CanvasWiz

Recently I had a new stereo professionally installed on my 1988 Sea Ray Pachanga 22. I don't believe this is the problem at all but thought I would put that out there.

I have blown two starter fuses on the engine block within the last two weeks. The more recent one was last Saturday. I experienced a brief (half second or less) loss of power where the engine bogged and gauges and stereo all lost power and everything came back up quickly. About a minute or two later running at cruising speed of lower 40s I was about to pass a boater in front of me and began to move outside their wake to go around them. I went up the first wave and as I came back down on the second one, the fuse blew and I lost all power except my power trim which is apparently not wired through that fuse. It wasn't a large wave or an unusual hard landing on the second wave or anything like that. Any ideas on my problem.

I'm currently thinking I may have a loose ground somewhere or something like that?

Thanks,

Kyle

Griff

Was the stereo on when this happened would be the first question.
It sounds like your stereo may have been wired off the main helm power instead of directly to the battery(fused) and may be overloading the starter fuse.

offshore2

If you have a Mercruiser there was a recall several years ago. The main output wire from the altinator would rub against the exhaust manifold. The insulation woul wear off causing a direct short, and blow the 90 amp fuse at the starter.

Nmbr1GMfan

Disconnect the stereo and see if it still does it, if so everything on the circuit needs checked. I had the same problem and found a loose wire under the dash intermitently grounding and cutting power.

CanvasWiz

I do have a Mercruiser 502 but my mechanic says its an older motor than the ones they had that issue with. I will have to try running without the stereo on and see if that solves the issue. As far as the stereo pulling too many amps I don't think that is the issue. The guy who put my stereo in who is a professional and a friend of my dads said that stereos don't pull nearly enough power to blow a fuse like that with exception to my amp that runs my cockpit speakers, but that is wired directly to my battery. I do have twin batteries on board and a battery switch that selects between them, both, and an off position.