Switch wiring question
 

I have a 95 Fountain 32 Fever. When I have the sound system playing and I activate the engine hatch or a power seat bolster the head unit shuts down then comes back on. I have traced the issue to the "cabin" power switch. If I run a jumper wire for the power to this switch directly to the battery the problem disappears. It looks like the main power for this switch array is "jumpered" across all the switches in this panel (there are four total and it is the last in the series.) All this wiring appears to be factory and I tampered with.

My questions are these:

1.What is the proper way to run a new power wire for the cabin and to where should I do this? For anyone familiar with Fountain boats of this era, there is also a "breaker" panel under the rear bench that I could possibly tie into but I'm not sure of its limitations. The other option would be to run a new power lead directly to the battery with some fuse or breaker arrangement possibly?

2. Is there some other issue anyone has had experience with that needs corrected instead of running a new power wire that I am overlooking. I would find it odd that the boat should work like this from the factory which makes me fearful of a short somewhere.

In case anyone is wondering, it is NOT the head unit as I have swapped it out as the old one did the same thing. I also temporarily tried to "jumper" the head units power leads directly to the port side battery with no change.

I will upload some pics I took of the panel and the current wiring when I get home this evening.

Thanks in advance and I look forward to your responses.

No its not the head unit, its the current draw across the load carrying wire, IMO all the stereo gear , head unit & amps should be directly fed from the battery with the proper size fuses. In most cases when the head unit is turned on it will activate the amps.

I did not swap out the head unit to fix this issue I swapped it out because it was old and sucked. The two amps I am running are ran directly to the battery for their power and ground so not part of this equation.

I would check the wiring and grounds to the actuator first, then move on from there.

On my dash those jumpers are a thin metal tab. Perhaps it's cracked?

Your dash switches are actually breakers. Are they being tripped?

interesting dilemma. My stereo does the same thing. Hope someone comes up with the fix.

Jonesyfxr: It's not only the hatch but the power seats that make it happen so I'm inclined to think it wouldn't be just the hatch but something else?

Cole2534: Mine are actual wires that connect each switch to give them power.

Here are some pics of the switch panel and what I'm talking about. The switch on the left is the "cabin power" switch where in this picture I have removed the jumper (orange wire) that connects it to the switch to the immediate right of it. You can see the other orange "jumpers" to the right in their original locations. The main power feed goes into the "hatch" switch on the far right and is also "orange". I do NOT know where this orange wire originates from as I have not traced it. I thought somoeone here would know and advise on that issue.

IF I run a single power wire DIRECTLY to the battery to the "cabin power" switch (far left with the jumper removed in this pic) and still use the existing switch grounds this problem is GONE. I can actuate both seats and the hatch and the head unit plays uninterupted without shutting down. LIKE IT SHOULD BE! Lol! I do not however think this is the proper remedy as stated before, but maybe I'm wrong and Fountains wiring wizards wired it this way intentionally and all these boats do this? I just want to be sure I am not putting a band aid on this problem by running a new power lead to the battery or wherever and not uncovering the real problem which will bite me in the ass at some later point.

raytart: Interesting you have the same issue! We will get to the bottom of this I promise! If we both have the same issue chances are we are not alone and someone on here will chime in with the super cool solution!

http://i1033.photobucket.com/albums/...pse83f6c58.jpg

In this picture I have temporarily positioned the orange "jumper" wire where I found it to illustrate how it was wired. In this configuration the head unit will shut down and restart when EITHER a seat bolster or the engine hatch switch is activated. The engine hatch is the switch pictured in the far right of this picture.

http://i1033.photobucket.com/albums/...ps2c9260ac.jpg

This picture illustrates the side view showing the switches themselves for reference and with the "jumper" temporarily placed in original location again.

http://i1033.photobucket.com/albums/...ps782e4b06.jpg

Seems like a power problem since you said the problem goes away when you ran that temporary wire to the batt.

How about trying to jump the orange Cabin Power switch wire all the way over to the first switch...so its not the last one getting power.

It may also be a good idea to stick a volt meter on there and see what the voltage drop is when you hit the seat switch.

I agree. What I think is happening is the seat and hatch switches are ahead of the cabin power. When you activate either of those switches there is a momentary high amp draw to get the electric motor spinning in the hatch or seat. This is called the LRA (locked rotor amp) draw of the motor. It causes a momentary voltage drop to the cabin acc. circuit and shuts down the stereo head. You could possibly check that by putting volt meter on acc. switch and watching meter drop. It would be only a slight fluctuation and might not be seen with digital meter. Analog would be easier. After motor armature comes up to speed voltage will return to normal or not depending on if size of feed wire is correct for RLA (run load amp) draw of hatch or seat electric motor. You have already figured out the fix by running a separate circuit to battery.

TooLateVTEC I will try that but I think I did already I can't remember. Those middle switches are for lights which shouldn't matter unless those switches are bad or the wire gauge is too small and somehow causing this. I think what Boater8987 is saying sounds plausable and must be what is happening.

WHY was the boat wired from the factory to operate this way? Since others have this same issue It makes me think it is suposed to be this way....???

I still am not convinced that there is not something esle wrong because it doesn't seem they would allow it to work this way from the factory! Highly illogical!


So this leaves me three ways of dealing with this:

1. Find the source of the problem causing this!


2. Run a new power wire from the battery directly to the "cabin" switch I already know will fix the problem and ignore the fact something else might be wrong and our boat may have a meltdown.


3. Run a new power wire from the "cabin" switch into the breaker panel under the rear seat. Maybe simply running a seperate dedicated wire from the cabin switch directly to the breaker it most likely is wired to already will be enough.

I would assume Fountain has originally wired the cabin/hatch/light switches to the breaker panel under the rear seat, but like I said earlier I have not traced it back. It may be tied into some other hot lead between the two points. I'm hoping someone with Fountain experience can clarify...


I do like the idea of having the wiring as close to OE as possible for ease of servicing that's why I would prefer to use the existing breaker panel if possible.