No Electric Power in House R21EC

G

gozer7

Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2009
Messages
16
Fluid Motion Model
C-24 C SE
Hull Identification Number
USFMLT2129K8
I'm sure this is simple. Last time out bow thruster would not turn on. Wiggled everthing hanging under steering wheel, nothing. Last night plugged battery charger in. Let it run about 8 hours. Took boat out and have no power to any house circuts- radio, lights, GPS, nothing. I know there is a master circuit breaker just forward of the batteries, which I pushed, and it did nothing. Did I blow a diode? Not sure if the thruster problem is at all connected to the loss of house voltage. Suggestions?
 
I don't know if it is universal depending on year of production, but on our 2007 R21-EC the house battery is not charged by the charger. Don't ask me why they did that, but only the start battery is connected to the charger. To maintain the house battery I make sure that as soon as I return from the water to home and know that both batteries are "up" I use a small clip-ended jumper between the positive terminals and then the charger will maintain both. The negatives are already bonded together, so only one connection is required.

Also, pushing the button on the breaker on our boat disconnects the circuit. There is a latch mechanism which restores it. You might get hold a meter or even a simple test light and see if the output side is "hot".

If the house battery is run down or I suspect it may be low compared to the start battery I put a trickle charger on it for a day or so then make the connection between positive terminals and the charger will maintain both indefinitely.

Poor design and poor cost saving decision in my opinion, but one can't have everything.

I did have the start battery completely fail and, even though it came off charge only 40 minutes earlier, it was dead flat at the launch ramp recently. Fortunately I have jumper cables in my truck at all times. I was able to jump start the engine off the house battery all day (several starts since we were fishing). I am in the process of building a short cable with a high capacity switch in it to permanently connect the two positive terminals. That way I can use it to maintain the house battery as I do now with a small jumper but will also have a built-in jumper cable using the switch if (when) I need one again.

I have tried to find out if I could wire the charger to the combiner/isolater input instead of directly to the house battery but Promariner was totally unresponsive. I have not been able to determine if that would "eat" the charger if the alternator is running. Of course, that still leaves me with an undercapacity charger unless I purchase a larger unit. In which case I might as well just add another dedicated charger for the house battery. Like I said, poor cost saving decision.
 
Ours is a 2009 R21-EC. I will put a charge on the house battery and see what happens. However, we ran all day and I am sure the generater would have charged both batteries.
 
My 2009 R21-EC has a Blue Sea automatic charging relay with starting isolation. This black box is mounted above the house battery at the back of the panel between the batteries and the engine. I suspect it sequentially charges the batteries negating the need for an extra large alternator. The shore power charger also charges both batteries - I suspect sequentially.

The circuit breaker referred to, on mine is a thermal circuit breaker. Pressing the little red button test trips the circuit breaker which normally trips only when the current is too high thereby increasing the temperature of the circuit breaker until it trips.

There is a house battery master switch inside the locker next to the helm which may be switched OFF, it should be ON.

Getting back to purely your thruster problem, there is a 150 amp fuse under the V berth just infront of the helm that provides power to the thruster motor a bit like the battery lead to a starter motor. When you hold the two little ON buttons on the joy stick panel down until the light comes on, the joy stick controls relays in the thruster motor over signal wires which are much smaller than the 150 amp cable which powers the motor. This is similar to a starter motor where the starter switch activates the starter relay over thin wires. The starter relay connects the large power lead to the motor which drives it.

I am wondering if your joy stick light illuminates when you hold both ON buttons down?

The manual is pretty helpful with identifing most of the components I am describing here. Another good thing about Ranger is that they have a continuous improvement process. Ranger seek feedback, support this open forum, take our comments warts and all, and usually overcome issues raised here in the next model. Not too many other manufacturers actively seek feedback in such an open and supportive manner.
 
I reset the 100 amp Thermal Circuit Breaker and everything in the house works- except bow thruster, which I know is hardwired straight to the battery. Press both "on" buttons, and it doesnt light up. Humm. Any suggestions where I should trouble shoot?
 
You do know there is a switch (on/off) under the starboard berth for the bow thruster...
Just making sure.
 
Yep, the big red battery switch.
 
Hang on gozer7, the thruster is not hard wired straight to the battery (like a starter motor), it passes through that 150 amp fuse (you haven't told us if it is ok yet?) we spoke of earlier, next to the switch under the starboard berth that mlull indicated.

My reading of the circuit that came with the Side Power manual in the Ranger provided kit of manuals (possibly also available on the internet) shows that the joy stick panel is also powered via an electronic interface box mounted with the thruster motor, and ultimately over this large 150 amp cable, 150 amp fuse (possibly blown) and large red switch (under the helm side berth). If this 150 amp fuse is blown you wont have power to the thruster or joy stick.

If this 150 amp fuse is blown, check that you can turn the thruster propeller by hand. If you can't, the bearings are probably siezed with rust from water ingress, overloading the motor and causing the big fuse to blow. If you can turn the thruster propeller, replace the fuse and try it.

If this 150 amp fuse is ok you are going to need a voltmeter from here on. The places where you should see +12V are :-
. thruster side of the 150 amp fuse
. terminal 3 (motor side) of the Electronic Interface Box (located with the thruster)
. terminal 9 (joy stick side) of the Electronic Interface Box (there is a 1 amp fuse inside the box)
Note, I would leave the above two measuring points until after you dont find +12V at the next point because they are a bit hard to get at.
. pin 4 (red wire) of the four pin connector at the joy stick.

Cheers
Graham
 
Thanks Graham,

Went out and turned the thruster prop and it turns ok. I will look for this monster 150 amp fuse tomorrow.
 
Goz, if you get it going it is supposed to be ok to test it out of the water for a second or two but we are not supposed to run it more than that out of the water for cooling purposes.
 
Mystery solved. I found the 150 amp fuse and it was fine. Then I noticed a big red switch next to it that was in the O-F-F position. I placed it in th O-N position, and like majic the bow thruster works. Must have been my wife who turned that off last season?

Thanks for the help I received from everyone. If anyone wants me to do some work on their boat just let me know!

Gozer
 
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