The BIGGEST Boat ELECTRICAL Issues!!

[@josephwalters1563]

The Gray/Green/Blue is galvanic corrosion - occurs when dissimilar metals are in contact with each other (lead from the battery terminal and tin on the tin-coated copper battery lug). This cannot be prevented, only managed by choosing metals close to each other on the galvanic series (remember high school chemistry?), and covering the dissimilar connection in dielectric grease or that battery spray you use to limit moisture in the join which accelerates the process (acts like the electrolyte in a battery and makes a more efficient galvanic cell). In the Florida environment no matter what you are going to be cleaning these connections every couple of years...where I am in the Midwest it can be a decade with my dryer environment. I'm an electrical engineer and we deal with this all the time and make the best choices we can. Other disciplines deal with it as well, notably architecture and construction trying to keep the building/structure/art looking and functioning the best in the less than perfect environment we all live in. Actually the anode on your boat/in the motor are "sacrificing" themselves to the exact same type of corrosion on the Hull or in the engine. Tin is chosen to cover the copper battery lug to again sacrifice itself to the lead on the battery terminal extending the life of the connection vs a pure copper lug to lead battery terminal connection.

[@joshuarodrique2096]

Number 1 Boat Electrical Issue: Trailer Lights Every. Single. Season.

[@jondavies1632]

99/100 trailer wiring trouble is a bad ground. I ran a dedicated ground wire instead of using the trailer frame and it solved most of my problems.

[@barney2001]

I am on the Great Lakes and have also seen the 'grey' connection problem. Take off, clean & replace fixes all. I figure connections just sit around and work on ways to not pass electricity. I think if we used higher voltage it would not be a problem but that's for future equipment manufacturers to work out.

[@zachdavis712]

Took a new boat out for its maiden voyage yesterday. No issues in the driveway for any test starts on a used yamaha 130 v4. Started on the trailer just fine at the launch. When i came back to head upriver nothing would work on the motor. Finally got it to start after checking the main fuse for starter solenoid so I thought that was loose. 10 seconds into the trip the motor went to limp mode with an alarm going off any time I took it out of nuetral. Ended up being where the negative battery cable attached to a starter mounting bolt. It was so loose the connector was pulling completely away and loosing ground. Tightened it up and was on my wah with no issues for 3 hours!

[@robertpendzick9250]

It's Chemistry. CuO (cuprice oxide) is grey - black Cu2(OH)2CO3 is green. (Copper carbonate) The green form shows that the area is in an area that maybe less ventilated, carbon dioxide or monoxide present perhaps with sulfur dioxide, or chlorides present. ( maybe this could be controlled by removing/ventilating sources) Grey/black is air, water, temperature oxidation. (not much you can do for this)

[@retireeslife4013]

As always another great video. I have done several wiring jobs on boats and these are my best tips. Everytime I check the batteries for fluid levels I spray and anti corrosive on all my terminals. If find a connection is starting to ware or show some bare wire i change it quickly and i use marine grade connectors that heat shrinks around the wire. After washing the boat after running in the ocean I check to see if all my circuits work. Its fast . Those few things will save you tons of time and money. Pss always use marine grade tinned wire.

[@johnclemente6615]

that spray works great just repowered my boat and before i evevn started it or put it in the water i sprayed the whole engine with a Anti-corrosive took cowling off loos still brand new! thanks Aron !

[@michaels8775]

Best boating channel on here, Tuesday my favorite day next to payday. Keep up the great work. Tech Tuesdays rock!!

[@BornAgainBoating]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@kevinfurbee9917]

1980 Catalina 25 that I picked up as a project.. DC power was working fine the other day to all accessories, bilge pump, water pump, etc. etc.... went out today to find all DC accessories... DOA... 12.8vDC across battery terminals... AC power is good to the 110v circuit devices.....; couldn't find any popped fuses.. hint of burnt electrical so something is smoked; just haven't found what....! Frustrating

[@SkypowerwithKarl]

Use Ox Guard between terminals and lugs after cleaning and before sealing it. Unless you can completely encapsulate the terminal and lug connections don’t bother. I know someone that sprays terminals with Flex Seal but the verdict is still out on that. Dialectical corrosion can only happen with an electrolyte. Humidity and salt air will be enough. Got to keep air exchange out.

[@MEGA_SOKO]

I've got a 2003 Cobia I picked up a few months ago. Loads of electrical issues thanks to whomever was doing the "maintenance" on it prior to me buying it. The main rule in marine wiring - if you cut it, protect it! The fact is that using tinned wire should be the rule when adding or changing a wire, however if it's not sold at wal-mart or home depot, people use what they already have on hand. Recent issues fixed on my boat: The windlass control wire shorted against the metal solenoid and caused the whole control run to melt, so I replaced the whole 3-wire run with tinned marine wiring and zip-tied the wires down so they won't rub again. The other big issue I found was that the blade-style fuse block had corrosion in one side of the fuse plug, causing the trim tabs to stop working intermittently. If you can get fuse blocks with a cover, take the time and do the upgrade. It's only $40. I also bought some waterproof identification flags on Amazon and marked everything in the dash, so next time, if I need to check a wire, they are all marked and I can trace wires faster when an issue arises, especially if I am on the water. Lastly, never use silicone to protect openings, the marine environment is too harsh on everything. Spend the money and have a tube of 5200 handy all the time. Keep up the good work Aaron, absolutely enjoy your videos.

[@Fishstycz]

I don't recommend using an abrasive on lugs that are tin coated copper (most common) because the abrasive could expose the copper which really doesn't resist corrosion at all. Rather brush the corrosion off with a nylon drill-mounted brush, and/or a chemical cleanup that won't destroy the tinned finish. Thereafter, use silicone grease (if its available) or just petroleum jelly before screwing or bolting down or reassembly of plugs. I use Dow Corning DC 4 grease.

[@melinda5777]

Everything above when I bought my new to me/used sailboat. Stripped Everything out and put a new fuse bank all new wires from battery to lights, bilge pump, Everything. It was a mangled mess of wires and I knew it when I bout it.(mainly for the body, standing rigging and mast.

[@caseyg1495]

I had a bad connector installed by previous owner the live well pump where it was just crimped. The pump wasn't working so I cut the wire and saw the wire was burnt a little. I cut it back as far as I could and tested the pump and it wasn't working. New pump and was good to go. Next outing the pump took several minutes to turn on... This past outing it didn't turn on at all... Well now I'm replacing the entire wire from the switch panel to the pump since the old stuff is bad. Owell. Always something with a boat.

[@RichaRat]

That corrosion is oxidation. Any metal that is exposed to oxygen, forms non-conductive oxidation. It doesn't matter if it is lead, solid copper, solid aluminum, nickel coated, or zinc coated. Brass and stainless steel are resistant to oxidation, but they are alloys and contain components that are subject to oxidation. I like to coat my battery connections with clear silicone grease, available at many auto parts stores.

[@billwallenstein3387]

Don’t forget to mention to keep your batteries clean. Dirty, salty batteries will track causing a constant draw on the batteries, causing them to be in a constant state of low voltage. Excellent video as always

[@derekl.5069]

Could you elaborate more by what you mean exactly by keeping the batteries clean

[@techrfun]

My boat was originally wired with solid copper single strand wires. I have rewired the boat and added a fused terminal block, heat shrink connectors, copper tinned wire and two batteries. Now remember I have a Simmons Sea Skiff wooden boat.

[@DJSbm-28]

Thanks for the invite to the new site. As for this video and electrical issues, I did a rewire on my boat (21’ mako). All thanks to your videos. The videos that you put out gave me the confidence to accomplish this though not as pretty as the rewire that you did 🙁. Still after a few problems and some work to fix it correctly it doesn’t look half bad. I am still learning from what I see on here. Thanks for all the help 😃. Stay safe out there. 👍😎🌴

[@BornAgainBoating]

Glad it helped

[@fmaalouf73]

Corroded main breaker fuse which is mounted in the bildge area of the boat. I normally apply dielectric grease to my battery terminals. And now to the newly installed main breaker. Symptoms were when switching off the ignition all electronics shut off when the trim tab motors retracted.

[@daren9721]

I had a issue with my trim would not go up my battery was on a trickle charger so I thought it was something to do with the trim but it was the battery. Put a new battery in and it was all good. The trickle charger said the battery was charged

[@davidwarren4569]

The cheaper pulse battery chargers do that. I have found C-tec to be the most reliable charger

[@bottomknockinbaja6092]

Dead in the water one time, had to call seatow, replaced both batteries, replace starter, still no joy. Beat my head against the pier for eight and a half hours trying to figure it out. Talked to one of the old timers at the marina and he told me it was my main cable from the battery to the battery switch and the battery switch to the starter. Said they get corroded INSIDE (i said yeah ok..) and reduce voltage flow and that was my issue,... damned if he wasn't right!

[@davidbank9195]

I recently found a similar issue on a 50 year old whaler, (Outrage), with a 15 year old 4 stroke engine: I determined the cable connections were deteriorated as a result of internal cable corrosion by measuring the voltage drop in the electrical start system. Hopefully Aaron can show this in an upcoming episode. Thanks! David

[@ivanslavov4836]

Hi, thanks for your video - it was very helpful. I am trying to still troubleshoot the below case it happened to me the other day (2004 Boston Whaler Nantucket190 /w Optimax 135): cruising at 4k RPM, and my 2 garmins flickered and restarted. I stopped went to neutral, engine was running fine, i saw FAULT FUEL LEVEL on smart craft gauge. I restarted engine, moved my battry switch off and on, switched the my second battery, and kept going. 5 mins later, same thing happened, so it was a battery related. I realized i had left the seacock valve open which feeds to my livewell pump - this had filled up my livewell. As i dont use I often, I thought maybe the water flow turned the pump and it generated some sort of voltage spike and that cause the flicker and reset of the electronics. I later realized that this is not the case as same thing happened after i docked the boat and tilted the engine. In the end of the day, I did not get stuck but had it to a point where, at home,. turning on the battery switch would not even start the electronics... I went the following evening, trying to measure the voltage and troubleshoot, moved the battry switch and now everything is working. I ordered a new battery switch (perko 8501), replaced it and was hoping the old one to be rusty with visible signs of problems. I had to cut it open to see the contacts and contacts are as clean as new. I am so baffled now, as i have no proof switch was the issue. Are there any tips you can give me in terms of what else to check? Thanks in advance!!!

[@BornAgainBoating]

Hello Ivan, sorry to hear the issue, I would stick with that following of the battery cables and battery issue. Check you batteries and make sure they are charged, how old are they, are the connections on them clean and looking good? Also, are the topped off with water, is there a ground between them? What does the cabling look like to the house power distribution block and to the engine? I would be suspecting those batteries out the gate though, hopefully you have figured this out though!

[@stuarthennessy8551]

Good info once again, I just had a dead engine with no power no life from a customer..... Used second hand had to rig and install on his new boat.... All new batteries and cables but no life.... Main 14 pin connector was burnt out and other components in the wiring loom also. New wiring loom installed still dead. He had reverse polled the battery.... Not said anything and removed the main plus wire between the starter solinoid and the plus distributor post for the rest of the motor.... Costly trouble shooting process. See you next week

[@janusmendiola3328]

I enjoy your teach-in instructions on boating, thank you!

[@alanwheeler]

Previous owner used copper low voltage wire instead of the tinned marine grade wire. Lots of corrosion, brittle insulation, etc.

[@user-tv5dt3nm9y]

Hey, Buddy! New subscriber to the channel. I really appreciate your videos and their direct, no BS style. Watching the restoration videos has been an education. As a boat owner/operator, I really like labels and diagrams where components, especially electrical, are located. A technician has the training and experience to identify switches and components quickly, but someone who doesn't look at that stuff (me) every day can get confused. If I were to commission or undertake a restoration, I would want labels where they make sense and are possible. And, because problems never occur under ideal conditions, anything like good lighting in an area like the console is a real help when needed. Just my 2 cents.

[@juspain1]

Bought a boat that had a trolly motor and when they took it off they left the wiring. Well someone spliced into that wiring for some other parts of the boat. Not sure which ones. On top of that they used butt connectors and electrical tape for Everything. So jenky and bad it was a mess for sure, but I put in the tin coated stuff and check all Connections. Seems to be doing better now

[@lancejordan6717]

Loose connections on spade connectors like on rocker switches, or even in blade fuse holders.

[@OfficerDave78]

Brand new boat 2 years old and I noticed corrosion on battery one and the other 2 are clean. Where that batteries are clean and dry. Hope that does not mean something is wrong

[@southernprojectsyt6340]

Good video REGUARDLESS of who was FIRST to watch the damn thing.

[@soflo_justin934]

Does the marina u work at do enclosed transoms like u did on the ocean master i believe it was

[@tonylopez9373]

My boat starts well but must accessories like blower lights radio don’t I check all fuses only one was burnt I replace it still no power

[@benjigans1419]

For me, I think there is a loose connection in the electronics because whenever you open the cabin door, the transducer stops working but when you close it, it works fine. Also, I have some bad electrical connections to my helm switch panel, which I'm getting replaced tomorrow.

[@curthook9622]

Do you have a sliding door? If so look under your dash and move your sender cable

[@benjigans1419]

@@curthook9622 I have a sliding door. I didn't install my electronics two years ago, my mechanic did. He's not whaler or simrad certified, so I think he did the best he could.

[@C3c1l]

I put vaselin on my battery terminals ;)

[@OfficerDave78]

Good preventative maintenance tips on your battery.

[@BornAgainBoating]

Indeed!

[@veramoldt2741]

3 outlets on port side of Hunter 405 not working. Starboard outlets fine.

[@mikecaudill1710]

Found your video and they are really informative and high quality. Not sure if I should post my problem, but will give it a shot and see if you can help? I recently replaced my house and starter flooded batteries on my sailboat and hopefully replaced the wires back to their original connection points. (took a picture prior to disconnecting and reconnecting). Recently, my gauges/instrument data for my wind information was not displaying. After I fiddled with the Garmin gauge I turned the circuit breaker off/on and the data appeared. Days later my RPM and Fuel gauges were not working. After a few attempts with turning the engine on/off and hitting the breaker it worked. I'm not an electrician, but about to hire one ($$$$). Before I do any guidance or suggestions? It would be greatly appreciated. Im a DIY fix-it guy, but electrical fire are my biggest concern on a boat.

[@ericdavi1231]

My old Donzi had the worst wiring in the world. I was always changing connections and running new wires. I’ve yet to find a bad wire in the 2004 Intrepid I got a few months ago. Of the few items that weren’t working, it was always the component, never the wire.

[@MP-qn1jw]

What was the yellow spray used to clean the batteries? It looks like it worked really well. Thanks for the videos!! Cheers!

[@BornAgainBoating]

Just some cheap degreaser from the dollar store, Awesome is what it's called :)

[@MP-qn1jw]

Thanks so much! Keep up the great work!!

[@lurochannel]

Love your channel, can you make a video about control boxes before and after 1996 and explain everything. I’m in the process of replacing mine, found out i need an harness adapter, what about control cables, do they need an adapter too? If yes, are all adapter universal? Etc.. thank you

[@mrnotnomis]

I tried starting my starboard motor with the port side battery, and there was an awful, faint whining or buzzing. And the RPM gauge went nuts. I found that there was no direct ground connection between the batteries. Since the engines were grounded ONLY to their respective batteries, the ground was feeding back some other way. The remedy was to connect the battery grounds to each other so that the engines are both grounded to both batteries. No idea where the original ground connection went.

[@adnanbegic7754]

Have you ever had to fix a “searching for autopilot controller” error with the garmin ghc10 and ghp 1.2 pump? Seems like a common issue but no good instructions on what to check and how to fix. Love the videos!

[@jacobslupecki4629]

I am having trouble with my 1988 Mako 171. My Key switch all of a sudden lost power along with the trim / Tilt and all of my gauges. However the trim tilt works at the motor button, I get 12 V at multiple spots around the motor, Nav lights, GPS unit, and bilge so I know it's not the battery. I have checked all the fuses and done a few continuity tests around the motor like the neutral switch, and the relay (it jumps the motor) so I am definitely getting power there. I believe it to be the Key Switch to be faulty but not sure why that would lose power to the trim / tilt at the console. It could be a ground somewhere that I do not see. What do you think?

[@PianoUniverse]

Is it safe to use the red terminal spay on other electrical connections as a preventative?

[@chiphill4856]

If it's the Red Spray by 3M, I think it's non-conductive and safe for anything electrical. Not sure how it handles Heat, though.

[@JacobHetherington]

I had a couple breakers literally break. Causing a ton of issues! All fixed now tho.

[@emankosak9285]

I try to only have 1-2 maybe 3 terminals on the battery just to minimize failure. Great video!

[@josephwalters1563]

That's a great rule of thumb! 3 ring terminals stacked together is a great limit for environments with vibration (like your boat when the engine is running). Given enough time and vibration the joint will loosen on its own because each ring terminal is acting as a flat washer, but the more you stack the faster it loosens.

[@workingdiligently8458]

I've had loose battery connections that just smoked when you tried to start the engine. It was wild because it was as tight as you could crush the lead, but the lead had eaten away over the years and the slight gap that let it move around would just smoke. - but yeah loose battery has happened to me more than once, i'm embarrassed to say.

[@chiphill4856]

That's a good reason to switch to threaded posts and avoid clamp-style connections

[@workingdiligently8458]

@@chiphill4856, I have yet to see threaded posts on 8D batteries, but I agree, it has never happened on my group 27 batteries in my outboard boat.

[@sergengoektas4188]

Recently I found out that my rigging tube was too short which caused the main harness cable to the remote control to sort of chafe when steering left or right, leading to a damaged cable. I an relatively new to boating and I found out when my trim and tilt function stopped working on the water. Now I need to get the cable patched up and either get longer control wires or possibly check if I can have the rigging tube make an S shape and pin it where it goes into the boat. Harness cables can be expensive! Btw does anyone have an opinion on replacing harness cables over fixing them if they are pretty new and just have a 2 inch area where they chafed and got damaged? My local dealer said it makes sense to just repair it over getting a totally new one, I’d like to get a second opinion

[@marlon5656]

What is used to clean the wires/connections

[@MrKalana]

What is built there is Copper Oxide. Just use boiling water on the connectors to get rid of it. Simple remedy.

[@andrewfyakim525]

Thank you... great information!

[@BornAgainBoating]

Thanks for watching!

[@wesleycurrin1457]

I got stranded twice by my cranking battery. The 2nd time, we tried to jump it from my trolling motor batteries, a good Samaritan's, cranking battery, then his trolling motor batteries. I took the battery to a garage and had it tested and the cold cranking amps would not exceed 540. Garage recommended replacing the battery and I agreed. I am still baffled as to why we could not jump the battery from known good batteries. Anyone have any wisdom to share? Thanks!

[@maxsu8795]

Connect a small solar panel w/ charger when boat not in use， the battery will never drain out.

[@ljmtac]

nice seal watch 👌

[@jasonvoris521]

How do I sign up for the class or the course I'd like to be a part of it thanks

[@Salty_004]

Me too

[@MrAsankarajitha]

About batteries AGM battery becomes more popular now

[@JeepLJ]

I have no tachometer on my 2005 F150, and I want to show the engine hours. Can I install a Yamaha tachometer myself to auto populate the engine hours or is this something an authorized Yamaha service technician can rig up and program for me?

[@BornAgainBoating]

Thank you for your question! Please post it in our Born Again Boating Community! Go here and scroll down to access - it’s free: www.bornagainboating.com/

[@staceymiller4765]

My main power switch is off yet I have power to the bilge, lights, and blower? Hell, the key was in my pocket and I had power? Oh, and nothing else works and it won’t start

[@BornAgainBoating]

Sounds like you've got some stuff hooked up backwards, some stuff not working, and some stuff that needs fixed lol :)

[@geo4reels481]

I've had very similar electrical issues on my boat. I live in the Mariana Islands and weather is similar to Florida. Do u have a video the shows how to install a brand new outboard motor complete with shifters and steering? I have a new Suzuki df140a ordered and will arrive in September. Planning to install it myself. I am pretty mechanical and electrical savvy.😎😁

[@chiphill4856]

Another problem = improper strain relief resulting in broken or frayed wires.

[@lb7wade518]

Great info!!

[@srupp9271]

Question. Code electrical connections with a little dielectric grease ? Or spray with some Corrosion Block. Good or bad idea ?

[@ix0s]

Dielectric grease doesn't conduct. You can put it in the rubber sealing areas but don't apply it thinking it's going to protect the conduction material.

[@brianamoss3809]

Nice info!

[@johnpike5836]

All Air in the atmosphere, has a Moisture Content. Run that Outboard in Arizona or The Amazon Rainforest River, and yer gonna See what I mean. In central Ontario, you'll see dew on the grass in the morning. In Fact; the Barometric Pressure early in the morning can slightly increase the engine power output? We've all seen water dripping out of a car tail pipe, right? Well How did That Get there? Whether EFI or Carbs, the air capacity intake of a running outboard is measured in CFM's (cubic Feet per Minute) Most High Performance cars sport; 650 or 750 and more CFM Carbs. Realistically, at full throttle a carburetor could almost suck a basketball down into it?? Is there water content in that air, of course. Does it condense when cooled and lay dormant in the Outboard intake cylinders and exhaust, yes. The sealed Hood of a modern outboard is specifically designed to be 99% air tight except where the air Needs to pull from., especially EFI. Is there condensation collecting inside the Sealed Hood and On the Plug wires etc? Yep. Healthy and new Plug Wires aren't all that affected where as old tired worn of even cracked ones, make for difficult Cold Starts. I take My engine Hood Off after a long day of Pulling CFM's and let the afternoon sun get exposed to the Block. From Time to time, wipe out the inside of the hood. Moisture and heat will condense, it reduces morning start up and ruff idle. AND, when I'm done for the day, I unplug the gas feed at the engine and run it until is goes dry. Reducing water content in my next day start up. Less wear and tear on STARTER, Less performance issue while she warms up, less fouling on Plugs, less "Smoke Outs" just fresh water free gasoline. Still got my Mod VP, (I'll run a little av gas in her, purrs like a kitten and that smell of Burning av gas fumes, Smells Like Victory. (at full throttle IT Sounds Like it too; bark and howl) (had the Heads Shaved a bit...tee hee.) 20th

[@BornAgainBoating]

Thank you for your question! Please post it in our Born Again Boating Community! Go here and scroll down to access - it’s free: www.bornagainboating.com/

[@johnpike5836]

@@BornAgainBoating it wasnt a question BB Bot. it was a comment.

[@th3smurf692]

Hi man, I love your videos. I have an issue on my 250 honda which has 250hrs on it. It sounds healthy and runs fine without any performance issues. But there is vapor coming from the exhaust after running it for a while (its not cold outside). Im a little worried, could it be normal? Thx!

[@BornAgainBoating]

Thank you for your question! Please post it in our Born Again Boating Community! Go here and scroll down to access - it’s free: www.bornagainboating.com/

[@jaylabarre4444]

hidden in-line fuse burned .. take a while to find out X)

[@myronchamberlain7734]

My marine radio keeps saying low battery but the batteries are new

[@BornAgainBoating]

Probably a weak connection somewhere

[@AlThePal78]

I just trying to figure out how to trace my wire for my stern light

[@twinbee13monsterhunter]

I'm running lithium batteries

[@captpepin]

The answer is D) All of the above

[@Boat_FishingDoduJeju]

i have joined... :-) from korea.

[@josephtripptree1828]

The wiring through the flux capacitor could cause this if loose. Link kzbin.info/www/bejne/jJS9lmuVh7-CbsU

[@thecableguy1128]

I had it all.

[@captlucky2320]

White stuff is acid and salt build up

[@CTCLures]

Rats nest people don’t know how to run wires

[@WhiteGangster400]

Just make you don’t hit the negative terminal and positive terminal with a wrench at the same time when tightening down the connections lol

[@willhowell9972]

300$ seems kinda steep

[@BK-it6te]

How old are this boats ? Older then my Grandfather

[@javierbetancourt9388]

💯

[@hewitt52]

3rd

[@tomdrummy4984]

Sixth 🤣

[@arkadybron1994]

The biggest electrical issue shown in your video and the one you completely ignored, is the appalling rats nest wiring that you seem to think is ok.

[@MarcM143]

First

[@soflo_justin934]

First