taps killing the boat...

[kana12]

im not sure what section this was supposed to be in but the last two days this has happened about 5 times... i will be cruising and hit the taps up button and it will kill the engine and the loud beep will go off.. but i just turn the key off and back on and it will start right up like nothing ever happened and wont do it again for a few hours.. 2006 22v

[mneal]

Sounds like a bad connection/high resistance in the ignition circuit, when the taps runs the addition load causes the voltage to drop and shuts it off.

Wiring issues are not super easy to troubleshoot. Do you have a multi-meter?

[kana12]

no i sure dont.. the only thing that i did was add a cap to knock out the clicking in the speakers but i did that a while back and this is just starting to happen.. you think think that has anything to do with it

[skyski_tige]

I would definitely start at the cap you added.

[kko]

you have dual batteries?

[Jeff T]

This happened to Bobby D last summer. It ended up being just a loose ground I believe, but I'm not positive. I know there was a thread about it. May do a search for a post by him.

[Jason B]

It would be easy enough to re-wire the power source to the Taps so it's not shared with the ignition at all. That may help ya?

[dogbert]

I'd check all ground connections, including at the control on the throttle. There have been a couple of threads about the wires fraying going into the TAPS switch. Some engines are very sensitive to drops in voltage that you might get with a short.

Does the TAPS work at all? One thing to check is whether or not you can move your TAPS plate with the ignition on, but the engine not running. I'd check the voltage on your dash gauge when this is happening.

Let us know what you find out.

[kana12]

i dont know the voltage but when i hit the taps button for instance at night every light in the boat will dim.. its like maybe a power spike is happening every now and then

[Tequilasun]

It would be easy enough to re-wire the power source to the Taps so it's not shared with the ignition at all. That may help ya?

the taps should be wired with power all the time, right? It has a delay on it that will return it to fully up when the ignition is off for a minute or so. Our 05 did.

In all likelyhood, it's a grounding issue, most boat boat electrical weirdness eventually traces back there.

[ImaPigDog]

In all likelyhood, it's a grounding issue, most boat boat electrical weirdness eventually traces back there.

...sometimes even personal weirdness traces back to grounding issues (I should know)!

[MoneyPity]

...sometimes even personal weirdness traces back to grounding issues (I should know)!

Grounding issues to the taps system would not cause interior lights to dim.

Disconnect taps electrical connections at pump and then play with taps switch. Interior lights should be okay. If the pum was intermittent I would look at ground and power feeds but you need a multimeter to read votages at pump and ground resitance etc. They are cheap at Radioshack or Walmart and even ebay. The one that stays in my boat cost $15.00 and has saved me many times with my previous boat. I carry in my boat kit electrical tape, but splces and a mixture of fuses and blak and red 12ga wire for peace of mind.

To me without electrical readings I would bet Taps pump is causing a spike in volts which may cause engine to shutdown.

Do you need electrical Drawings. I have some that might help. I posted them but it would be easier to repost if needed.

[raythompson]

A high resistance anywhere in the circuit that feeds the taps, including the batteries, will cause the lights to dim when the taps is activated. The voltage drop, which will dim the lights, is because of the resistance in the connection. More current or load will cause more voltage drop across the connection. This voltage drop is probably enough to knock out the computer controlling the engine.

Check all the connections from the batteries to the taps switch, especially the power line from the batteries (not the high current starter cables). Place the meter on each connection and activate the taps switch. Start at the battery and work towards the tap switch. When you find the connection with the large voltage drop the problem is either in that connection or the one prior.

[kana12]

thanks for all the replies.. ive been really sick and havent been able to even get on the computer till now but if i feel better i will try to trouble shoot tommarrow.. thanks again guys

[GIZMO]

A high resistance anywhere in the circuit that feeds the taps, including the batteries, will cause the lights to dim when the taps is activated. The voltage drop, which will dim the lights, is because of the resistance in the connection. More current or load will cause more voltage drop across the connection. This voltage drop is probably enough to knock out the computer controlling the engine.

Check all the connections from the batteries to the taps switch, especially the power line from the batteries (not the high current starter cables). Place the meter on each connection and activate the taps switch. Start at the battery and work towards the tap switch. When you find the connection with the large voltage drop the problem is either in that connection or the one prior.

This is exactly how to trouble shoot this problem!