1999 malibu response no power to dash or anywhere else

[Jimmymac]

I've been restoring my 1999 malibu response  and it's been out of commission for about 2 years.. im just now finishing up with the interior.. I put a battery in it today to check to see if the blower was working and turn the key on and no power to the dash and will not do nothing.. I checked battery connections and ground bar also the back of the breakers..I checked connections on the key switch and the safety switch they seemed fine but couldn't find any power with a volt meter..  I jumped the starter off with a screw driver so I no its getting power at the starter.. Does anyone no what it might be or what I could check or a starting point to trouble shoot??

[minnmarker]

Take a volt meter and a long lead connected to the positive battery terminal then start at the battery and test every ground as you move away from the battery.  If all good then take the long lead off and start back at the battery and check all the positive connections as you move away from the battery.  You'll find the problem. Probably a badly corroded ground connection.

[85 Barefoot]

have you used a multimeter to check ignition switch?

[Jimmymac]

I used a multimeter and checked all connections at the back of switch, buss bar and relays.. I read that it may be a bad safety cut off switch.. It's a safety feature the malibu has that cuts all power to the instruments and dash when the safety lanyard is undone or not working..

I had no readings anywhere but the battery and the starter lol

[formulaben]

Do you have a master battery switch installed?

[Jimmymac]

No I dont.. I believe everything is still stock like the boat came.Do yall think it could be the ignition switch or the safety cut off switch 

[Motorcity50]

My nephew has a 1998 sport and he lost power this spring and it was a faulty safety cut-off switch.

[Jimmymac]

Thanks motorcity50 I'm gonna go buy one and see if is a fix.. A universal one from west marine should work right 

Edited August 16, 2016 by Jimmymac

[Jimmymac]

Just letting yall know I found the problem.. im guessing it's called the main battery switch 50 amp breaker back by the ecu.. I used a power probe and checked all connections and grounds.. From the battery to the ignition to the safety switch all breakers and to the main battery switch breaker with the key on jumped the two wires together and whalla had full power.. Thanks for all the input guys

[ClaireBLC]

Hi - did you find out where the safety cut-off switch is located on the Malibu Response 1999?

[QVARclassics]

Just had the sand thing happen to our 97 Malibu Response w a 350 Mag Tournament Ski. Checked for ohms on the reset switch, got zero. Replaced the 50a switch for 45$, all systems are up and running. 

[Horns1]

going to piggy back on this - have a 99 Sunsetter, that I have posted about before.  My electrical issue is:  Nothing on the dashboard or anything that goes thru the dash has power. The boat runs great, starts right up, but the majority of the time, the radio won't work, bilge, lights ,instrument panel, tach, etc..., sometimes when you hit a wave, everything will start working for a bit, but eventually all turn off again.   Here is the crazy part - if I have the boat turned on & running & have the light switch in the on (even though they don't come on) position, & I attempt to turn the boat off, it will not turn off until I turn the light switch to the off position.    I've replaced the ignition switch, no change.  I've taken the panel off & cleaned & tightened all the connections on the bus bar.  I've cleaned & tightened the ground connection by the 50 amp breaker on the ecu on the engine.  Any ideas on where to look or what to test next? The mechanic things something is back feeding a ground somewhere

[formulaben]

18 hours ago, Horns1 said:

I've taken the panel off & cleaned & tightened all the connections on the bus bar.

Which one is "the" bus bar you refer to?  You'll have both a negative bus bar and a positive bus bar, which (if like mine) the positive is adjacent the circuit breakers.  They both need to be looked at.  Somewhere there may be a master circuit breaker for the dash components somewhere downstream of the batteries going to the dash, as my 2002 had, but I understand that it was not as common.

You said you cleaned the ground by the 50amp breaker, but did you do the same to the other end of that cable?  Also at the battery terminals?  Also at the negative bus bar?  I would take a multi-meter and check continuity from the negative post of the battery to the negative bus bar and to the negative ground at the engine block to eliminate those as suspects.

 

18 hours ago, Horns1 said:

Here is the crazy part - if I have the boat turned on & running & have the light switch in the on (even though they don't come on) position, & I attempt to turn the boat off, it will not turn off until I turn the light switch to the off position. 

Which light are you talking about here?  When did this start happening?