Fuses

[SimonCh]

Hey folks,

Please see the attached photo. My GPS stopped working, along with my bilge pump, and after some investigation (I am not a sparkie so it took me a while! haha), I am losing 5 Volts, over my fuses as they are corroded, or i assume that is the reason. Where can i get this kind of fuse, and are they normal or are they old fashioned now? Should i upgrade to something different?



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Cheers

Si

[Dirk Diggler]

You'll get them from any car accessory shop. But it looks like all of your electrics could do with sorting!

[SimonCh]

And what's wrong with them!? =P

[Dirk Diggler]

Well, if you have to ask that, then I can only assume it's diy!

I'm sure it all works, but it's hardly to "industry standard", a few tie wraps, some heat shrink and correctly mounting the battery switch would be a start.

[SimonCh]

Well what can I say!? I've always been one for functionality over aesthetics!

[PeterM]

I've had a similar voltage drop & I suspect even with new fuses you'll soon be back to things stoping working , and then the engine wont start ...which can be avoided with an afternoon of fidding and replacing.

I'd invest some money in some new 'bits' ( switch/ fuses/ wires) and do it yourself to make sure its all up to scratch.

[Courageous]

Don't listen to them Simon - it's a luverly job! Labelled up, nice offset in the lower link to finish it off. Errm........ on second thoughts scrap the lot! There was recent thread on here relating to just this type of malais:

http://www.rib.net/forum/f37/fuses-o...nel-43028.html

[Poly]

Originally Posted by SimonCh

Well what can I say!? I've always been one for functionality over aesthetics!

The suggestions Dirk makes though are about maintaining functionality / reliability.

If they are "critical systems" then the fact they have failed already means you are not ticking the functional box either.

At the least I would be making sure that I knew how to "debug" the system, and work around your most likely failures. If it took you a while to work out that fuses in that state were likely the problem then I think I'd opt for the "make it bomb proof" approach rather than "it will do and I'll fix it when I need to". At the very least make sure you know how to start the engine without the battery - as if the fuses are getting that corroded the isolator switch probably will one day too.

PS. My own electrics aren't much better - but I have backups for everything and a pull start on the engine, and I installed them all as a "quicky to test them" 4 or 5 yrs ago and they are still working - I may be about to replace the battery etc so will do all the wiring at the same time.

[Erin]

x2 for replacing that mess of wiring. This is also one of those few occasions when you should use the more expensive 'marine' version as they will be stainless or tinned which will give you trouble free life.

[rigi36]

Yeah do what I did in this thread: http://www.rib.net/forum/f37/fuses-o...nel-43028.html

Scrap the lot and get a BEP panel with blade fuses.

[SimonCh]

cheers for the assistance guys. All sound advice as always, and taken on board, I have purchased more fuses for now, as wont be using the boat much more this year, and new electronics is a job for the spring methinks

Thanks Again

Si