bilge area while it was raining but cannot find the 'smoking gun'. Does anyone have any ideas where that much water could be coming from? I have sealed up the rod holders and side vents. I have have a full enclosure and the mooring cover. I did NOT shrink wrap this year as I want to figure out where this water could be coming from. Has anyone had similar issues??



I've had leaks into the lazarette from these spots:
--The caulking in the vertical seams between the transom and the hull.
--The ends of the port and stbd rub rails where they meet the transom.
--The bullet ends of the stern rub rail.
 
I've had leaks into the lazarette from these spots:
--The caulking in the vertical seams between the transom and the hull.
--The ends of the port and stbd rub rails where they meet the transom.
--The bullet ends of the stern rub rail.


Thanks for this reply! I will check those areas carefully.
 
Let me know if you were able to unscrew it from the floor... I need to push mine in the stateroom so I can access the back of it to change the strap, but I can’t move the thing at all... it cannot go out from the back under the stairs, too narrow...
I answered your post in the general discussion section. The back and sides were one piece on my Unit. There is no access.

Keith
 
I've had leaks into the lazarette from these spots:
--The caulking in the vertical seams between the transom and the hull.
--The ends of the port and stbd rub rails where they meet the transom.
--The bullet ends of the stern rub rail.

These same areas have been issues for me also over the years. I'm betting one or all are your problem.
 
So is it possible to have a dry bilge in a 480? (Mine is currently pretty wet.) My 360DA was usually dry unless I used the city water connection.

My bilge is dry, but I am in a covered slip. I have boated in the rain with no water intrusion,
 
So is it possible to have a dry bilge in a 480? (Mine is currently pretty wet.) My 360DA was usually dry unless I used the city water connection.
I am in a covered slip also. With that said, I still get some water in my bilge. I wash my boat every weekend and sometimes spray it off the next day if the bugs are bad, which seems to becoming a daily ritual now. The bugs are awful in Kentucky. I attribute my water to the constant washings.

I do need to redo my caulking, which is on my spring list.

Keith
 
The 480 has spots that need to be sealed. Everyone seems to have the same issue. Vertical caulk line where transom meets hull, rub rail end near transom, bullets as they tend to get hit and will allow water through. Luckily this is mostly fresh water so no hard.
 
So is it possible to have a dry bilge in a 480? (Mine is currently pretty wet.) My 360DA was usually dry unless I used the city water connection.


Hi Dave,

Yes, it is possible, but you must relentlessly track down each and every leak. My bilges are dry and my boat is not covered. But it took a lot of work after I bought the boat and it takes work to keep them that way. When I see water in the bilge, my wife and I put on our docking headsets, she hits the transom/cockpit with a hose and I crawl around the lazarette looking for the leak. We use our boat a lot, it's not in a covered slip, and the Florida sun is very tough on the caulk, so in the 10 years I've owned the boat, I've recaulked every topside and transom seam multiple times and I've also rebed the stern rub rail and the rod holders and replaced the rod holder drain hoses.

There are a couple of sources I didn't mention above because Scurt85 said he was on the hard for the winter with his cockpit and rod holders covered. So in addition to the sources I listed above, if your cockpit cover is off when it rains, the water will drain through the transom locker and you can get a leak down into your Glendenning cablemaster bucket as well as through where the shore fresh water hose penetrates the deck into the lazarette overhead. The stern rub rail fastener penetrations can leak too when you slow down off plane if the wake overtakes the swim platform and submerges the rub rail. Another source is the hoses that drain the rod holders drains to the cockpit deck.

Of course, now that I've bragged about my dry bilges I'm sure I'll have a new leak to fix when I go back to the boat next weekend!
 
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