Mercathode Lights?

Discussion in 'Pod Drives' started by JamesT, Mar 15, 2021.

  1. JamesT

    JamesT Active Member

    250
    Oct 7, 2013
    Somers Point, NJ
    2011 470 Sundancer
    Cummins 480s w/ Zeus PODs
    Hi all. My Cummins tech told me that the Mercathode system is hard wired directly to the batterys and is always on 24/7/365. Neither of my green lights on the Mercathode harness are lit, yet we just lowered my PODs last week and there appears to be no corrosion which tells me they're working. My pod trim tab zincs were about 50% eaten and my transom zinc was 90% eaten. I was in the water 9 consecutive months though from 3/16 to 12/1. It occurred to me that if the little green lights are supposed to be on 24/7/365 and my boat is now 10 years old, would it stand to reason the green lights are just burnt out? Well let me ask that question another way. Any of you out there with boats as old as mine, whose lights are also both out?
     
  2. Shaps

    Shaps Well-Known Member GOLD Sponsor

    Nov 4, 2019
    Long Island,NY
    2010 Sundancer 500
    2015 Brig Falcon 330T
    Twin Cummins QSC550 DTS w Zeus
    what color is your mecathode box on the pod? Red or Black?
     
  3. Shaps

    Shaps Well-Known Member GOLD Sponsor

    Nov 4, 2019
    Long Island,NY
    2010 Sundancer 500
    2015 Brig Falcon 330T
    Twin Cummins QSC550 DTS w Zeus
    If you are out of the water, the LED will not be on.
     
  4. JamesT

    JamesT Active Member

    250
    Oct 7, 2013
    Somers Point, NJ
    2011 470 Sundancer
    Cummins 480s w/ Zeus PODs
    Hi Shaps, the harness is red per your earlier question. That's good info that no lights when out of water. How do you know that?
     
  5. Shaps

    Shaps Well-Known Member GOLD Sponsor

    Nov 4, 2019
    Long Island,NY
    2010 Sundancer 500
    2015 Brig Falcon 330T
    Twin Cummins QSC550 DTS w Zeus
     

    Attached Files:

    Mauler34Rod likes this.
  6. Shaps

    Shaps Well-Known Member GOLD Sponsor

    Nov 4, 2019
    Long Island,NY
    2010 Sundancer 500
    2015 Brig Falcon 330T
    Twin Cummins QSC550 DTS w Zeus
    @JamesT
    Just for giggles, make sure your mercathode breakers on the box in your Engine Room are on when you utlimately go to check.
    They may have been moved to the off position as part of your winterization since they would be a drain on the battery if the breaker had not been thrown.
     
  7. JamesT

    JamesT Active Member

    250
    Oct 7, 2013
    Somers Point, NJ
    2011 470 Sundancer
    Cummins 480s w/ Zeus PODs
    @Shaps thanks I'll check the breakers and the in-line fuses. I was hoping for a launch this Friday but they are forecasting extremely high winds and rain, so I may have to push it backward.
     
  8. Dunigan

    Dunigan Member

    56
    Nov 21, 2018
    2013 Sabre 42
    twin cummins qsb 6.7
    The older mercathode boxes didn't have lights or the diagnostic pigtail. They had to be checked using Mercury's special probe. My understanding is if you don't have the pigtail attached to the mercathode controller, you don't have the light system either. I believe the older controller box is red and the one with the lights and pigtail are black. My 2013 has the older box and the new types were being installed in 2014 or late 2013. Just my understanding.
     
  9. DaleM

    DaleM Member

    684
    Aug 5, 2009
    Mt Airy, MD
    340 Sundancer
    Twin 8.1 Horizons
    Going off of memory here when I had outdrives, I thought the black unit was the standard output box and the red one was the high output controller.
     
    techmitch likes this.
  10. Dunigan

    Dunigan Member

    56
    Nov 21, 2018
    2013 Sabre 42
    twin cummins qsb 6.7
    You may be right but the color is not that critical. I have the red unit on my older Zeus pod and it doesn't have a pigtail or lights. I am replacing with a newer unit with pigtail and lights and it is black. I have seen the same unit online in red.
     
  11. Shaps

    Shaps Well-Known Member GOLD Sponsor

    Nov 4, 2019
    Long Island,NY
    2010 Sundancer 500
    2015 Brig Falcon 330T
    Twin Cummins QSC550 DTS w Zeus
    @Dunigan Is there a reason to change it out?
     
  12. JamesT

    JamesT Active Member

    250
    Oct 7, 2013
    Somers Point, NJ
    2011 470 Sundancer
    Cummins 480s w/ Zeus PODs
  13. Dunigan

    Dunigan Member

    56
    Nov 21, 2018
    2013 Sabre 42
    twin cummins qsb 6.7
    Not really. In my case, my mercathode pucks seems to overworking. I want the newer style controller with lights and pigtail in order to better diagnose any issues. The old method of using the probe is a pain.
     
  14. Shaps

    Shaps Well-Known Member GOLD Sponsor

    Nov 4, 2019
    Long Island,NY
    2010 Sundancer 500
    2015 Brig Falcon 330T
    Twin Cummins QSC550 DTS w Zeus
    Thanks
     

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