Windlass Helm Switch

chaslanier

chaslanier

Member
Mar 7, 2017
34
Lake Lanier GA
Boat Info
2006 Sundancer 320
Engines
Twin 350 MAG w/V Drives
Should the windlass switch in the helm stay on when pushed or is it design as a safety feature that you have to hold it to operate the windlass?
 
Windlass switch should be a dual pole momentary. It should only run while you hold it down. If you have foot switches at the bow they are also momentary and are tied into the same control solenoid.

-Kevin
 
The arm button should latch the solenoid and the blue light in... you should not have to hold it. Push it once to latch... push it again to unlatch. The up and down buttons (and foot switches) do have to be held to function.

(This all assumes button pad and EIM setup)
 
That's what I thought that the large button should hold itself on but you would need to hold the up and down buttons as well as the foot button. Right now I have to hold the large button and the down or up and someone has to hold the large button while using the foot buttons. Another questions, do you have to replace the entire switch panel or can you change just the windlass?
 
chaslanier said:
That's what I thought that the large button should hold itself on but you would need to hold the up and down buttons as well as the foot button. Right now I have to hold the large button and the down or up and someone has to hold the large button while using the foot buttons. Another questions, do you have to replace the entire switch panel or can you change just the windlass?
Click to expand...
I am having a similar problem with a friends boat. His is slightly different in that it won't move up or down when holding the arm button. The problem is not in the switch pad, I think i'ts in the EIM but not sure. When I figure his out, I'll know more.

Here is that thread:
http://clubsearay.com/showthread.php/81653-windlass-issues?p=935611&highlight=#post935611
 
Last edited:
As closure to my issue... we found that a fuse was missing on the solenoid. This fuse provides 12V feedback to the EIM that the solenoid is closed so it could then be locked in. How it fell out, we have no clue.
 
Hi,
I have a bit of a problem!
I bought a 315 Sundancer 2005, last year. I have just retrofitted a quick prince windlass. It wasn’t fitted with a windlass from the manufacturer. Now my problem is, I can’t get the anchor pad to light up. But can hear the relay in the engine compartment click. But nothing comes to life. I can’t seem to find any fuses missing. The only thing prewired is the control wires, going to the anchor storage.

I hope someone can point me in the right direction.

Regards Morten, denmark
 
Misterkops said:
Hi,
I have a bit of a problem!
I bought a 315 Sundancer 2005, last year. I have just retrofitted a quick prince windlass. It wasn’t fitted with a windlass from the manufacturer. Now my problem is, I can’t get the anchor pad to light up. But can hear the relay in the engine compartment click. But nothing comes to life. I can’t seem to find any fuses missing. The only thing prewired is the control wires, going to the anchor storage.

I hope someone can point me in the right direction.

Regards Morten, denmark
Click to expand...
Does the windlass work? If so it sounds like you need to check the output of the relay, it's tied through a fuses to a smaller gauge wire back to the helm for the led. If you're not getting the windlass relay box powered and no led on the helm check the input into the relay.
 
Do you mean output in the aft eim in the engine compartment? I tried to take the box apart yesterday but it is sealed way to tight. Could you be a bit more specific?
The windlass is brand new.
 
Misterkops said:
Do you mean output in the aft eim in the engine compartment? I tried to take the box apart yesterday but it is sealed way to tight. Could you be a bit more specific?
The windlass is brand new.
Click to expand...

So I can't find that model's exact wiring diagram but it's typically wired like this:
Battery -> Fuse->Latching Relay->Control Box->Windlass.

The latching relay is what I'm talking part, it takes an input for the helm button and an an output for the helm led. it's the relay you hear clicking when you push the power button on the helm for the windless. When you push the up/down button you hear the control box click. If you're not getting a click/light when enabling the windless it's this. If you don't get movement on the windless when pushing up/down it's typically the control box.

Hope that helps.
 
The relay in the aft eim / power is clicking, but the button doesn’t turn the led on. And I have no clicks in the control relay fwd eim box, when I’m pressing up/dwn

I have all diagrams, would that help?
 
This is the eim in front below the throttles. And the other in the engine compartment looks just like it, and has a windlass main 5a. But this box can’t be opened. It clicks as described. But the one in the picture doesn’t.
 

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The EIM relay/breakers control the signals to the windless control box as well as the latching relay, the latching relay in the bildge controls power to the box, if you have the manual the wiring diagrams are in it. but I'll try my best here to describe them:

In the bildge This circuit is your main power to the windless
Battery->Fuse->(Large Lugs)Latching Relay(Large Lugs)->Windless box->Motor.

The Latching relay Has 4 or 5 lugs(connections), I don't recall the control ground path and don't have the diagrams in front of me:
12v+ Power in (big lug)
12v+ Power out( big lug)
(don't recall) in( through a fuse) input from the helm via the eim
12v+ out(Through another fuse) ouput to the helm led.

Windless box
12v+ Motor out Large lug
12v+ Motor out Large lug
12v+ Motor out Medium lug
12v+ In from the latching relay (Large center lug) Check for power here
Gnd control gnd (center blade iirc)
12v+ control in up from the helm via EIM and foot switch( they're wired parallel )
12v+ control in down from the helm via EIM and foot switch( they're wired parallel )
Motor ground is a separate connection


So all that said, if you have clicks in the EIM the helm switches are working, the next stop is the blidge to see if the signal is getting to the latching relay and if that relay is getting power. If it's getting signal and power and the fuses are ok then the relay has failed. You can do a test by jumping the the two big lugs and bypassing it.
 
If the solenoid is clicking but not holding, it is bad. It’s easy to replace. Just did mine last weekend. FP marine has em in stock.
 
Coz said:
If the solenoid is clicking but not holding, it is bad. It’s easy to replace. Just did mine last weekend. FP marine has em in stock.
Click to expand...
Wouldn’t the led at least light?
And I can’t seem to open the aft eim in the engine compartment. The screws a not made to open, and the box is sealed so extremely tight
 
Ferris said:
The EIM relay/breakers control the signals to the windless control box as well as the latching relay, the latching relay in the bildge controls power to the box, if you have the manual the wiring diagrams are in it. but I'll try my best here to describe them:

In the bildge This circuit is your main power to the windless
Battery->Fuse->(Large Lugs)Latching Relay(Large Lugs)->Windless box->Motor.

The Latching relay Has 4 or 5 lugs(connections), I don't recall the control ground path and don't have the diagrams in front of me:
12v+ Power in (big lug)
12v+ Power out( big lug)
(don't recall) in( through a fuse) input from the helm via the eim
12v+ out(Through another fuse) ouput to the helm led.

Windless box
12v+ Motor out Large lug
12v+ Motor out Large lug
12v+ Motor out Medium lug
12v+ In from the latching relay (Large center lug) Check for power here
Gnd control gnd (center blade iirc)
12v+ control in up from the helm via EIM and foot switch( they're wired parallel )
12v+ control in down from the helm via EIM and foot switch( they're wired parallel )
Motor ground is a separate connection


So all that said, if you have clicks in the EIM the helm switches are working, the next stop is the blidge to see if the signal is getting to the latching relay and if that relay is getting power. If it's getting signal and power and the fuses are ok then the relay has failed. You can do a test by jumping the the two big lugs and bypassing it.
Click to expand...

Maybe this will help, I can’t seem to wrap my head around the system.
Thank u very much though.
This is the diagram for the windlass, it is only connected with the two prewired controlwires in the anchor storage, everything else is mounted as a system for itself.
 

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Little confused by your first post. If the boat was factory wired for a windlass, there is another solenoid in the bilge that sends power to the main contactor (not shown in your diagram). When you press the anchor button, this solenoid closes and sends power to the main contactor at the windlass and turns on the light at the helm. The up down buttons control the main contactor.

Get in the bilge, have someone hit the anchor button and listen for the click. The click comes from the solenoid not the eim.
 
Understandable that’s confusing.
So far I could only find prewired control cables up/down in the anchor storage, but no solenoid(maybe I looked the wrong place) or power cables. So the new windlass power supply comes from the bow thruster, as it was the shortest way to do new wiring.

But I will go in the bilge and look/listen for the solenoid.
 
Misterkops said:
Understandable that’s confusing.
So far I could only find prewired control cables up/down in the anchor storage, but no solenoid(maybe I looked the wrong place) or power cables. So the new windlass power supply comes from the bow thruster, as it was the shortest way to do new wiring.

But I will go in the bilge and look/listen for the solenoid.
Click to expand...
Did u ever find a solution to your problem? I think I’m experiencing the same issue. I hear clicking in the eim in the engine compartment but the led light for the anchor doesn’t come on the switchpad. I’ve been studying the wiring diagram and it appears the aft eim supplies power to the system and fwd eim is the up and down buttons at the helm. I haven’t jumped out the solenoid but that’s my next course of action
 
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