Help Please - How do you open the engine hatch when the batteries are dead?
 

For some reason, my batteries went dead. As a result the engine compartment hatch (electric) won't open.
Any tricks to get it open?
Thanks

Morgan had told me that you can jump it by using the hatch switch connections using little aligator clips.

I am having a Jumper Outlet installed in mine, to avoid the drama. It was one of the first questions I had when I bought mine.

Eddie Marine sells nice ones for $125 or you can have a less fancy one made up by someone who is knowledgeable - like Jason.

Here is the link : http://www.eddiemarine.com/store/car...l&p=26358&c=79

He should know how to jump the connections, if not give me a call and I can put you in touch with Morgan or Holden.

Good Luck -

BTW I have a couple of really good pics from our Atlantic City rendevous on race weekend. I will get some Pics printed for you...they look great.

Say Hi to Janice.

Danny Pantera :sport009:

Danny is right by having a Jumper Box so that you can charging your batteries. The same has happen to me - I have Jumper Connections located under my back seat. I also has the same hapen to my 24' Pantera, but I was lucky that the Sun-Pad was attached with snaps. I unscrewed the bolts from the engine hatch and let the arm fall and pulled up the engine hatch. Take the connections from under the dash and use some aligator clips and connect them to a battery. Good luck and I hope that you get your hatch up...

Norm, Is the battery switch under your back seat? Doug

on my 28 there are pos and neg terminals under back seat right next to the round plastic pullout good for jump starting or charging batt!! to get the hatch up put 12volts to the hatch switch from another batt!! regards paul . England

I went with a sliding tube connection and pull pin so I can lift the hatch up a few inches and pull the pin out for full release. That way even if there is a wiring or actuator failure of any kind I can still get the hatch up, even if I'm out on the water. Just an FYI for the future.

Also I have hatch locks on each side of the front if I need to lock the hatch down for a rough run .....

yes

OK, Jason at Performance Marine (Lake George) has given me the solution. Overnight trickle charge via the ignition key switch in the dash. The open the hatch, recharge the batteries and install a jumper box under the back seat.
Thanks everyone.
:drink:

Trickle charge thru a cigarette lighter adapter to.

All you need to do is a hook a wire to a good battery, jump box or battery charger and touch it or alligator clip it to the back of the hatch switch under the dash.

One of my batteries on my 28 would drain slow from the stereo and it was the same battery that opened the hatch.

Thanks Giff.

Something to consider for the future...

I put a 2 bank charger under my backseat that routes through behind the rear seat and ties into the batteries. That way I can plug the charger in anytime and never have to open the hatch. ;)

Actually, I think that Jason came up with an even better (and cheaper) solution. Cut a hole behind the back seat (covered by a pop-out cover) which allows you to reach the bottom of the electric actuator assembly. Remove the nut and bolt from the bottom of the actuator assembly and replace it with a pin which can be unclipped and removed via the new opening behind the back seat. This way you can open the hatch if the batteries are dead PLUS, ...if the actuator motor burns out.
I like it and that's the way I had him do it.

:drink: I got my Billet Jumper Box up to New York, should be installed this week, along with many other items, not least of which is the Motor...again!

But I am confident it will be all tight and happy for next season.

I will give you a shout or an email in advance of when I head North in case we can hook up.

Glad you got it all worked out...

Danny :sport009:

Danny,
Let me know your plans once they're set. If you still plan on going for a test ride, you should think about wearing a snowmobile suit. It's 32 degrees here this morning and yesterday while I was cleaning the boat, I had to stop due to snow flurries. OUCH! :eek:
Norm

And were not even making fun of Norm for this one ;)

Plug a booser battery into the cig lighter and you will be good to lift.

Where did you come from? You should be up in the Kryptonite section :eek:

I've had dead batteries too. I use this.
http://www.blackanddecker.com/power-tools/BBC2CB.aspx

Here is another brand
http://waganinverter.co.cc/wagan-el9...r-jumpstarter/