Switch Panel Problem

[RZMike]

Anybody ever had a problem with one of these?

http://home.comcast.net/~rzmike/pictures/AccessoryButtons_a.jpg

Mine started having a problem last year. Would work intermitantly. Sometimes all the red lights would just flash. Now it won't work at all. I've taken the whole panel out and played around with it to see it there's a short in the wiring somewhere, but no luck. I did get it to work for about 5 seconds twice.

I would just go buy a new one, but I'm sure it's expensive and I want to be postitive of the problem.

Any help would be appreciated (I'm quite flustrated with it right now) :mad:

[lee]

Must be a 2001, we had to change all of ours out to a different design. Might want to check with your dealer and see if they will still replace the part.

[RZMike]

Yes, it's a 2001 23V.

I'll call my dealer and see what they say. I'm not sure they are going to be familar with my problem since they didn't pick up the Tige' line until 2003.

Do you have a replacement part # perhaps?

[lee]

No, I do not remimber the part number just having to change out the switches.

[hanzj]

RZMike, is there a EMI relay box that those switches connect to? That is more than likely the problem if there is....The bad new is, they don't make replacements anymore and you will probably have to convert to the new style toggles. I went through all this 2 weeks ago. The switch conversion is $300, or you can make your own like I did. I'll try to post some pics. Let me know if you need any help.

[Tige M.D.]

thats pretty impresive that you made your own. i'd really like to see it. i almost think with all the work retro fitting in the factory one it just might be easier to build your own. lets see the end product.

[poohpotta]

Lee, what is a remimber :D

[lee]

What I need to do to your list.

[poohpotta]

Just remember that I gave you good marks on the Tige list when your reviewing my list :p

[RZMike]

Originally posted by hanzj
RZMike, is there a EMI relay box that those switches connect to? That is more than likely the problem if there is....The bad new is, they don't make replacements anymore and you will probably have to convert to the new style toggles. I went through all this 2 weeks ago. The switch conversion is $300, or you can make your own like I did. I'll try to post some pics. Let me know if you need any help.

Yep, mine's got one of those EMI boxes. I tried to find the company on the internet. I guess they went out of buisness?

I was afraid I would have to convert to toggle switches. This is going to suck. Especially coming up with a contoured blank panel to mount the switches in.

Any help (pictures, parts, suppliers) would be appreciated.

[hanzj]

Hopefully this will be understandable.

I bought everything at boaters world and it was only $85 or so.

Your relay will be replaced with a fused distribution block.

Hopefully this link works:
http://www.boatersworld.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&catalogId=10051&langId=-1&productId=13140420&bct=t249085%3Bc310029%3Bc342267

If not go to boatersworld.com and search for Blue Seas - Fuse Block Ato 12 Circuit With Ground

Then just buy toggles of your choice...there are about a hundred different styles. Buy the 3-blade ones though (Power, Ground, Accessory)

I ran a new power and ground directly from my battery and connected them to the distribution block (8ga shown below in yellow and red)

Then ran smaller wires (14ga) from the distribution block to the according + and - blades on all of the switches.

I had to test all of my accessories to make sure which was which (because they weren't all labeled) and then ran them to the according toggles. (that I labeled with labels also bought from boaters world for $1 a piece)

For the actual switch panel, I used "marine lumber". It is basically white plastic and is very easy to work with. Mine wasn't contoured so I just placed the old one on top and traced around it. Then sawed it and sanded the corners. You might try heating it with a small torch so you can bend it.

Believe it or not, I actually did all this one evening after work.

Let me know if you have any questions.

-Hanz

[hanzj]

battery shot...yellow and red 8ga wires go to new distro block

[hanzj]

closeup

[RZMike]

WOW, That looks great. Awsome job. Thanks for the instructions and links. Don't worry, I had no problem understanding it. :D

The jury's still out on what I'm going to do. I took the whole contraption (panel, black box, terminal strip) out this evening. Put all the components on my desk and hooked it up to a battery. I got it working again. It appears the problem is in the ribbon cable where it goes into the black box. The box is filled with a epoxy or sealant, but it's soft so I'm trying to cut it away in hopes I can repair the connection. I doubt I'll be successful, but I figure it's worth a shot - Nothing to lose anyway :D

[Tige M.D.]

before emi went belly up they told us how to reset the system. unplug the switch assembly from the brain, uplug the power from the brain. wait a few minutes then plug it all back in. sometimes this would work, other times it wouldn't.

[RZMike]

I've about got my "custom" switch panel finished. I'm having a problem wiring the bilge pump. I was smart enough to label wires and take pictures before taking everything apart, but my picture isn't clear enough to figure out what this wire goes to.

http://home.comcast.net/~rzmike/pictures/MysteryWire_a.jpg

One end was connected to the same place on the old terminal strip as the bilge pump wire, but I'm not sure about the other end. Apparently I forgot to label the other end :rolleyes:

One end has some sort of resistor or something on it.

http://home.comcast.net/~rzmike/pictures/MysteryWire2_a.jpg

I've got some basic knowledge with electrics, but this wire has got me baffled. Apparently it's important because the bilge pump won't work without it.

Anybody help me out here?

Thanks

[raythompson]

That resistor is actually a diode to prevent reverse current flow. My guess is that the wire goes from the hot side of the ignition switch to the bilge pump connector. This allows the bilge pump to operate regardless of the setting of the ignition switch and will allow the pump to activate using the float switch.

[RZMike]

I believe your correct about it being a diode. I was playing around with it and my multimeter and could only measure voltage in one direction.

Probably right about the other too. My bilge pump isn't automatic though, but it may have been automatic from the factory and been replaced since.

It may be that the bilge pump has gone bad although I've never had one go bad while sitting over the winter.:confused:

Thanks for the response - gives me a direction to look.

[Tige M.D.]

check the auto bilge pump wire connection at the pump. it always has power running to it and that tends to cause problems if that connection is underwater.