Boat electrical demons, Gages work intermittently Radio will not work, How do I find the problem.?

Question

I have a 18 ft bowrider with a 6 cyl mercruiser. It is Glasstron with a full set of gauges bildge pump, compartment blower, and radio. When I put in the water this year gauges and radio don't work. I think the problem is with the ground somewhere but do not know how to find the problem.

Answer 1

The ground in your boat or any DC system  is a common culprit.  Clean the battery terminals, then take a new wire to the radio  for both ground (neg)  and line (+)  then test the radio.   Start working from there to each piece of equipment.  The engine and the gauges  can be treated as one unit to the engine, then take a separate lead to each gauge.

Answer 2

93.7% of all electrical problems on boats are caused by corrosion and/or loose connections.

pull all the connections apart, clean 'em until they shine (use sandpaper if ya have to), and reconnect tight! tight! tight!

start at the battery.  check the fuse box(es), switches, everything.

look for burned/chafed/missing insulation.

Answer 3

yes you need to check all grounds make sure clean