John Christensen wrote: > I would like to explain a bit more. My friends boat is old and the wires > are a mess, coiled up all over the place. He inherited a partly finished boat with a defective alternator. >
> 1. Between the keyed switch and the start push button (located on either > side of the cockpit, there are 2 cut off raw wires sticking out as well as > a wire for the fuel pump. When he turns the key these wires come live. > What could they be for? Does it hurt the alternator to be left on after the engine is stopped, before he turns the key off? REPLY Rather than second guessing what the original owner might or might not have intended, you are likely better of to start fresh. If the wiring is in good shape, and run from the required point to point; you can reuse them. Follow the factory recommended wiring schematic and ignore the quirks and foibles introduced by the previous owner. Maybe the cut-off wires were used for an hour meter or maybe it was for an added instrument now removed; or maybe . . . . (who cares) Use the factory schematic as your guide. As to hurting the alternator; not not exactly. However; I was once called in to solve a major corrosion problem for a big yacht dealer with five million dollar boats for sale, all of them exhibiting corrosion problems while at the sales dock and before they were ever sold. I traced the stray current to the alternators which were permanently energized. Because the engines were stopped, the regulator full-fielded the alternator and the stray current dumped into the seawater via the prop shaft. Someone had forgotten to wire the Alternator through either a key switch or an oil pressure switch in the factory assembly drawings. Thus they were always energized. Not so much of a problem if plugged into shore power, but would quickly flatten a battery if boat was anchored out. regards Arild _______________________________________________ Liveaboard mailing list [email protected] To adjust your membership settings over the web http://www.liveaboardnow.org/mailman/listinfo/liveaboard To subscribe send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] The archives are at http://www.liveaboardnow.org/pipermail/liveaboard/ To search the archives http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] The Mailman Users Guide can be found here http://www.gnu.org/software/mailman/mailman-member/index.html
