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Sea Ray 320 Electrical Issues

Discussion in 'Sea Ray Yacht' started by NBiancardo, Jun 19, 2014.

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  1. NBiancardo, Jun 19, 2014
    #1
    NBiancardo

    NBiancardo New Member

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    Hey everyone -

    Purchaced a 2004 Sea Ray 320 a month ago and I've started to notice electrical issues. The GPS will cut in and out throught the ride (as will the depth guage), but some of the instruments tend to cut out for the entire ride only to come back the next trip, when a different instrument cuts out.

    My marina is a disaster when it comes to the service department, So i'd like to tinker around a bit and see if there is anyting I can do before letting them get their hands on her. I'm good with mechanical issues, but electricity isn't my thing (although I do know enough to not be connected to shore power when working on it!).

    It's a fairly new boat to me, so I dont' know where most things are located as of yet. Is their an electrical buss somewhere behind the dash that could be loose or is it located elseware?

    Heading out to the marina tomorrow morning, any help would be appreciated.
  2. K1W1, Jun 19, 2014
    #2
    K1W1

    K1W1 Senior Member

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    Hi,

    Intermittent faults where things switch on and off underway is normally loose connections.

    Have a look under the dash and see if the wiring harness is hanging off
  3. NBiancardo, Jun 19, 2014
    #3
    NBiancardo

    NBiancardo New Member

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    Do you happen to know if the panal comes off easy or is it a project to get in there?
  4. K1W1, Jun 19, 2014
    #4
    K1W1

    K1W1 Senior Member

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    Hi,

    Sorry, I have no experience on your particular boat model so cannot unfortunately offer any vessel specific advice in regard to this.
  5. Pascal, Jun 19, 2014
    #5
    Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    Which items shut down? A complete list will help determine where to look... For instance, is it only some of the electronics like GPS, sounder, VHF or do you loose some of the engine gauges like fuel gauge, rpm, etc...

    Anything else shutting down? Lights?

    If it s only the electronics, I'd trace the wiring from each unit (GPS, sounder, VHF, radar) and check for loose wires or connection. If they shut down together, then I'd look at the negative side of the wiring first.

    Electronics are usually installed by dealers or installers, not factory so wiring will vary. Some boats have access panels behind the dash, on others you will have to pull dash panels to get access (often screws on the front)
  6. NBiancardo, Jun 19, 2014
    #6
    NBiancardo

    NBiancardo New Member

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    GPS and sounder come on and off intermittingly. I have not yet used the radar so I do not know if that did as well.

    The center instrument gauge (MPH etc) went out at the start of one trip and remained out. It was back on the next day. The starboard enging gage shut down when I started her up for the return trip last weekend. The enging ran fine though. I kept the throttles even with eachother and the boat did not veer noticably either right or left so I assume it was operating properly. I haven't been on her since then so I do not know if it's working now.
  7. Capt J, Jun 19, 2014
    #7
    Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    Searay likes to piggyback a lot of the electrical with those push on connectors from gauge to gauge to gauge, same with the grounds. I would get to the back of the gauges and check all of the connections, you will find the gauge issue there. The electronics sound like a bad ground, but could be a bad supply wire or loose connection also. I can almost guarantee that you'll find everything behind the gauge panel. You can turn the keys on and wiggle wires around until you find things acting up. Also, you need not disconnect the shorepower when working there as there should be no a/c power in that area.
  8. NBiancardo, Jun 19, 2014
    #8
    NBiancardo

    NBiancardo New Member

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    Thank you very much! I dread the thought of giving the marina service department an open invitation to rob me blind!
  9. Pascal, Jun 19, 2014
    #9
    Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    Intermittent problems are the worst to troubleshoot especially when you get billed by the hour

    The fact that it affects various items at different and that are fed by different circuit woudl make me look at the negative / ground / black side of things first. There should be a negative bus somewhere behind the helm. Check for corrosion or loose wires there.
  10. Capt Ralph, Jun 19, 2014
    #10
    Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    I remember Rays has a common sub-breaker panel that was a world of problems. Do you have a pop-out breaker panel around the helm? Get to the back of it and carefully find a bad connect as the breakers are daisy chained together.

    Patience will prevail on issues like this.
  11. NYCAP123, Jun 20, 2014
    #11
    NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

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    I agree with this. It's not likely that you have that many lose connections. There's a breaker box either in front of or to the right of your feet when facing the helm. Open that up. I suspect you're going to find that it got wet and is corroding. This may well be Sandy damage. Lindenhurst got hit hard.
  12. NBiancardo, Jun 23, 2014
    #12
    NBiancardo

    NBiancardo New Member

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    Thanks for all the help! Unfortunately the breaker box was clean as a whistle and there were no loose wires that were accessable. I'm going to have to entirely remove the helm I think, or maybe at this point concede that I need a electrician with some equiptment. I tested the power at the NAV, and sure enough, there is a momentary cut in power every 3 to 5 minutes.
  13. K1W1, Jun 23, 2014
    #13
    K1W1

    K1W1 Senior Member

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    Hi,

    If it is that regular and can be observed with a multi meter the fix is probably quite easy.

    What provides the supply to the place you were measuring it?

    Try running a fresh 12 or 24V ( whichever you need) supply to that point and see if the problem continues.
  14. NBiancardo, Jun 23, 2014
    #14
    NBiancardo

    NBiancardo New Member

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    The power comes from the third battery (Starboard engine/electronics). I changed out that battery last month. I don't know how the wiring runs between the battery and the NAV. Is it possible that the charger could be faulty?
  15. K1W1, Jun 23, 2014
    #15
    K1W1

    K1W1 Senior Member

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    The supply from the battery can't be intermittent the way you have described.
  16. NBiancardo, Jun 23, 2014
    #16
    NBiancardo

    NBiancardo New Member

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    Then I haven't explained something correctly.

    I tested the power at the NAV, and it's intermittent. The wiring goes into the breaker box (looks clean and tight) and then disappears into the hull. The power for these dashboard systems (NAV, Radar, gages) all comes from the third battery which also supplies power to the starboard engine starter motor.

    Unfortunately that's all I know!
  17. K1W1, Jun 23, 2014
    #17
    K1W1

    K1W1 Senior Member

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    Hi,

    As don't know this model of boat and cannot be vessel specific in my suggestions you might be best served by following your own suggestion in Post No 12 and call someone.
  18. NBiancardo, Jun 23, 2014
    #18
    NBiancardo

    NBiancardo New Member

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    Sadly your probaby correct. Typically I can gather up enough info from these forums to figure out the issue and make a decent fix of it, but with electrical issues I feel more out of my element then usual.
  19. Pascal, Jun 23, 2014
    #19
    Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    Because you are not loosing power to all instruments at the same times, I think you eliminate the wiring between the battery and the breaker panel. If that a where the problem was then all the instruments would go off at the same time.

    If the wiring behind the breaker panel is all clean and tight then you need to look T the negative side. Connect the meter to the positive at your plotter or wherever you took the previous readings (NAV) but connect the negative black probe to a good ground in a nearby panel or a ground which is used by something which has not shown the same symptoms. If the power remains on, then you know ip the issue is with the negative side
  20. NBiancardo, Jun 23, 2014
    #20
    NBiancardo

    NBiancardo New Member

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    That's interesting, I will give that a try tomorrow evening.

    Also, I may have miss read the advice on the breaker panal. I opened the box, to find all clean and tight inside, but should I have removed the back of the box from the wall it was mounted on? There has to be wiring behind it i'd assume. I did have a steering fluid leak in that area prior top the electrical issues.
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