1989 Sea Ray 268 Wiring Question

[spstack]

Hi all, I recently bought a 1989 Sea Ray 268 with 7.4L.

I am trying to sort out and clean up the wiring that has been added over the years.

It has 2 batteries and the following items were hooked up direct (non switched):
1) step down pump
2) bilge pump
3) power trim
4) refriderator (which I believe should be switched!)
5) Mercathode
6) mystery green wire that I cannot determine what it does????

Green wire enters the factory wiring harness at the starboard/stern/bottom corner of the gas tank and I have switched on and off every electrical item on the boat and it seems to not do anything? Can anybody tell me what that green wire goes to? I have not yet tested for a potential diff with either + or - from battery. Unfortunately, I store the boat away from my house so I cannot just run out and test it now.

Thank you for any assistance.

Sean

 

[Cocktail Time]

The green wire you are looking at is a bonding wire and does not carry voltage. It should be connected to all the metal items that make contact with water so that they don't get eaten away by stray current, ie struts, outdrives, seacocks, strainers etc. I hope I didn't butcher that explanation but the bonding wire is is correct...

 

[spstack]

The green wire you are looking at is a bonding wire and does not carry voltage. It should be connected to all the metal items that make contact with water so that they don't get eaten away by stray current, ie struts, outdrives, seacocks, strainers etc. I hope I didn't butcher that explanation but the bonding wire is is correct...

Wow, so what happens when it is hooked up to +12v??? That's how the boat was wired when I bought it about a month ago? Could have been a mistake on the part of the guy's son who put the brand new batteries in.... because the green wire is butt spliced (at the loom) into a red wire (up to the battery), he might have moved it from the NEG terminal to the POS without noticing.

Can you explain a little more about how the bonding wire works. Is it essentially just a common ground connecting all of the metal parts to the NEG bat terminal and in turn to the grounding point on the engine block?

Thanks for your assistance!

ps... to test I should be able to run a continuity check from the end of the green wire to any of the fore mentioned metal parts???? I read somewhere that the gas filler might be one of those that are connected to the bonding wire? Could you imagine if 12v+ was running to my gas filler pipe??? OMG!! I have not owned it long enough to have filled it with gas yet. :wow:

 

[garryowen]

this is where your bonding wire is connected

 

[spstack]

Thanks guys! My marine mechanic who did the pre-buy inspection said if bonding wire connected to B+, that boat would have long since burnt to the ground. He is going to check it out Wed. I'll post the findings.