Ignition breaker tripping, unplug rear view camera, 2016-2020

[JasonK]

If your ignition breaker trips, it could be your rear view camera is the problem. Unplug it and see if it fixes your problem. Helped with 2016-2020 boats.

[homer12]

Is there a reason why this is an issue or a fix to it?

[justgary]

18 hours ago, homer12 said:

Is there a reason why this is an issue or a fix to it?

If the breaker is tripping, no doubt the camera is wired directly to the ignition voltage and is drawing too much current.  I can think of two reasons why it might happen.

• The camera got wet and has an internal short.
• The wiring in the ignition circuit is corroded and is drawing more current because of the poor connections.

One could add a relay (and fuse) to the circuit to power the camera.  Make sure the camera is functioning properly before doing this. 

If this has just recently become a problem, perhaps a first fix is to dive under the dash and clean every exposed connection you can see, then spray light oil (e.g. WD-40) liberally on all of the wiring.  I would also do the same thing for the camera connector if it is at the stern just to make sure it isn't the problem.

[23LSVOwner]

Also check to see if the camera wires have gotten pinched behind the back plate for the rear tow bar.

[csleaver]

FYI, there are other modules on the switched ignition circuit that can cause the breaker to trip if they have an internal failure.  I have seen similar issues when the speedo paddlewheel or depth transducer had an internal short or damage to their harness wires.

[homer12]

Great info guys.  Does anyone have a wiring diagram or list of what’s in that circuit?  Is there anyway of pulling things out of that circuit one by one to isolate it?  It’s got to be a short to ground in that circuit causing the tripped breaker.  

[csleaver]

On a 2016 Malibu LSV, the boat side switched ignition circuit uses a purple or purple/white wire and is connected to:

The engine harness connector 11 pin D, depth transducer connector 16 pin C, B1 Break harness pin C, kill switch connector 47, fire extinguisher connector 81A, key switch connector 56a pin A, backup camera connector 101 pin 1, shifter connector 46 pin 3, diacom connector 34 pin A, power button connector 36 pin A, stereo connector 92 pin 9, stereo connector 91 pin 9, IO module connector 10 pin 3, surf gate horn connector B2 pin F, and surf gate horn connector 76.

The engine intermediate adaptor harness ignition circuit connects to the round boat harness plug pin D, paddle wheel plug pin C, Deutsche shift harness pin 2, neutral safety harness pin A, and the rectangular engine harness pin 23.

Separating the engine harness, intermediate adaptor harness and boat harness connections may help narrow down where the problem is.

[csleaver]

Disconnecting/eliminating one connection at a time, or a "wiggle test" (shaking harness wires and connections by hand until the condition changes) are common diagnostic techniques to find intermittent problems. 

Edited April 18 by csleaver

[homer12]

csleaver- your knowledge is super helpful!  I'm on the right track.  So, at the ignition breaker, I have pinpointed that this red wire in the wire loom is the culprit.  I have verified it shorts to ground by disconnecting the battery and getting 12V to it back feeding through the ground.  This red wire is super hard to trace back through the loom and under the dash, but there is a (maybe 16-pin) connector at the top of the dash that it seems to go to.  When I have this wire disconnected, I can turn the battery on, push button on, and I only get the small dash screen to work.  It seems to function correctly - bilges blower, lights, etc.  The main screen is not coming on though.  Should I try disconnecting the engine harness and see if that helps?  Here is a pic of the wire I'm dealing with and the harness under the dash.  

EDIT:  I tried to attached a couple pics and it didn't like my iCloud link. 

Edited April 19 by homer12

[homer12]

One more piece, this is not in the switched ignition circuit from what I can tell.  If the red wire is connected it will trip the breaker before the boat is powered on at all. It is in ignition circuit before “on”switch. 

[justgary]

3 hours ago, homer12 said:

Should I try disconnecting the engine harness and see if that helps?

That sounds like a great idea.  Keep isolating until you find it.

[homer12]

The weird part is that it just happened all of a sudden with no warning or intermittent problem so I’m trying to figure out what changed.  Potential water in a connector from washing floor (albeit done very gently), component failing, had the ignition on and then tripped and failed.  

[homer12]

HELP! So I’ve unplugged and tested function with every dash connector I could disconnect.  Same issue always with this red wire from ignition breaker.  
any other suggestions?  
I cannot for the life of me understand where a short to ground would be coming from and how it started all of a sudden.  
I would buy a wiring schematic myself if I could purchase one from somewhere right now!  

[justgary]

10 hours ago, homer12 said:

HELP! So I’ve unplugged and tested function with every dash connector I could disconnect.  Same issue always with this red wire from ignition breaker.  
any other suggestions?  
I cannot for the life of me understand where a short to ground would be coming from and how it started all of a sudden.  
I would buy a wiring schematic myself if I could purchase one from somewhere right now!  

Is that with the engine harness disconnected?

[homer12]

Is the Engine harness the round pin connector?

[csleaver]

If you have disconnected the components that were connected to the red wire, but the breaker still trips, consider testing the breaker by temporarily replacing it with another breaker or fuse.  If you determined that the red wire has a short to ground in the harness, then consider running a replacement wire of the same size and type to the components. 

[homer12]

1 hour ago, csleaver said:

If you have disconnected the components that were connected to the red wire, but the breaker still trips, consider testing the breaker by temporarily replacing it with another breaker or fuse.  If you determined that the red wire has a short to ground in the harness, then consider running a replacement wire of the same size and type to the components. 

I was considering running another wire to replace it.  But I don't have it all traced out and have been resisting pulling all the wire looms, tape and zip ties apart to completely follow it.  I am taking it to the dealer Thursday and see what they can do now.  

As for the breaker itself, the horn breaker is a 5A right next to it and I tried using it as a spare and got same results.  I think I will wait and see if dealer finds something before trying to run a new wire for it.  Thanks for all your insights!

[bcoppess23]

1 hour ago, homer12 said:

I was considering running another wire to replace it.  But I don't have it all traced out and have been resisting pulling all the wire looms, tape and zip ties apart to completely follow it.  I am taking it to the dealer Thursday and see what they can do now.  

As for the breaker itself, the horn breaker is a 5A right next to it and I tried using it as a spare and got same results.  I think I will wait and see if dealer finds something before trying to run a new wire for it.  Thanks for all your insights!

If it is the thick gauged wire, it runs behind the helm (in the bow), down behind the walkthrough between the bow ballast tank, over into the OB side tied into the battery area.

[homer12]

Thanks bro.  It happens to be the small gauge red wire from ignition breaker.  I think you’re talking about the thicker red wire that connects to the line side or buss bar for the circuit breaker bank 

[homer12]

UPDATE:  so took to dealer.  Found an abandoned/removed stereo amp from a former owner had a positive/negative power wires shorting out.  Fixed by taping up and holding them apart.  I need to follow up and remove them completely though.  
Next:  finally get the boat out today on the water, runs great until I use the stereo.  It runs a few minutes then trips the breaker again.  I do that twice and then I reset ignition breaker and then it won’t start.  Starter won’t even try and engage.  From either the start switch or the emergency key switch.   All the boat screens worked but no start.  Is there a breaker for the starter or engine breaker somewhere? 

[homer12]

True!  I will get stereo sorted but for now just need to know how I can start it. Is there a starter main breaker somewhere?

[csleaver]

There is a fuse/relay box on the top of the engine, under the plastic engine cowling, which has a starter circuit fuse and relay.  The shift/throttle controller must be in neutral for the relay to energize and send voltage to the starter solenoid during a start request from the ECM.