Hello C 34 owners. My wife and I are not new to sailing but certainly to C 34 Mk 2's and request some assistance. We are elated with our 2004 C34. We noticed after a long motor, that the aft cabin was very hot and smelled somewhat of a warm diesel engine! I knew the blower fan switch was located under the Nav pod and flicked the switch to no avail.
I'm wondering a few things: where the fan motor is located, where there might be a fuse to the fan, if the fan is activated by a thermostat and where that might be and anything else you might advise for me to activate the blower. Many thanks for any assistance. Regards, Rod
All the best with your C34MkII :clap
The blower should go on when you flip the switch that is under the Nav Pod, at the base of the pedestal. I would say there is some wiring issue, or blown fuse that needs to be checked. It does not go on automatically, you need to turn it on with the switch. Make sure there are two hoses that lead to the engine bay. They should be seen entering right on either side of where the shaft exits the hull. The motor is located on the SB side in the aft flip seat locker. I believe not that far from the fridge compressor.
I have a MK1 so your motor location may be in a different place. I have rewired most of my 1987. The wires for the blower motor literally fell out of the crimped connectors. As a result I recommend you check the wires at the panel and switch first. Lot of wires behind that panel. Give each a light tug to check the integrity of the crimp. Mine looked fine until I did that.
Many thanks Jon and Roc for your helpful advice. I will take a dive into the starbd locker and have a look!
Cheers
If you need to get access to the blower itself, the easiest way is to remove the panels in the aft cabin. Since your new to the boat anyways, its not a bad idea to remove the panels and familiarize your self with what is behind there.
Luana : You need to correspond with Roc as he has a MK II.
If you see any advice from an owner with a Hull # less than year 1995 - you have advice from a MK I owner!!
Many ancillary items/systems are different to VERY different in the MKII.
Welcome aboard :thumb:
A few thoughts
Quote from: Luana on July 22, 2018, 07:57:21 PM
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1. We noticed after a long motor, that the aft cabin was very hot and smelled somewhat of a warm diesel engine! I knew the blower fan switch was located under the Nav pod and flicked the switch to no avail.
2. I'm wondering a few things: where the fan motor is located, where there might be a fuse to the fan, if the fan is activated by a thermostat and where that might be and anything else you might advise for me to activate the blower.
Rod,
Welcome to our little merry band. Glad you're here.
1. Smells can be from any number of things. A diesel leak to something as simple as the engine blow by through the oil breather which most have solved with a direct input to the air intake. Only took me 19 years to do it, but the results are astounding. Simple to do.
2. May I suggest looking at the owners manual? Sometimes we often forget the most obvious. The manual for our boats, both Mark Is and Mark IIs, and those "in between" are remarkably well done by Catalina, compared to others I have heard about. They are available in the tech wiki under, uhm, Manuals. They show the wiring and in most cases the location of the components, perhaps in different diagrams. I re-read my manual every once in a while, when I get tired of my standard fare of science fiction. :D
On our MK1, the blower only comes on when the key is on (and the blower switch is on).
Hi Stu,
I was intrigued by your post and want to read more, but a forum search for "oil breather" only returned this post. Where could I find out more?
Thanks!
Carlos
Take a look in the tech wiki. engine section, misc projects subsection.
Quote from: csimmerling on August 07, 2018, 02:51:55 AM
Hi Stu,
I was intrigued by your post and want to read more, but a forum search for "oil breather" only returned this post. Where could I find out more?
Thanks!
Carlos
Carlos,
The 101 Topics, the Critical Upgrades, and, as Ken said, the tech wiki are always the place the look.
Have you tried the C34 website search engine? Go to HOME and start there.
It'd get you right back here! :D :D :D :D
Easy and worthwhile project.
Guys : If I was at anchor for awhile and using the propane stove/oven; I'd turn on the blower for a few minutes before starting the engine.
You already have the blower - why not use it!?!
A thought
Quote from: fatamorgana on July 27, 2018, 08:45:45 AM
On our MK1, the blower only comes on when the key is on (and the blower switch is on).
Thanks for that little tidbit. I was planning to check out my blower this weekend. I have a switch by have never seen the blower or even know if it works.
I ran a new wire aft from the shower sump pump and wired the fan into that, I can run the fan without turning on the key switch for the engine and I don't have to listen to the low oil pressure alarm while doing that.
That's a good suggestion. I'll do the same if mine is wired as indicated. Thanks!
Quote from: fatamorgana on July 27, 2018, 08:45:45 AM
On our MK1, the blower only comes on when the key is on (and the blower switch is on).
My MK1 bilge blower works as indicated, only when the key is on. I really wonder what the Catalina engineers were thinking when they wired it this way. I additionally wonder why they located the blower in what seems to be an inaccessible place to service/replace it. And I suspect that the blower is not protected by a fuse, certainly not from the main switch panel.
Since it's my understanding that the electric fuel pump is activated when the keyed switch is turned on and since this also allows power flow to the bilge blower through it's own switch, does it harm anything to allow the switch to stay on in order to utilize the blower?
Attached pic shows blower located to aft lower side of instrument panel.
Quote from: Hugh17 on August 12, 2018, 07:31:10 PM
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Since it's my understanding that the electric fuel pump is activated when the keyed switch is turned on and since this also allows power flow to the bilge blower through it's own switch, does it harm anything to allow the switch to stay on in order to utilize the blower?
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Wouldn't the hour meter keep turning?
Quote from: Stu Jackson on August 12, 2018, 08:16:23 PM
Quote from: Hugh17 on August 12, 2018, 07:31:10 PM
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Since it's my understanding that the electric fuel pump is activated when the keyed switch is turned on and since this also allows power flow to the bilge blower through it's own switch, does it harm anything to allow the switch to stay on in order to utilize the blower?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Wouldn't the hour meter keep turning?
I would assume the meter would be running. Catalina must have thought the only time the blower was needed the engine would be running. I would like to run the blower for as long as necessary after shutting the engine off to cool down the engine compartment. It should be a simple matter to rewrite it. One more C34 mystery resolved.
My blower works with key out. Always has. Seems like it should. Perhaps some PO rewired it.
My 1990 works without the key as well.
To Hugh,
NOTHING on the engine panel, or engine harness TO the panel, or wiring BACK TO the engine is protected by a fuse.
It's something that I've hollered and hollered about on here 'til I am blue. I can post articles about owners who have had a fire or melted wiring, yet I can count on one hand (5 people) those I know who have listened and corrected it (not counting complete rewires like Noah and Jon.) AND four of those were because I fabricated new harnesses for them.
Do a search, there's ranting about it the forum!
The reason the blower is live (not thru the key switch) is so it can be run w/o the low oil pressure alarm "blatting" away.
-ken
Quote from: KWKloeber on August 14, 2018, 08:07:31 AM
To Hugh,
NOTHING on the engine panel, or engine harness TO the panel, or wiring BACK TO the engine is protected by a fuse.
It's something that I've hollered and hollered about on here 'til I am blue. I can post articles about owners who have had a fire or melted wiring, yet I can count on one hand (5 people) those I know who have listened and corrected it (not counting complete rewires like Noah and Jon.) AND four of those were because I fabricated new harnesses for them.
Do a search, there's ranting about it the forum!
The reason the blower is live (not thru the key switch) is so it can be run w/o the low oil pressure alarm "blatting" away.
-ken
I had already figured out that the instrucment panel was essentially direct wired. That's sad, regardless of the age of the boat. Do you know if the power wire for the instrument panel comes directy off a battery or someplace else? It would be easy to at least add an in line fuse.
First, put your engine info in the profile or signature. It helps us help you. Otherwise we're guessing whether you are repowered or what engine she has.
Do you have an operator manual for the engine? They are on the TechWiki site, under the "manuals" topic.
The harness wiring schematic is in there. BUT whether she has had any upgrades needs to be ID'd -- like trashing the gummy bear plugs on the harness, or trashing the ammeter on the panel in favor of the voltmeter. Get familiar with the wiring schematic, it can be your best friend when she doesn't start.
When I do up harnesses, I use a #10awg, tinned copper, weathertight AGC fuse holder, they are tricky to locate - I get them in bulk.
here's basic info on the harness, and see the electrical 101 on the forum topix.
http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,8406.msg59093.html#msg59093
-ken
Quote from: KWKloeber on August 14, 2018, 03:36:19 PM
First, put your engine info in the profile or signature. It helps us help you. Otherwise we're guessing whether you are repowered or what engine she has.
Do you have an operator manual for the engine? They are on the TechWiki site, under the "manuals" topic.
The harness wiring schematic is in there. BUT whether she has had any upgrades needs to be ID'd -- like trashing the gummy bear plugs on the harness, or trashing the ammeter on the panel in favor of the voltmeter. Get familiar with the wiring schematic, it can be your best friend when she doesn't start.
When I do up harnesses, I use a #10awg, tinned copper, weathertight AGC fuse holder, they are tricky to locate - I get them in bulk.
here's basic info on the harness, and see the electrical 101 on the forum topix.
http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,8406.msg59093.html#msg59093
-ken
Ken,
I'll update the engine info in the profile, but FYI it's a M25. Originally there was a M25XP, but it was frozen up when I purchased the boat and I replaced with a used M25 with low hours. When the engine was changed out the only changed to the instrument panel area was replacement of the starter push button and replacement of the tachometer from the M25 instrument panel. This was only done because the mechanic who did the engine swap thought the tachometer wasn't working.
I have the manuals indicated but suspect the wiring diagram for the instrument panel doesn't actually match my boat. I have taken a picture of the back of the instrument panel as it is now and I reference it when comparing to the actual diagram.
The blower motor switch is wired from the tachometer connection labeled "ING 14 VOLTS DC IGNITION." I'm assuming this is why the blower power is "off" until the ignition switch in turned on. This is something I'll change by swapping the blower switch power wire from the tachometer to the power wire to the ignition switch. I'll install an inline fuse when I do this to at least isolate the blower in case of a problem.
I also want to trace the power feed to the instrument panel back to its source and install a fuse on it. I don't know if it is fed directly from the battery or from the DC panel, but it shouldn't be too hard to locate. Answering one last question, my instrument panel has a voltmeter, not an ammeter.
James
I recommend you really get into the resources and understand what does what. The panel schematic wouldn't be in the engine Ops Manual because it isn't supplied by Universal. The schematic is of the engine harness, which is what supplies power to the black box panel. The schematic shows were the power (red #10 wire) originates.
If you haven't done the gummy bear connector and voltmeter upgrades, you are just fooling yourself if you think anything you do will seriously upgrade the electrical system to ANY WHERE it needs to be.
I have panel schematics, but after having done a number of panel refurbs and fabricating new harnesses, the panel was wired by humans, and I found usually not exactly per the schematic. However, if you just trace out where gauges and lights get their power and which switches feed what, the panel is easy to figure out. It's "repetitive" so to speak -- all gauges get power the same way..
Study your resources.
I am just doing a refit to fuse an M-25XP harness, if you want one of those gizmos let me know.
cheers
-ken
QuoteOn our MK1, the blower only comes on when the key is on (and the blower switch is on).
Same for my MKll. I routed the breather hose to the air cleaner box and always run the blower when motoring. My hot oil/diesel smell has been gone for years.
Jim
Thanks to all the contributors to the blower fan issue. I now have an operational fan! I appreciated the suggestion of rewiring it as it is currently connected to the ignition. I believe it was Stu who suggested a direct input into the air intake. I don't quite have a picture of that in my mind but will do some searching. Thank you all!
Luana- see my reply #13 in this thread:
http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,8858.msg63703.html#msg63703
Quote from: Jim Hardesty on August 20, 2018, 05:15:46 PM
QuoteOn our MK1, the blower only comes on when the key is on (and the blower switch is on).
Same for my MKll. I routed the breather hose to the air cleaner box and always run the blower when motoring. My hot oil/diesel smell has been gone for years.
Jim
how to you stand the squealing? Mine makes an annoying sound.
That sounds like a dried out bushing or bearing. Time to replace the blower.