Author Archives: Kevin Hannula

Questions About Pontoon Boat Wiring?

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Pontoon Boat Wiring attempts to answer your questions about marine electrical techniques, concepts, and products. We get lots of mail from folks in mid-project or who are just curious about their boat’s electrical setup.

There are loads of post already on the site which we hope you will browse through. If you’re trying to track down info about a more specific category, please use the search box in the upper right of this page or check out the list of various subjects farther down on this page.

If you aren’t able to find the info that you need to complete your particular boat wiring project, please send us an email at pontoonboatwiring@gmail.com.

Thank you for visiting. We look forward to hearing from you and hope that you will be able to come back often.

Mystery Part ID

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Kevin,

So my pontoon boat won’t start, a Sun Tracker Bass Buggy. Engine temp buzzer

I’m starting to tear into the boat wiring and trace it around and check the voltage, though I’ve run into something I’ve not seen before, though this is my first time with a boat.

I’ve attached a picture and I was hoping you could tell me what it is, the metal disc of sorts. Thank you so much!

Tim

Hi Tim,

It is an overheat warning buzzer.

12 volt power is supplied via the purple wire. When the engine gets hot, the tan wire goes to ground and the alarm sounds.

Hope this helps,

Kevin

Light Switch Wiring

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Kevin,

I am attempting to replace the switch for the navigation lights on my pontoon boat wiring.

The lighted switch has six posts on the back, but I have no idea as to which wires go where, and the wires are hidden in the captain’s stand so I cannot see where they go.Attwood 14386-3 switch

Can you send any boat wiring diagrams that will help me with this?

Thank you,

Chuck

Hi Chuck,

The typical boat wiring for your navigation light switch is:

  • Power is supplied to the switch at both middle terminals
  • Bottom left, forward navigation light
  • Bottom right, stern light
  • Jumper wire from bottom right to top right.

Hope this helps,

Kevin

Ear Shift

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Kevin,

I have an 2008 pontoon boat and I have recently replaced the radio and speakers.

With the engine off or running it works great. But, as soon as I put the motor in gear it the radio cuts out and you can just barely hear music mixed with a lot of popping noises. When I shift back to neutral the radio works fine.

Any suggestions as to how I should troubleshoot the boat wiring?Alpine Radio

Justin

Hi Justin,

What happens when you shift the engine while it is not running? If the radio still cuts out, I would look at the boat wiring for the speaker that is routed near the shifter.

If not:

Check the power supply to the radio. Connect a DC meter to the radio power supply, shift the engine into gear, and watch the voltage. If it drops, check your connections.

Hope this helps,

Kevin

Mystery Fuse?

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Hello Kevin

I can’t seem to solve an electrical issue with my 2003 Smokercraft Pontoon boat wiring. The motor is a 2004 90hp Mercury 2-stroke.

I recently installed a new radio/CD player under the dash which I wired to power on with the ignition in the accessory position. That worked fine. fuse

After cycling the ignition switch between ‘off’ and ‘accessory’ several times the gauge panel and ignition switch lost power. I checked various connections with a voltmeter. There is no electricity making it to the switch.

Am I not seeing a fuse somewhere?

The battery and terminal connections seem okay and I have power to the panel that controls the livewell pump, horn, etc.

Any ideas?

Thanks.

Hi Mike,

There is a fuse under the engine hood that supplies power to your ignition switch. It should be near the battery cable connection on the starter solenoid.

Thanks for writing,

Kevin

DC Outlet Testing

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Hi Kevin:

I’m stuck troubleshooting the DC outlets on a recently acquired pontoon boat, and I’m hoping you can help. Here’s what’s going on:

  1. With one exception, none of the appliances I’ve tried (GPS, USB/DC adapter, AC converter from Radio Shack, etc.) work; that is, they behave as if they are not plugged in. The one exception is the USB adapter; it works very intermittently, I’d say once in 50 attempts.
  2. Two DC outlets are wired into the same switch on the panel. Neither one functions.
  3. Using a voltmeter, I tested the voltage of both outlets, and they both match the voltage on the battery meter, so the circuit seems okay.
  4. I tried installing new outlets; no effect.
  5. I’ve tested two of the appliances in my car to test the appliances themselves are working, and they are.

With very little boat wiring experience, I’m now stuck as to what could be the problem, or what else I might test. Any thoughts?

Many thanks,

Tim

Hi Tim,

The best way to find your boat wiring problem is to have your voltmeter connected to the receptacle and then plug in a device.

If the voltage starts normal and then drops when you plug in your device, there is a bad connection/corroded wire in the system. Search connections until you eliminate the drop. The voltage drop across the bad connection (high resistance point) increases with current. Since the meter draws very little, the drop is not noticed on the meter. AS soon as you increase the draw, the drop increases, and your device will not turn on.

Hope this helps,

Kevin

Is Charger Honda Worthy?

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Kevin,

Your boat wiring site is great, but my question is just a little off topic.

I have a portable Guest 10 amp battery charger that I use on my pontoon boat. It works great. Could it safely be used to recharge my 2005 Honda CR-V automobile battery as well?Guest battery chargers are a great choice for your boat wiring.

The manual does mention it can be used for ATV, motorcycle, etc. charging but does not say anything about cars one way or another.

Here’s the spec info:

  • Charging output  is 12 volt DC (min) at 10 amps
  • Maintenance output is 13.3 volt DC at 0.1 AMPS
  • Maximum battery size for recharging is listed as up to 250 amp-hours
  • Maximum battery size for maintenance only up to 500 amp-hours

My car battery is 450 cold crank Amps. Would using the charger damage my car battery or the charger?

If I can use this on my car, I’m assuming I should disconnect both cables from the car battery. Do you think this is necessary? Anything else I should or should not do?

Thanks for your help.

Bridget

Hi Bridget,

The charger will work great on your car. Although, if the battery is completely dead, it may take a while to recharge it.

There is no need to disconnect your car’s battery cables.

Hope this helps,

Kevin

Which wire?

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Dear Kevin,

I am installing an hourmeter on my 26′ Sunchaser with a 200 HP Yamaha engine.

The positive side of the meter is supposed to be wired into the ignition circuit that has 4 wires, i.e. red, blue, green and yellow. As I only want the meter to function when the engine is turned on, how should I connect the boat wiring? Which wire do I attach to? I think it is the yellow one.Hourmeter

Thank you,

Arthur

Hi Arthur,

The easiest way to answer your question is either with a dc meter or test light. Test each wire individually to determine which one is the switched power when the key is turned on.

My best guess would be yellow, but use a meter to be sure.

Kevin

Adding AC to Houseboat

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Hi Kevin,

I have an old houseboat that was made by the Crest Pontoon people. I’m considering adding a Shore Power System from Boat Wiring Store.

It appears to be a relatively easy DIY project, but could you please recommend a battery charger to go along with the AC power system.The complete shore power system is a relatively easy boat wiring project

Also, would these changes to my marine electrical system necessitate adding galvanic isolation as well?

Thanks.

George

Hi George,

The Easy Install AC kits on our partner site are perfect for DIY. They are easy to install and will save you a bundle on appliances, since you will no longer need to buy expensive 12 volt lights, mixers, etc.

The Shore Power Systems come complete with the AC panel and shore power inlet and depending on the model; one or two extra outlets. On the back side of every AC panel enclosure are two more outlets to allow you to connect a battery charger, refrigerator, or other built in items that you do not want to have plugged into your other outlets.

Boat Wiring Store doesn’t sell battery chargers, but the system is all ready to have one connected to it. If you buy a charger like this one from Marinco, your connection will be as simple as plug the AC plug on the charger into the back of the AC panel before you mount it into your cabinet and connect the DC leads to your batteries.

If your marina is known for galvanic corrosion, I would recommend a galvanic isolator. The latest product on the market is know as the “fail safe” version. Marinco and several other companies are marketing them. They are simple and safe. To install, simply cut the green AC grounding wire between the shore power inlet and the AC panel, install 1/4″ ring terminals on both wires, and connect them to the studs on the galvanic isolator.

I hope that this is helpful. Please let me know if you have any other questions,

Kevin

Smart Switch Setup

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Our partners at Boat Wiring Store offer a huge selection of marine electrical battery cables that are custom built for your project

Hi there,

I’ve got a pontoon boat with a 90hp Yamaha four stroke outboard. I’d like to add a subwoofer on my boat and want to add a smart battery switch system to the boat wiring..

Right now, I’ve only got one battery on the boat and realize I’ll need two.

  • What type of second battery should I add?
  • Where will I connect the subwoofer power, battery terminals or the switch system?
  • Finally, is this the best way to make sure I’ve got power for my stereo, subwoofer, fishfinder, and boat motor?

I typically spend an hour a day cruising, and five to six hours sitting on the water each time I take the boat out.

Thanks for your time.

Naci

Hi Naci,

I would add a battery that is the same type as your existing battery only with a larger reserve capacity. For example, if you have a conventional Interstate Group 24 lead acid battery, I would add a Group 29 or Group 31 conventional lead acid. As a rule, batteries that are charged together will last longer if they are the same type.

I would connect your entire boat accessory system (stereo, nav lights, ctsy lights, bilge, docking lts, etc) to the switched side of the battery switch for the house battery and have only the engine connected to the engine battery. When the switch is turned off, the entire boat is powered down. When the switch is on, the engine and boat are connected to separate batteries and are only paralleled when charging or an emergency.

This system works great to ensure that you will not have a dead battery to come home on. You may want to consider a portable battery charger for your house battery to ensure it is completely recharged for any return trips.

Please let me know if you have any other questions,

Kevin

Locating light switches

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Hello Kevin,

I need advice on multiple switching locations for 12 volt lighting applications. Specifically, I want to be able to control the on/off function of bow mounted lights that are used for both docking and landing/netting of fish, that is to be able to control from console and/or from bow deck on a 28 foot Manitou pontoon boat with 6′ of bow deck that is used as primary fishing location. Attwood is the world's top manufacturer of LED docking lights

The boat’s docking lights are currently switched from console only. How can I change the boat wiring to add the ability to activate these bow mounted lights when landing fish at night, without running back to console. Solo fishing makes this difficult on a 28 foot boat.

I thought that maybe switched on ground would work, similar to multiple door switches for interior lighting on vehicles, but wasn’t sure if this was a good option.

Got any advice or a diagram for using multiple switches on a lighting circuit. Need the equivalency of a 3-way household, but with 12 volt DC switches.

Thanks,

Bill

Hi Bill,

Three-way circuits in DC work the same way as in AC. Usually, the most difficult part of the boat wiring project is finding a switch that is configured as a three-way (on/on with no center off) that matches your existing switch.

If you cannot find DC switches that match your current switches, AC ones from Home Depot will work fine. Please keep in mind that they really don’t like to be exposed to the elements and are not ignition protected if they are mounted in an engine room or near gasoline storage.

Hope this helps,

Kevin

Don’t touch me there

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Kevin,

My electric pontoon boat wiring has a current problem.

My set up is as follows :

Torqeedo, the leader in clean outboards
When I stand on the transom to lift the motor out of the water using the motor handle, I get a shock.

When I test the rail and the positive terminal on one of the batteries, I read 52 Volts of DC.

I know very little about electricity, but enough to know that I shouldn’t be getting zapped from the aluminum rails.

I suspect a grounding problem, but all the battery wires check good.

Any suggestions?

John

Hi John,

If you are reading 52 volt DC on the rail, the positive lead of your 48 volt system is making a connection to the frame or rail of you boat.

Trace the positive cable from the battery to the motor. Trace the positive battery charger lead connected to the same positive lead.

If you cannot find the problem, it may be a wiring problem with your Torqeedo.

Hope this helps,

Kevin

Color Bind

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Kevin,

I have a 2002 Manitou pontoon boat.

Recently, I had my instrument gauges and stereo stolen. To grab my stuff, the crook just cut all of the boat wiring.

I’m trying to put everything back together, and I need to know what colors are what to rewire.The best boat builder use standardized boat wiring colors

Thanks,

Daniel

Hi Daniel,

Luckily all of the better boat builders – and Manitou is definitely one of them – use a standardized set of colors for their boat wiring. You can find it here on our sister site, Fishing Boat Wiring.

Hope this helps,

Kevin

Adding An Extra Battery

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Kevin,

Can you help me with the boat wiring plan needed to add an additional battery and charging system to my older 28′ Manitou Pontoon Boat?

I am planning on

  • Connecting the ships (+) to the boat battery selector switch
  • Connecting the ships (-) to the number one battery
  • Connect the ships (-) to battery two and then
  • Jumping the #1 and #2 battery (-) together using 2 AWG battery cable
  • Connect the battery selector switch (+’s) to #1 and #2 batteries using 2 AWG.

There are two field spots on the selector switch but I’m not for sure if my alternator needs this or needs this or not?

Then finally directly connecting the Guest battery charger’s cables to #1 and #2 batteries (+) and (-) post.

Is this logical? Should I use a ground bus? If so how? My plan is to have one battery for starting and the other for the house items and as a backup for starting.

Thanks Manitou Pontoons feature underdeck lighting as seen on our partner site EzAcDc

Bryan

Hi Bryan,

The field wires are for externally regulated alternator. Here is a link to the wiring instructions if you have an externally regulated alternator. These are not very common.

Your battery and charger boat wiring is correct. I prefer using a ground bus to eliminate the need for extra wires connected to the battery. Smaller gauge ring terminals connected with larger ones usually lead to loose connections. At bare minimum, get rid of the wing nuts on the battery connection and replace them with some form of lock nut.

Hope this helps,

Kevin

Trolling VSR Still Available

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Hi,Motorguide is the world's top manufacturer of trolling motors

Could you send me a diagram of how to do the boat wiring for my 24 Volt trolling motor that uses the same batteries for my 70 hp Yamaha and all the other marine electrical accessories?

Do I need a switch, regulator and an automatic charging relay?

If you could send how to hook this up would be appreciated or should I just but another battery for starting? Just thought it might be better to have the alternator charge the batteries when using the main motor while not using the trolling motor.

Thanks

Ray

Hi Ray,

Since your Yamaha is a 12 volt system and your trolling motor is a 24 volt system, there is no simple/safe way to switch the voltages back and forth.

The best device that I have seen to deal with your situation is the BEP trolling motor VSR. Unfortunately, BEP has stopped building this device, but there are still some available.

If you can get your hands on one, it allows your engine alternator to charge the starting battery first and then alternates between your trolling motor batteries to recharge them.

Let me know if you find a good source to buy these and I will post it on our site,

Kevin