Perko "Off" but helm switches still working

[JimGilly]

my "new to me" used 2016 232 (my first Cobalt) has power to the helm switches all the time, even when my dual battery Perko switch is in the OFF position. This has not been the case on any other boat I have owned; is this something typical to Cobalt? With the Perko in the "off" position, at the helm, my engine room vent blower, my interior lighting, my stereo and my Accessory switch all work as if power were on. I have checked the Perko with a meter, and it shows no current through the Perko, I replace it anyway, no change. So somewhere, somehow, current does flow, as one battery does slowly, over a period of days, drawn down. My present solution was to install a dual battery bank Guest charger. This keeps both batteries fully charged. Nevertheless, I am used to "OFF" being just that, no power to any electric circuits except only the bilge pump. Is my situation normal? Comments and suggestions please.

[bruceb58]

I posted on your other thread.

[xlint89]

Most likely someone ran a power wire from the battery to the helm bypassing the perko switch.

What wires are ran to the battery that drains down?

[bruceb58]

Most likely someone ran a power wire from the battery to the helm bypassing the perko switch.

What wires are ran to the battery that drains down?

Yep...that's also very possible.

[AsLan7]

Most likely someone ran a power wire from the battery to the helm bypassing the perko switch.

What wires are ran to the battery that drains down?

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Since the switch shuts off power to the bus, it’s more likely a power wire is connected from the battery to the bus bypassing the Perko switch since a number of components are still being powered.

In the pic below, the yellow thick wire runs from the “off” side of the switch to the bus located on the transom. It receives power when the switch is ON thus powering the bus. If someone ran a wire from the battery to the bus (or hot side of the switch to the bus) you will always have power to those components negating the switch. Find the bus and check those connections.

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[bruceb58]

Most likely someone ran a power wire from the battery to the helm bypassing the perko switch.

What wires are ran to the battery that drains down?

.
Since the switch shuts off power to the bus, it’s more likely a power wire is connected from the battery to the bus bypassing the Perko switch since a number of components are still being powered.

In the pic below, the yellow thick wire runs from the “off” side of the switch to the bus located on the transom. It receives power when the switch is ON thus powering the bus. If someone ran a wire from the battery to the bus (or hot side of the switch to the bus) you will always have power to those components negating the switch. Find the bus and check those connections.

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You are showing a picture of the ground bus. It is not switched.

[AsLan7]

Most likely someone ran a power wire from the battery to the helm bypassing the perko switch.

What wires are ran to the battery that drains down?

.
Since the switch shuts off power to the bus, it’s more likely a power wire is connected from the battery to the bus bypassing the Perko switch since a number of components are still being powered.

In the pic below, the yellow thick wire runs from the “off” side of the switch to the bus located on the transom. It receives power when the switch is ON thus powering the bus. If someone ran a wire from the battery to the bus (or hot side of the switch to the bus) you will always have power to those components negating the switch. Find the bus and check those connections.

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You are showing a picture of the ground bus. It is not switched.

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Ahh..good point Bruce. Don't have a pic of the power bus. Maybe someone can post that.
This is the best I can come up with for now...

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[bruceb58]

Do you happen to have the build sheet for the boat? I wonder if it was delivered with a dual battery system. The reason I ask is because starting in a certain year, they started using the Blue Sea Dual Circuit switches. What that does is allow one battery to just go to the engine and the other battery is for the house. If the boat is ordered without dual batteries, they may still have the boat wired for separate house and engine batteries but tie them together at the battery switch.

The Blue Sea switch is basically 2 switches in one.

Here is the functional diagram of how it works on this page:
https://www.bluesea.com/products/5511e/ ... ery_Switch

Happen to have a picture of the switch you bought and a picture of the back of the switch?

[xlint89]

On my 1998 252 there is no positive buss bar. Just 1 (10 AWG) that jumps to other breakers.

So technically, that 1 wire is powering a couple different devices.

Hey OP, were there any aftermarket electronics added by chance? Fish finder, GPS/navigation or something like that? Very possible the installer did something goofy to power it up. Ask me how I know......

[JimGilly]

THanks for all the input; I'll have to take some pictures of both the power buss and the ground buss; will post those to see what suggestions exist. May be a week or two; due to cold weather our boat is winterized and out of the water, so I'll need to visit it in storage. Thx All, JimG

[distinguishedmotors]

i would bet that some one moved the dash power wire to the input side of the switch and not the output. only things that are supposed to be on constant power are bilge pumps, stereo memory, and CO2 monitors (generally)