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Starboard engine alarm

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Steve Pavlidis

Member
Hello all,

I have a 1969 Chris Craft Command 31' with two Crusader 270 engines (1987). If I start the port engine first all is well. If I start the starboard engine first an alarm goes off as soon as I turn the key on. If I then start the port engine the alarm goes off. Oil pressure reads well. Alternator was bad and replaced it and same thing happened with the alarm and showed the alternator was not charging. These are not original engines. Anybody have an idea why the alarm is going off?

Thanks in advance.

Steve
 
The wiring has been a big problem since I bought the boat two months ago. The original owner had both engines and batteries running off BAT 1 on the switch. I really need to trace down the wiring and set things straight. Right now the switch is on BOTH. No isolater. But I'm wondering why the alarm goes off as soon as I turn the key on, before I crank the engine (and the GEN light comes on). The port engine has no such alarm going off when I turn on the key.

Thanks.
 
Separate the the wiring on the engines, one battery one engine, and see if your problem disappears. Two alternators cannot charge one battery, not with out additional equipment.
 
Thanks for your quick replies. I will separate the two batteries, one starting battery for each engine. Do you have any idea as to why did the alarm goes off when I turn the starboard engine key to the ON position? It goes off when I crank up the port engine.
 
If the battery wiring is AFU, then the rest of the wiring may be AFU as well...ensure you have a good clean ground wire between the two engines.

On a mid-80's Crusader, the warning horn/alarm should turn on with the key on, engine off. there are usually three switches to activate the alarm - low oil pressure, engine coolant overheat, and gear overheat....nothing monitors the alternator output.
 
Steve Pavlidis said:
Thanks for your quick replies. I will separate the two batteries, one starting battery for each engine. Do you have any idea as to why did the alarm goes off when I turn the starboard engine key to the ON position? It goes off when I crank up the port engine.
Click to expand...

After you repair the wiring that is crossed between both engines you may see that the false alarm issue is gone.
 
Thanks for your replies. The port engine does not signal an alarm when turned ON. I will go through the wiring and install a house bank as well. The 270s are not the original engines, they were 327s and were set up with a GEN alarm on the helm and that light goes off when the alarm on the starboard engine comes on.
 
Well, I finally figured out the alarm problem. It is my Fireboy Halon system alarm telling me the system is discharged. It still runs on with the starboard engine key going to ON and still shuts off when I put the port engine key to ON. Anyway, now to fix it...
 
You need to make sure that both engine electrical systems are divorced from each other. If your port Ign switch and SB ign switch affect a single system on your boat you are cross wired.
 
Thanks Chris, you're right. The previous owner has the wiring all screwed up as I am now learning, but it will be right before too much longer. Just a bit of sweat equity...thanks again for your advice.
 
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