Factory wiring with resistors terminating un-used plugs ???

[jaybird]

My 2003 Nautique 226 has port and starboard ballast tanks but no belly tank. I noticed the boat is wired for the belly tank and has the digital switching on the dash but the plugs for the belly tank pumps next to the fuel tank are terminated with a resistor between the 12-volt and ground virtually simulating a load, WHY? Can I just remove the resistor jumper and use this for an after market fill and drain pump for an additional ballast tank?

This must have something to do with the digital switching but what?

[DanielC]

RE: Factory wiring with resistors terminating un-used plugs

I believe you can just plug a ballast pump into them. Try to get a ballast pump with a similar current draw as the punps currently in your boat.

[jaybird]

RE: Factory wiring with resistors terminating un-used plugs

What is the purpose of the resistor. Does the Faria system need to see a load?

[Rick]

RE: Factory wiring with resistors terminating un-used plugs

It is there to simuate the load in case you switch the switch on or off. It is better than leaving the wires cut on case they are covered with water and then accidently turned on.

[jaybird]

RE: Factory wiring with resistors terminating un-used plugs

I’m sorry, I don’t mean to sound like a SA, but I don’t buy that. Who says that? Did you read that somewhere? Did Correct Craft or a dealer tell you that? That makes absolutely no sense. Is that just your opinion? I would agree with you statement it there to simulate a load, but the question still remains, why simulate the load?
I have no idea what it’s for and I’m an electrical designer, but obviously I missed a DC class somewhere. I do appreciate your input. Are we sure it doesn’t have something to do with the Faria digital switching system needing to see a load to operate correctly?
If as you say “in case you switch it on” every consequence is a negative, the resistor draws down the battery, heats up and the wires to the resistor are not sealed, but rather in a clear open ended tube thus they can be exposed to the water, so I don’t see any advantages to justify your “accidentally turned on” scenario. The wires are exposed to water in either case and being exposed to water is no real danger. If the resistors were to close the end I would think they would simply use a blind plug.
I just have to think the resistor has some further meaning. Anyone else have any idea. I asked Woody at the former dealer SECC, and he had no idea either.

[bobchris]

RE: Factory wiring with resistors terminating un-used plugs

The ECU needs to see a set resistance/voltage for the circuit or it will send a trouble code or run poorly. Same thing for the injectors and about ever other electrical component on the engine for a computor controlled engine. If the computor does read the correct voltage or resistance for each curcuit then it will not function properly and can effect other systems and overall engine performance.

[jaybird]

RE: Factory wiring with resistors terminating un-used plugs

Bob,
Thanks for the input, may ask what you source is? Did you read that or is that just your guess.
If you mean the engine control unit on top of the PCM block, (sometimes referred to as the ECM or engine control module) it has nothing to do with the ballast system. The ballast pump output originates from the circuit breaker box and is tied into the Faria Serial Bus DSS switching. The ballast outputs are not connected to the engine control module. The engine control is not dependant nor should it be with the control of boating accessories. Only engine related system effect the boats performance via the ECU. If you read the Faria Serial Bus manual it explains the ECU is connected to the Faria serial bus but this is one way share of data so the gauges can display Temp, Oil Press and so on. The Faria does not send information to the ECU. So I again I ask; why is the resistor in place?
I think it must be required by the Faria to prevent errors but that is just my opinion and I would like to know the facts for future reference.

[bobchris]

Re: RE: Factory wiring with resistors terminating un-used pl

[quote="jaybird"] If you read the Faria Serial Bus manual it explains the ECU is connected to the Faria serial bus but this is one way share of data so the gauges can display Temp, Oil Press and so on. The Faria does not send information to the ECU. quote]

so if you have an open curcuit how does that effect the resistance on the curcuit?

The ECU/ECM is looking for specific voltage for that complete curcuit weather or not it sends info back and forth, so if the curcuit's resistance changes doesn't the voltage reading change at the ECU/ECM you bet it does.

[jaybird]

RE: Re: RE: Factory wiring with resistors terminating un-use

No bob; the circuit is open when the pump switch is off. Think about what you just said. I'm looking for facts not a guess. Who told you this? The ecu cannot tell if the resistor is there or not when the switch is off, the circuit would be open.
Where are you coming up with this?

[jaybird]

RE: Re: RE: Factory wiring with resistors terminating un-use

bob,

Maybe your confusing the ECU with the Faria serial bus?

[DanielC]

There are basically three different electrical systems on this boat. Some of this info is from foggy recesses of my memory. I used to work at a Correct Craft dealer, around the time the 206, 216, and 226 were brought out.

The first system, the engine control, from GM, and marinized by PCM uses a lot of the same computer processing and controls that cars use. Not all the same functions, but a lot. The GM engine has a diagnostic port on it, and you can plug an external computer (laptop) into this port, through a proper interface, and down load various engine parameters, trouble codes, and examine them for diagnostic reasons.

The second system, the Faria gateway box plugs into this port, and this is how the Faria box gets info on engine oil pressure, engine water temp, hours the engine has run, engine rpm, ETC. The Faria gateway box also gets info from other sensors like lake water temp, air temp, and I think speed, in the form of pressure on a pitot tube or a paddle wheel, and water depth, and converts all that to serial data. All the info that the Faria gateway gets is then output on one serial bus, and that comes forward to the guages. Each guage picks off the info it needs to display, and passes through all the other info to other gauges along the line.
I think the signature boats used conventional wiring for the guages, the temp guage has an analog sensor on the engine, and its own wire. Same idea with oil pressure. Each guage has its own sendor wire.

The third system is the digital switch box. This is the boat's electrical system. The only thing the engine needs from it, is power, and occasionaly a start signal. It can, and is replaced by a key switch, in the signature edition of the boats. It is cheaper, from a manufacturing point to have as few different electrical systems as you can. It is cheaper to make only one type of digital switch box, and supply connectors for every accessory that might be attached to it, than it is to make one switch box for boats with out docking lights, or heaters, or hot water showers.

Look at any year 2000 Correct Craft boat they all have the up and down arrow pad switch that is only used for the hatch on the Classic Super Air, that year.
For some reason, the digital switch box required that all unused connections be terminated. I do not know why, they just did.
It would not suprise me if you found terminated wiring for other accessories not installed on your boat.
Hope this helps.

[jaybird]

Daniel,

Thanks much! that confirms how I understood the system on my 2003 226. The digital switching box I referred to as the breaker box, but yes it is the digital switching box made by Digital Switching System DSS I believe. No one I have chatted with knows the reason for the resistor simulated load but I am coming to a conclusion it must be required by the Faria and or the dss box to prevent the dss from producing error codes but I don’t believe it effects the ECU on the engine since not data shared back to the ECU from the Faria or DSS. I guess the firmware is the same regardless of options on the system, thus they must just fool the system with resistors when they are not installed. But until I find relevant info this is just a guess.

[AirTool]

Re: RE: Re: RE: Factory wiring with resistors terminating un

The ecu cannot tell if the resistor is there or not when the switch is off, the circuit would be open.
Where are you coming up with this?

If this is a truly digital system with power outputs to loads based on discrete inputs to the processor, the switch is not even in the same circuit as the resistor.

[bobchris]

Re: RE: Re: RE: Factory wiring with resistors terminating un

bob,

Maybe your confusing the ECU with the Faria serial bus?

sometimes responces are to get you to think and obviuosly you missed it. That's why it was so obviuosly bogus, what's the connector connected to a spool of wire maybe aka coil? no resistance on that is there, but that would be if the accessory was actually in place, but what do you do when the system is looking for that and it's just an open curcuit, so when the switch is flipped is that ungrounding the curcuit or grounding the curcuit?

[Laptom]

Re: RE: Re: RE: Factory wiring with resistors terminating un

If this is a truly digital system with power outputs to loads based on discrete inputs to the processor, the switch is not even in the same circuit as the resistor.

True... I think the fusebox is also the circuit seperator in this case... Then again, the resistor doesn't make sense in the circuit.