1 amp fuse keeps failing

[jaylhumphrey]

I'm on my new to me R31 CB and have discovered that the 1 amp fuse from the solenoid to the Xintex keeps failing when in use. I've replaced the fuse twice now with the same results. I'm a total newbie when it comes to electrical in general and this boat specifically any ideas on where to start troubleshooting the issue?

Thank you

 

[Wee Venture]

If you’ve replaced the fuse twice with the same results, it sounds likely that the solenoid is faulty. They do fail in that way. You could first check the wiring for possible shorts, especially around the connections.
Then if it were me, I’d purchase another solenoid and, before plumbing it in, temporarily connect the wires to it to see if that fixes the problem. I would expect it to. But if not, then you have a spare to take with you in case of future failure. I carry a spare solenoid in my parts locker onboard for that purpose.
If you want to do more trouble shooting first and you have a clamp meter, you could apply 12VDC to just the solenoid and see how many amps it draws. Should be about 790MA when energized. Significantly higher than that and you’ve identified the problem. Or if you don’t have a clamp meter, just apply power to only the existing solenoid through a 1 amp in-line fuse. If the fuse blows, the solenoid has to be bad. Good luck!

John

 

[Ralf H]

Hi all,

We haven't built any boats with the Fireboy system in several years, so unfortunately I can't add any info on the value of that fuse, but since John did not mention otherwise, I'd say that's tacit confirmation that it is indeed a one-amp fuse (just seemed a bit low to me). John nailed the test procedure, and you should be able to easily determine if the solenoid is bad. All in all, should be a simple issue to resolve. Hope this helps.

Cheers,

Ralf

 

[Wee Venture]

I agree with Ralf that the 1 amp fuse seems small, given that the rated draw of the solenoid is 790MA and the fuse is also powering the alarm circuit. Still, that is what is recommended by the manufacturer and called out on the posted R-31 schematics, and what was installed on our R-31. It has been working successfully on our boat for a number of years now so I haven’t messed with it.

John