Rocker Switches

Has anyone experienced reduced voltage through your rocker switches over time? Sometimes when I turn on the main power my graphs sit and flash on and off rather than turn on. I also noticed the indicator light on the rocker switch is somewhat dim when that happens. I flip the switch on and off a few times, the indicator light comes on a little stronger and everything works fine.

I also have issues with my navigation lights. I flip the switch on and it takes 15 minutes for my navigation lights to turn on. Once they do, everything works fine.

Another thing is that I have the voltage reading on my graphs showing 10-11.4 volts when the main motor is off and shows about 12.4 when the main motor is on.

I’m thinking my rocker switches are starting to fail. Thoughts?

Just a thought, I’m sure you have checked, battery heading South?

Denny O wrote:

Just a thought, I’m sure you have checked, battery heading South?

Yes. Battery is good. Boat starts fine, lasts all day on the water without a recharge. Maybe tomorrow I can get in there and get a voltage reading.

I know for sure there is a significant voltage drop between the battery and my main power switch, accessory switch and my graphs. Seems like now it’s even worse.

Probably have a bad ground or corroded connection somewhere.

It definitely could be the rocker switch. Like everything, it can corrode over time. You could check the resistants through the switch. Also the wires can corrode inside…

Make a jumper wire and see if the connectivity improves when you bypass the switch

Had that in a Lund angler. Bypassed the switches with the electronics and replaced switches. Problem solved

Yes. Between corrosion on slip on connectors and also contacts inside the switch can form a corrosion layer. I have also found dust and such on inside contacts mingling with the grease in a switch that hindered proper operation.

Thanks Mark and Randy. That’s kind of what I was suspecting. As soon as I get a chance to get back in there, I’m gonna test the voltage for sure.

The switches seem cheap but they sure add up when you replace all of them.

The switches can get some corrosion and oxidation, but I would more suspect the connections to the switch. Especially if they are push on terminals.

If they’re all acting up at once, is probably your power source to the switches. Might have a bad connection at a buss bar somewhere???

A resistance test will prove far more valuable than a voltage test.

Even a crappy connection will show proper voltage. An OHM’s test will sniff the bad connection out.

munchy wrote:

Probably have a bad ground or corroded connection somewhere.

Yep, My Lowrance read 10.4 v and the battery reads 12.6v with a meter. So I took the panel off and found loose connectors. The power daisy chains from switch to switch on my Alumacraft so every connection is a chance for the voltage to drop. I hard wired each switch to a Power block. problem solved.

bigcrappie wrote:

Yep, My Lowrance read 10.4 v and the battery reads 12.6v with a meter. So I took the panel off and found loose connectors. The power daisy chains from switch to switch on my Alumacraft so every connection is a chance for the voltage to drop. I hard wired each switch to a Power block. problem solved.

Mine are daisy chained as you said. I’ll definitely consider that too.

So can anyone help me with these questions?

What would cause a voltage drop vs a resistance issue? Or would there be both? Are they related?

Bad ground(s)? Bad connection(s)? Both?

I just want to understand the technical side a little better so I can troubleshoot better.

What would cause a voltage drop vs a resistance issue? Or would there be both? Are they related?

Resistance causes voltage drop. The more resistance the more the voltage drops.

Thanks munchy. Thst makes sense, I didn’t want to assume that though.

So after wiggling a bunch of connections, testing various locations, it only has about .02 volt drop across all my rocker switches and .08 volt drop from my battery to my last rocker switch.

I was only seeing about .1 ohms resistance pretty much anywhere I checked it.

Does all that seem reasonable?

Prior to wiggling the wires and removing two switches to check the contacts, I was sometimes seeing only 6 volts at my last rocker switch when I was seeing 12 at the first. I’m not seeing that now but I still have to address my nav light issue.

Yup, that sounds reasonable. Depending on how much amp draw you had on your system when reading 6 volts, that could have been some significant resistance. You said you were getting 6 volts, let’s just say you had one amp of load on the system, that would calculate out to 7ohms of resistance.

Sounds like you had corrosion between the connections. May want to take them apart one by one, run a small file on each face of the terminals, and smear a little dielectric grease on each connection. Also try crimping each wire connection, one could be loose as well.

I would get a tube of this stuff,and go through and clean every possible connection.Usually when a switch goes bad,it goes totally for the most part.Could get a can of contact cleaner for those,if switch is not sealed..A little resistance on each connection adds up.

Been there,done that.It helped immensely.Went through a Lund Fisherman that had that problem.

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