gengiant
New Member
Boy, there are some real blunders that occur when 'they' build boats! :smt021 For some time now I have been chasing recurring electrical problems on my boat. One of my windshiled wipers had twice gone inoperable and then the last time out over night my anchor light and then all nav lights went. Argh!! :smt013
Well, this last long weekend (Happy New Year to everyone!) I spent all Saturday tracing and then fixing the problem. As it turned out it was nothing more than a very stupid installation (by the factory???) that caused a short in the wiring harness leading to the windshield. The wiring to the windshield on my boat runs along top edge of the starboard windshiled/window, hidden behind a flexible plastic "race" cover. Seven wires run down the length of the window and go down into the hull through a dime-sized hole just below the leading edge of the windshield. Not a 1/4" further aft is where the first mounting screw for the windshield attaches to the top of the gunwale. This is where I found the problem. Some idiot had takn this mounting srew and rather than screwing it vertically into the screw hole next to the wiring hole, they had swrewed it at an angle right through the 7-wire harness, thereby cutting the insulation on every single wire! :smt021 It apears that the only way to screw this particular screw in o be flush with the top of the windshiled frame was to have it at that particular angle. Using the hole that is intended for it actually leaves about 1/4" of the screw head sticking out. I still need to find a solution to that one (probably a skinnier screw - requiring me to first fill the existing screw hole...). But at least now my lights and wiper work again! :smt038
Well, this last long weekend (Happy New Year to everyone!) I spent all Saturday tracing and then fixing the problem. As it turned out it was nothing more than a very stupid installation (by the factory???) that caused a short in the wiring harness leading to the windshield. The wiring to the windshield on my boat runs along top edge of the starboard windshiled/window, hidden behind a flexible plastic "race" cover. Seven wires run down the length of the window and go down into the hull through a dime-sized hole just below the leading edge of the windshield. Not a 1/4" further aft is where the first mounting screw for the windshield attaches to the top of the gunwale. This is where I found the problem. Some idiot had takn this mounting srew and rather than screwing it vertically into the screw hole next to the wiring hole, they had swrewed it at an angle right through the 7-wire harness, thereby cutting the insulation on every single wire! :smt021 It apears that the only way to screw this particular screw in o be flush with the top of the windshiled frame was to have it at that particular angle. Using the hole that is intended for it actually leaves about 1/4" of the screw head sticking out. I still need to find a solution to that one (probably a skinnier screw - requiring me to first fill the existing screw hole...). But at least now my lights and wiper work again! :smt038