Basic Troubleshooting & Repair Procedures

Circuit Trouble-Shooting
Batterie
s
Alternators
Battery
Chargers
Boat Lighting
System
Boat DC Electronic
Systems
Boat AC
Circuits

Battery Testing-is designed to tell us things we

want to know about individual cells and batteries.

ThreeMinute
Charge

Load
Test

OpenCircuit
Voltage

Hydrome
ter

Hydrometer- an instrument for determining the specific gravity of a

liquid, commonly consisting of a graduated tube weighted to float upright in
the liquid whose specific gravity is being measured.
-best tester of flooded-cel

Measures Specific Gravity

State of charge

Specific Gravity

100 % charge

1.265

75 % charge

1.225

50 % charge

1.190

25 % charge

1.155

Discharged

1.120

Open-Circuit Voltage-

(abbreviated as OCV or VOC ) is the

difference of electrical potential between two terminals of a device when
disconnected from any circuit.There is no external load connected. No
external electric current flows between the terminals.
For Maintenance Free, Gel & AGM
batteries
When you cant use a hydrometer
Battery should rest for 24 hours, or
discharge with a large light bulb for a
few minutes

Load Test - is performed to determine a system's behavior

under both normal and anticipated peak load conditions.
Hydrometer and open-circuit
voltage do not indicate ability
to provide current under load
Prevent engine from starting
Operate starter motor for approx. 15 sec
Monitor battery voltage after 5 sec
If voltage is over 10.5 VDC Good Battery

If voltage is under 10.5 VDC Bad Battery

Replace battery

Three-Minute Charge Test-

A quick charge test, also termed 3 minute charge

test, will determine if the battery is sulphated (plates ruined). If the battery load test
results are poor, fast charge the battery.

Actually takes six (6) minutes

Charge battery at 40A for six minutes

Measure voltage (at battery) with charger on

If voltage under 15.5 VDC Battery is good

If voltage is over 15.5 VDC Battery is bad

Not accepting charge
Is sulfated
Replace battery

Alternator Testing
Alternator Testing
Drive Belt

Quick Test

Alternator
Electrical
Connections

Drive Belt & Quick Test

Alternator Electrical Connections

To check wiring between alternator & battery
First discharge battery for five minutes
Then start engine & check for high resistance connection between
alternator & battery
Voltage drop over 0.5 VDC needs to be fixed; or over 1.0 VDC if
there are charging diodes
Check both positive and negative circuit
Clean and tighten the bad connection
If you find a bad wire, replace it

Battery Charger Testing

Alternator vs Battery Charger
Quick Test
Troubleshooting

Alternator vs Charger & Quick Test

Alternator vs Battery Charger
Batteries charged by alternator
Batteries not charged by battery charger
Defective battery charger; see Troubleshooting
Quick test with engine & charger off
Measure (battery) voltage at battery charger
Turn on battery charger and measure voltage
Battery charger working if voltage increases
Battery charger not working if voltage constant

Troubleshooting
If Charger not working, check the AC input
Troubleshoot like AC Circuit, covered later
If there is AC input, check for a blown fuse
Replace blown fuse ONCE
If fuse blows a 2nd time
Disconnect wire going to battery and install another fuse, then turn charger on
If fuse blows again, have defective charger
If fuse does NOT blow, measure DC voltage
Should be between 13 and 16 VDC

Troubleshooting - 2
Turn Charger Off
Disconnect charger positive wire at battery
Tape it to prevent wire shorting to ground
Reconnect positive wire at charger
Turn On, if fuse blows have short in wire
If fuse does not blow, may have high resistance
connection between charger and battery
Troubleshoot wiring like you would for alternator

Boat Lighting System

Boat light inoperative
First replace bulb with known good bulb
Alternate test of suspect bulb
Check continuity of filament
Good bulb will have continuity or low resistance
Bad bulb will indicate no continuity or infinite
resistance
If good bulb does not work
Need to troubleshoot lighting circuit

Lighting Troubleshooting

Need a logical sequence

First check circuit breakers and switches
Then isolate to battery to power panel or
Power panel to light

Battery to Power Panel

No DC at battery side of DC main breaker
Check/replace large fuse at battery
Use multimeter
Check/clean/tighten wiring
Battery to battery fuse
Batter fuse to power panel

Power Panel to Light

Have DC at load side of branch circuit breaker
Check/clean/tighten wiring at branch breaker
Check/clean corrosion at light socket
Use CRC QD Electronic Cleaner or equivalent
Check/replace in-line fuse near light
Check/replace switch in light
Check wiring with temporary wires from branch circuit
breaker to light fixture

Boat DC Electronic Systems

90% of equipment problems is lack of DC or bad corroded cable
connections
First check for power to equipment
If there is power
Check for blown fuse
If fuse is good, there is an equipment problem
Then check/clean cable connections
Use CRC QD Electronic Cleaner or equivalent
Lastly troubleshoot like a lighting system
Previously covered

Boat AC Circuits
Testing
Troubleshooting

Testing AC Circuits
Shore power polarity
Verify correct with Reverse Polarity Indicator
Outlets
When first installed and once a year
Verify with AC Outlet Tester
GFCI outlets
When first installed and once a year
Insert AC Outlet Tester
Press Test tester lights should go Off
Press Reset tester lights should go On

Testing Hard Wired Appliances

Turn on appropriate branch circuit breaker
and
Appliance On switch
Appliance should work
or
Expose the AC terminal strip
Use multimeter
Check for AC voltage and polarity
If have AC input and wont work = Defective

Troubleshooting AC Circuits

Need logical sequence

First check circuit breakers and switches
Then isolate to dock to power panel or
Power panel to outlet or appliance

Dock to Power Panel

No AC at line side of AC main circuit breaker
Check/reset dockside circuit breaker
Check service cord
Use adapters and AC Outlet Tester
Power at dockside outlet?
Power at boat end of cable?
Check/clean/tighten connectors and wiring
Disconnect AC power before working on AC
Use CRC QD Electronic Cleaner on contacts

Power Panel to Outlet/Appliance

Have AC at load side of branch circuit breaker

Reset GFCI outlet
Disconnect AC power before working
Check/clean/tighten wiring at breaker
Check/clean/tighten wiring at outlet/appliance
Check wiring with temporary wires from branch circuit breaker to
outlet/appliance

Summary Circuit Troubleshooting

DC
Battery tests: Voltage, Load and 3-minute charge
Alternator tests: Drive belt, quick test and wiring
Battery Charger: Quick test, AC power and wiring
Inoperative lights: Bulb, bulb contacts and wiring
DC electronics: Verify DC power & clean contacts
DC wiring: Start at power panel and isolate
AC
Test outlets yearly
AC appliances: Verify AC power and check wiring
AC wiring: Start at power panel and isolate

Electrical Interference

Introduction
Sources of Interference
Locating Interference Sources
Interference Suppression
Mitigation Techniques

Introduction
Causes and Effects
Caused by rapid on/off current switching
Radiated through air
Conducted though wiring
Degrades high sensitivity electronic equipment
Noise Layers
Usually have interference from several sources
Remove/reduce till acceptable
Difficult to identify stronger interference

Sources of Interference
Ignition Systems
Charging Systems
Voltage Regulators
Electric Motors
Gauges and Instruments
Propeller Shaft(s)
Video Displays
Electronic Equipment

Identification by Sound
Ignition
Popping Sound related to engine speed
Alternator
High-pitched musical whine related to engine speed
Voltage Regulator
Intermittent rasping sound
Electric Motor
Hissing sound or whine

Locating Sources
What is Different?
What is On?
How is interference getting into equipment
Radiated?
Conductive?
Pigtail Check (with bypass capacitor)
Radio Noise Sniffer

Interference Suppression

At source of interference
Approaches

Repair or replace faulty equipment

Shielding to confine interference
Special-purpose components to reduce interference

General Suppression
Replace/repair faulty equipment
Correct defective wiring
Bonding straps still connected?
Check wiring for loose connections
Re-run wiring
Separate power and signal wires/cables
Dress regulator field wire close to the alternator
Shielding
Wires
Compartments with grounded copper screen

Ignition System
Primary
Shield ignition switch wiring
Ground shield at engine (only)
Ground case of ignition coil
Install 0.1 f coaxial capacitor
in positive wire at coil
Install 0.005 f disc ceramic capacitor
at negative terminal of coil
rated at 1,000 volts
Replace and adjust breaker points
Select and replace capacitor

Ignition System contd

Secondary
Install resistor spark plugs
Install resistor cable (between distributor and spark plugs)
Can be used together if needed

Alternator

If output less than 50 Amps, add a 0.5 f coaxial capacitor at output terminal
If over 50 Amps add a low-pass filter or in-line choke at the output terminal
Never bypass the alternator field

Charger / Voltage Regulator

Battery charger
Install near battery and away from electronics
Suppression built in by manufacturer
Home-made copper wire shield
Voltage regulator
May be built in to alternator
If external
Mount close to alternator
Consider shielding field wire (ground both ends)

Electric Motors

Well seated brushes

By-pass with 0.25 to 0.5 f capacitor
Ground housing

Gauges and Instruments

Gauges and instruments
Bypass with 0.25 to 0.5 f 200 volt capacitor
Some may stop working when bypassed
Electric tachometers
Dont bypass (it will stop working)
Shield wire and ground both ends

Mitigation Techniques

At equipment being interfered with

Approaches
Shielding against radiated interference
Filtering against conductive interference
Capacitors (or condensers)
Chokes (or inductors)

Shielding and Capacitors

Shielding for radiative interference

Capacitor (or condenser)
For conductive interference
Provide low reactance to AC
Placed across (parallel) input power terminals
Bypass undesirable AC noise to ground

Chokes (Inductors)

Choke (or inductor)

For conductive interference
Provides high reactance to AC
Placed in series with power wires
Types of RF chokes
In-Line
Snap-On
Ferrite Data-Line

Steps

Ground metal case

Bypass DC leads
Bypass and shunt DC leads
Add choke (in series with DC leads)
Shield (and ground shield)

TV Conductive Interference

Turn AC outlet Off

Install 0.01 F (micro farad) disc ceramic capacitor across hot and neutral
terminals
Keep leads as short as possible
Install snap-on choke in power cord
5 turns, left to right, on one side or core
Followed by 5 turns, left to right, on other side