After more than 5 hours of frustration I need some advice from the experts out there!
Last weekend on the freeway a large piece of plastic car bumper was blown in front of me and flew up under my boat trailer shearing off my transom mounted Lowrance skimmer transducer on my 2004 Champ 196. Bought a new transducer and replaced the broken unit.
Went to route the cable back to the console and could not get the connector through the wire and plumbing bundle on the starboard side gunnel. I used an electrical fish tape inserted through the breaker panel under the console and fished it back to the transom corner, then (with much difficulty and cussing and blood) reached back inside above and over the battery and jack plate pump and got the end of the tape to the center-rear bilge compartment. Attached the fat transducer cable connector to the fish tape and taped with electrical tape into a nice tapered shape. Lubed it with soap and tried to fish it back forward. No matter how I tried I could not get the connector to get through the crowded gunnel corner where all the bilge plumbing, control cables and wiring harnesses make the turn. Tried 4 different times with heavy cord and the fish tape and could not get the transducer cable to pass through! My arms and hands are skinned up and I'm out of patience!!!
Any suggestions on a better method for fishing wires from the transom bilge compartment to the console???
I noticed some screws in the carpeted "arm rest" next to the driver seat and under the binnacle control. My Mercury smart gauge is mounted there and I assumed it must be removable? I thought this might be a better and shorter way to route wires, but after removing 4 screws on top I couldn't get the panel out?? I saw no other screws or fasteners which would allow me to remove this panel or cover??
Any help greatly appreciated! -GS