So....im gonna try and tackle my fuse panel/electrical stuff. Dont really know where to start....but I figure as long as I keep the wires in order, and have fuses in there....I should be able to get it going.
Im just gonna start taking things apart and take lots of pics while doing that....but any tips? Do you all think I should buy a whole new fuse panel? What about bus bars and things like that? Confused on what to go with cuz you read so many different methods on the internet.
I did the same pics are your friend. I went with Blue Seas panels. You ca get the 12 post one. And you’ll have room left over. Mine is no longer on the side panel under the gear selector. It’s under the console, out of the way and much easier to get to. The panels have there on covers with label spots. No need for additional bus bars.
Have an adventure everyday !
2006 PT 175 TX 60 HP.
I 2nd that, mine came stock with the Blue Sea 12 place with negative bus, and was very pleased it did. After my spring installation I have one position left.
2011 Tracker PT 175 TF
2011 Merc 60 ELPT 4S
https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Sea-Syst...001P6FTHC?th=1
so that "12 circ w/ COVER and Negative" one?
What did you install? I was wondering if I needed that many after seeing the labels lol. Im pretty much only gonna run the bilge, lights and fish finder off of it. I have all my trolling motor stuff up front on its own circuit breaker (batteries are where the old rod locker was). The only thing I can see adding beside those 3 things is another fish finder when I upgrade this winter and put my current fish finder up front on the bow/connectied to the trolling motor.
Really dont see running much else beside that. I like to keep it as simple as possible....especially since i almost burnt down my boat already due to electrical issues! lol
Ok, then just get the 6 post. Sorry I thought you where replacing the factory fuse panel.Originally Posted by FishInTheDesert
Have an adventure everyday !
2006 PT 175 TX 60 HP.
,
Do you got any pics of the location of the new fuse panel? I didnt see any on any of your rebuild posts. Im guessing changing the location isnt just a simple change...and was a mod that you made when you were refabricating/replacing thing on the boat? another dumb question...how do the replacement panels fit into the space provided from the current panel. cuz if i have to change up a ton to move the panel like you did I will just stick to the easiest method...and just switch out the panels from the current location.
I typed out a longer response asking about the differences between the panels...and the forum went bonkers and I lost it.
which panel should I get? I only see myself using the switches on the console, and 2 graphs. I only have 1 graph now but will upgrading/adding a new one in the winter. Ill buy whichever youd reccommend me to get. I dont really get what the difference is between this one https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Sea-Syst...000K2ILJ0?th=1 and something like this one https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Sea-Syst...000MMC7Q6?th=1
i do visually see there is a difference since the first has those additional 6 screws at the top......im assuming thats for the negative posts from each thing I connect? I was gonna ask that since my graph has a positive and negative....im guessing the positive goes by where the fuses are....and then the negatives on those 6 screws in the upper half?
dont roast me...and thanks for your patience in advance! lol
Can you tell me what im looking at...and why there are so many wires plugged into the panel?! I bought this boat used....and the one negative was that the electical was F-ed...it was a total mess at least in the back....to the point that I almost burnt down my boat when the birdsnest/spiderweb of loose wires in the back touched something it shouldnt have and started a fire while i was on the water. It was just wires that needed to be removed, most coming of some BS "phase charger" thing....but the boat ran fine, and i was TOTALLY intimidated by electrical work...so I never touched it and just ran the boat for a few moths like that....till the fire. Ended up being an easy removal of loose wires so I definitely felt like an idiot letting it get to the point it did....
but im still intimidated by electrical work cuz I have 0 experience with wiring. I wired my own TM tho, and alls well....so I can do it...but I need a ton of help unfortunately!
Also....there are 3 wires left over from all the wires I removed in the back of the boat...im pretty sure they are stock factory wires since they are wrapped in that split loom tubing. They are 2 black negatives and 1 positive red....well...when I connect the one red positive to the battery (ONLY THE RED)....the bilge pump can be turned on, and even though its not strong at all you can feel some wind/pressure coming out where the water should if the bilge is activated. The "Nav Lights" switch can also be activated....i.e. the red light on the switch lights up when you press the buttons to (im guessing) turn it on. I dont have nav lights...but I tried to squeeze the voltometer prongs into the small hole...and I get a reading even tho its hard to keep them connected in such small space...so im assuming the nav lights are getting power too.
SO...im guessing those 3 wires are from that fuse panel....but i dont get why there are 2 blacks, and a red...and why the bilge works when I plug only a positive into the starting battery.
I have a feeling the owner did some last minute jerry rigged electrical work for the sale....i think its a possibilty, since he kept reminding me how it had a brand new battery. Just a cheap and small walmart one....didnt even leave it in the boat after I bought it. So I wouldnt be surprised if he did stuff to cover the "So does the bilge pump work" question.
Before I go any further...I now have 2 fire extinguishers in my rig!!!! LMAO
So....im trying to figure things out....cuz the way I see this, I have about 4 or 5 things connected to a central hub....and that central hub (panel) goes to the battery....its not that intimidating. Im making more of this electrical work than I really have to I think.
So I decided to figure out whats up with the bilge pump and see why its able to turn on just with the red positive connected to the starting battery. Well I didnt figure that out...but I think I figured out what wires are the bilge pump.
Im pretty sure these are to the bilge pump....all 3 of them. Im also guessing...those plugs/connections on lower half of the fuse panel are the negatives. I dont know why...but all 3 of these wires must be plugged in to get the bilge pump to start...so that why I say "all 3 of them". no idea why its 3...and still no idea why the bilge runs with just the positive connected to the starting battery.
So....I decided to try and plug in my graph, since I thought i figured out the positive and negative ports. I randomly chose which fuse spot to use...basically used the bottom once so I didnt have to keep splitting the graphs power wire to stretch them across the panel. Then proceeded to plug in all 3 of the wires in the back to my starting battery.....THANKFULLY....the graph fired up! So I got power in and to the panel....
Here are the mystery 3 wires.....and....after further experimenting. the ENTIRE PANEL starts up with ONLY THE POSITIVE connected! I decided to just try it out....and sure enough, with just the red positive from the bunch connected....and the graph and bilge still fired up.
Let me know what you all think.....trying to man up and stop being intimidated by a little wiring....i almost burnt it down already. How much worse can it get? I dont think I can blow it up?!...can I? lol
Last edited by FishInTheDesert; 09-14-2018 at 11:24 AM.
im also pretty sure my lights will work too...just need to go buy one lol....but 2 hour drives usually have me on/off the water when there is plenty of daylight...so i prolly wont buy one very soon. Just upgraded my TM to iPilot....funsie money is a bit tight! lol
Do you all suggest changing out the panel after all....since it looks like the current one still works.
Just got some of the switches working last go round....but not all of them. I need to work on my livewell still....so theres some work ahead of me. Wondering if you all recommend me still changing out to a new panel...or just riding with the current/stock one?
Also....I know we need those cartridges for the livewell/bilge pumps...and I see they are Yellow. But I saw there are red ones out there.....are the red and yellow both useable in our trackers?
Hopefully im not doing this the wrong way....but I just cut the wires on the livewell pump. Gonna buy some marine butt connectors at harbor freight or academy tomorrow and hook up the new cartridge and hope it runs! so far...so good...but i havent replaced the panel.....
Yes that’s what you do, but get some shrink wrap That you melt on . It’s in the electrical section along with the butt connectors it comes in a little bag with certain size to fit over the wires. Just slide them over the wires then use the butt connectors and pull it back over and heat up with a lighter or heat gun to shrink it tight to the wire.
Have an adventure everyday !
2006 PT 175 TX 60 HP.
Sorry, Here is the pic.
Have an adventure everyday !
2006 PT 175 TX 60 HP.
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