TOPIC: Wiring help?

Hello.... I obviously have no experience with boat wiring. If you take a look at this picture where should the black wire be connected.
Thanks!

negative battery terminal

There is a positive and negative wire from the motor to the battery, and I assume this is a feed to the "cockpit". The red feed goes to the ignition switch not sure on the black.....does it go to the block to the left?

if the battery is grounded to the motor(blk cable) you can run any negative wire to the block or the neg of the battery

what is it your trying to do? or what does not work?

lights and bilge pump (on a toggle PO added) Does the ground just attach to the block to the left in the picture?
Sorry to be so dense......

note in the picture the black wire is not attached?

I cant tell you where to connect the black wire with home brew wiring such as you have no one can tell you what goes where without tracing the wires back to the ends & in soooo many cases with boats the wires go no where, too many previous owners jerry rigging accessories

as to the bilge pump and lights not working, do you have a test light, so we can see if there is power to the switches

I understand on the wiring.....I am only trying to understand the bundle coming from the engine.... the first pic tells you the source... the second is the other end.... the only wire in the bundle that is not attached is the black ground. The toggle the PO used the green wire to the block upper right to the block and i think it is a brown wire to the red power terminal on the ignition switch... any insight or comment is appreciated. thanks

From What I can see the black wire needs to go to the far left terminal. You also do not have any power going over to that junction block that I can see (after re rereading your post that there is a brown wire connected to the red wire on the ignition switch). The only thing hooked up now is the ignition switch that I can see The choke as well if it i located with the ignition swiych. Which toggle switch are you trying to use for the bilge pump and lights the one with the single green wire is not completing any circuit. However without a meter to verify this it is all conjecture

You're not "dense" Phillip, it's tough (often impossible) to figure out someone else's thoughts on wiring, especially when they have then disconnected some of the wires. That's why many of us prefer to remove what's there (except the harness coming from the motor to the switch, of course) and start fresh using marine grade wire and the proper connectors and methods of connection. Not sure what that relay was running, but the toggle switch only has one wire connected to it? The black wire you're asking about would be ground (- batt.), and needed for any and all accessories added. Not sure where it would connect on the connection block, without knowing where all the other wires go..... sorry. We'd be glad to help you re-design the wiring if you'd like to go that route, or if you can provide more info on what wires are going where from the dash.

Yes getting rid of all previous owner wiring. If you look at the updated photo.
-The black wire from the engine wire cluster is now attached to the ignition switch.
- to the left of the block is the pull out light switch this is being changed to a toggle, and will be the new location for the bilge pump switch.
- there are two new un-wired toggles to the right of the ignition switch, these will be navigation lights and interior lights.


To get power to the block, Do I need a jumper wire + and - from the ignition switch to the block?

Thanks for your insight.
Phil

You can, but I think the bilge pump should probably go on a separate circuit, Phil. Not sure how much "juice" you can pull off the ign switch before you start having trouble. I have a separate hot and ground wire coming up to the dash from the battery (fused, of course) for the accessories. Maybe one of the real mechanics can advise on exact details here.

personally I would buy a fuse block and a few spools of wire, run a hot + wire to the fuse block from the battery, then use your existing bussbar block and run a negative - wire to it for all your 12V device ground connections

Id then Rewire everything so that your going thru a fused block for all your positive connection and thru the bussbar for your negative connections....and stay away from the ignition system for power(worst case scenario shorted out lights, pumps,horns etc etc could melt your ignition system..... unless its an ignition "ON ONLY device" like a volt meter)

running thru a fuse block you help to isolate your circuits as well as fuse protecting the circuits and devices from shorts

Yes, think the separate line for the lights and bilge makes sense. Thanks for the advice.

Anyone know the standard size of a stern light bulb, hoping to run over to the auto parts store for one? No wonder damn stern light did not work...no bulb. lol

Thanks

It depends on how the base mounts. If they're offset, you could try an 1156.

Frank

Thanks ended up being a 1157.

I also meant to ask, does the wiring on the ignition look correct? I attached the black wire from the bundle to the left of the red from the bundle... Again does this look correct?

Thanks