the instrument cluster. Then take the boat for a
sea trial in rough seas until the dash lights begin
to blink. You can then confirm whether or not
the power feed to the printed circuit board is
affected. If not, and the problem occurs, it’s a safe
bet the problem is in the PC board itself, which
in all probability needs to be replaced.
By using this methodology you have
turned a two-person job (one to operate the
boat, the other to watch the meter face) into a
one-person/one-instrument job and created asituation where you can run the test without
any special scheduling or logistical arrange-
ments. Plus you have isolated the location of
the problem without employing frustrating
trial-and-error tactics.
These methods are truly a more efficient
approach to problem solving. Boatowners
doing their own work will find answers more
readily, and for the marine professional, this
efficiency will pay off in less wasted time and
better customer service.86 electrical systems troubleshooting
oddoddA sample of a DC log. Notice the time and date stamps with each entry. All you need to do is scan these data entries
and pick out the odd entries, such as those marked, then try to associate the time they occurred with events that might
have caused them. For example, if a problem occurs on the unoccupied boat between 5 P.M. and 8 P.M., it could be
associated with the use of electric galley stoves on other boats at the dock. If it occurs at fairly regular intervals, but only
during hot weather, it might be an air-conditioning unit.