GPS fuse trouble

[the gipper]

Hi Guys, I really could use some help. I have a 2014 208 Adventure. Earlier this summer, while in the middle of lake Erie, I lost my GPS and of course autopilot and plotter. Rebooted, and checked fuses. Nothing blown. I want in to my Grady dealer who installed the electronics. He removed the fuses and polished on his pant leg and Whala! It worked. We figured it was a dirty fuse holder. I purchased electronic cleaner and sprayed all as per spec. It worked good for a couple of months and now it doing it again on a regular basis. The only fix that works is to remove the fuse, buff it up and reinsert it Then it works. This is getting old fast. Any suggestions?


..

 

[DennisG01]

Spray it with Boeshield (or another suitable, long lasting protectant) after inserting it. Dielectric grease is another option, but keep in mind that dielectric, by nature, insulates against current. So make sure you put it on after the connection is made... maybe just a TINY bit before hand, assuming that as you put it in, some will scrape away.

BUT... the BEST stuff you can get is Tef-Gel. It aint' cheap, but I have yet to find it's equal. It can be put on before and after the connection is made.

 

[seasick]

Hi Guys, I really could use some help. I have a 2014 208 Adventure. Earlier this summer, while in the middle of lake Erie, I lost my GPS and of course autopilot and plotter. Rebooted, and checked fuses. Nothing blown. I want in to my Grady dealer who installed the electronics. He removed the fuses and polished on his pant leg and Whala! It worked. We figured it was a dirty fuse holder. I purchased electronic cleaner and sprayed all as per spec. It worked good for a couple of months and now it doing it again on a regular basis. The only fix that works is to remove the fuse, buff it up and reinsert it Then it works. This is getting old fast. Any suggestions?


..

Which fuse are you referring to? One on the fuse block or an inline fuse between power and the GPS. If the later, I think you need to replace the fuse holder, it is not applying the correct pressure or one of its contacts is defective. If the fuse is on the fuse block, you need to contact Grady. You may have a bad block. I would also try to determine if something is leaking onto the fuse holder like water , steering fluid ( if you have hydraulic steering) etc.

 

[DennisG01]

Which fuse are you referring to? One on the fuse block or an inline fuse between power and the GPS. If the later, I think you need to replace the fuse holder, it is not applying the correct pressure or one of its contacts is defective. If the fuse is on the fuse block, you need to contact Grady. You may have a bad block. I would also try to determine if something is leaking onto the fuse holder like water , steering fluid ( if you have hydraulic steering) etc.

Good question. While anything, of course, is possible, this makes the most logical sense. Otherwise, you would think that other fuses would be affected, as well.

 

[Parthery]

If I recall, newer GWs use a fuse block that has the square autofuses. Us guys with older ones have the tubular fuses with the brackets that can come loose or corrode.

This sounds to me like a loose connection. Are the ground and "+" wires securely connected to the fuse panel? I'd remove them, cut off the ends,and replace them with fresh female spade connectors crimped and heat shrunk.

 

[everwhom]

Have you tried shutting off all power to the GPS unit using the battery switches instead of removing and replacing the fuse? I'm wondering if it may not be a problem with the fuse at all, but rather your GPS may be freezing up due to a software or hardware fault and messing with the fuse is just doing a full hard power reset... May be worth trying before you pull (all) your hair out.

 

[seasick]

Have you tried shutting off all power to the GPS unit using the battery switches instead of removing and replacing the fuse? I'm wondering if it may not be a problem with the fuse at all, but rather your GPS may be freezing up due to a software or hardware fault and messing with the fuse is just doing a full hard power reset... May be worth trying before you pull (all) your hair out.

Everwhom has a point. On some GPSs there is a low voltage alarm that will cause a reset or shutdown. This condition will occur during the cranking of the motor when current draw is high. It may or may not be an issue but to see if it is the cause, navigate to menu of alarms and look for the low voltage one. Disable that alarm and see if things work better. I had to turn off the low voltage alarm on my older Garmin which logged an alarm but did not shut down. I don't know what the newer units do in that alarm state