Port Control Panel intermittant issues

[lookintahook]

Hello all,
I am new to this site but wanted to share an issue that I had this weekend and wondered if anyone has had any similar issues or may be able to help.
I recently had my boat hauled out for annual maintenance,(cleaning, Bottom paint, etc...)
I was able to open the engine hatch to clean the bilge, and conduct some general maintenance. I tried to re-open the hatch the next day and it would not open, also my trim tabs, blower, accessories and bilge pump would not operate. The bilge would then randomly come on (no water in boat, no control on float switch) and would not turn off unless I shut the battery switches off. I then manually removed the hatch pins and opened the hatch with the assist of a fork lift. There were no breakers tripped and everything seemed in order. I figured it was a low battery issue so I charged it over night but I encountered the same issue the following day. After quite a bit of troubleshooting, I was finally able to operate all the controls on that panel if I turned on the "Anchor/Nav lights" on the Starboard panel?? I was able to duplicate this consistently and eventually the issue finally went away. I will be willing to bet that this is not the last time I will encounter this problem so I would like to correct it before it happens at the wrong time. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated
Thank you

 

[stg099]

Sounds like you are likely in need of a new control pad, unfortunately these are sealed units that are not serviceable, and are getting harder to find. I had a similar problem on my starboard side and purchased on through Hyannis marina on ebay to the tune of about $400 bucks. From what I understand, sea ray dealers may also be able to source them also. The new pads come with a black surround rather than the wood, but there are posts on here that explain how to switch the covers from you old panel to a new one. It's a simple plug and play replacement, a few nuts on the backside of the panel and it comes loose

 

[lookintahook]

Thank you for the info, I was actually going to purchase one until it stared working again. I cant figure out how the opposite control panel (anchor/nav lights) buttons have anything to do with the port side controls. I studied the wiring diagrams for a while and there are a few things that are connected in common but it still doesn't explain it (to me anyway). I wanted to throw it out here to the experts first, before purchasing a replacement pad that will likely not be refundable if it doesn't solve the issue.
Thanks

 

[insfnds]

I think I would wire in a real switch to lift the hatch so you don't have to go through that again.