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I have a 1989 Montauk 17 with an Evinrude Ficht 90 that’s need a lot of TLC. Bought her last December and just finished refurbishing all the wood, small repairs to the fiberglass and motor repairs. Now I’m trying to resolve some electrical issues. I looked at the wiring diagram on that’s posted on this site and could not identify the wiring for a switch located on the aft starboard. I had to replace the corroded terminal board but the wiring is not correct. Sorry the picture posted upside down, might give you an indicator of how the day has progressed. First what was the original purpose of the switch? That would be helpful. The previous owner had spliced in a small bilge pump. I know the gray wire at the top left of the terminal goes to the bow light.

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That switch is actually a circuit breaker, possibly a Carling AA1 Series 20 amp breaker. It serves to protect the wire (typically 10-ga.) running from the battery up to the console, supplying power to accessories.

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Thanks Tom, that educates me a little more and clears up one of my questions.

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The Circuit Breaker appears to be missing so now all you have is a Junction Block which is what the early Montauks had before adding the Circuit Breaker in the same area.

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Joe, the cover has a push-pull switch which the previous owner had connected to a small bilge pump. That's what comes off the one heavy gauge red wire and the one which is not connect just kept the pump running. Does anybody know what the original purpose was behind the push-pull switch?

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There wasn't a push pull switch.

It was a button for the circuit breaker which seems to be missing in action.

If there isn't a circuit breaker back there, then you should install one in the console before any other fuse or junction blocks.
A circuit breaker or (master) fuse is needed in case there is a short in the wiring from the battery to the console.

We have a Generic and Basic wiring diagram in our Downloads section here:
http://www.whalercentral.com/download...?cat_id=11

Note the Circuit Breaker between the Positive battery wire and any console panels or switches.
Yours breaker was located in the box at the stern.

Also make sure you have a fuse going to your bilge pump as I don't see one in the photo.

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Thanks Joe, that clears up all the questions for this issue. Yes, that's the same diagram I had pulled which generated some questions. The missing main fuse which I kept looking for and couldn't find. I'll reinstall as suggested. I appreciate the help!

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I read (somewhere else on this site?) that the circuit breaker in the line from battery to console is best placed nearer the battery, assuming the battery is in the rear of the boat by the motor. This protects the long run of wire which may be in a tunnel or cavity or pinched somewhere along its length.

However, I don't think this same rationale holds up if the battery is in the console. Would the circuit breaker be by the motor, to protect the long run of cable to the battery? This puts the circuit breaker between the motor and battery, and that ain't right.

Do motors have (internal) circuit protection if they encounter a short or overload between motor and battery?

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Whoever changed the factory wiring on the 1989 Montauk was a butcher and didn't know what he was doing. I would remove it and do it right.

Since the circuit breaker is already missing, you can replace it with a 30 amp in-line fuse holder in the battery box, coming directly off the positive post. This is the way Whaler did it before going to the circuit breaker idea. Now your entire house power is protected again.

I would get rid of the bilge switch at the box, and install a switch up at the console, where it belongs.
To do this, you run a 3 wire 16 gauge ancor cable (which is actually AC wiring cable with black, white and green wires but works fine), from the nav and bilge switch on the console to the terminal block at the stern (as pictured) where you haqve a common neg ground for both. You need to upgrade to a four circuit terminal block. One wire carries bow light +, one carries stern light+ and one carries bilge +. The fourth slot is for the neg returns, with a wire directly to the battery neg. Then the nav lights and bilge are wired off the other side of this terminal block.

See attached links, although I do not wire my bilge pump this way. But it shows how the nav lights are done, using only 3 of the 4 slots.

http://smg.photobucket.com/user/lgolt...0541977853

http://smg.photobucket.com/user/lgolt...4180572911

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Appreciate all the great input! Finnegan I’m going to take that approach and appreciate the guidance. I’ll start working on that this weekend.