A Boat Engine Wiring Job You Can't Believe

I have no clue where even to start on this. I am beyond flabbergasted, shocked , dismayed .  I don’t have a clue of the right word in the English Vocabulary of what word to use in regards to this bastardized wiring job or so called attempt to wire and engine on a Volvo engine I got this week.

In all my years of automotive and marine wiring I have never seen anything like it. This one takes my breath away in just the pure shock of the workmanship or the lack of.

This is so wrong on so many levels.

1. Bypass the original Marine fuel pump and put in a Automotive electric fuel pump and not only that but lay it on top of the battery by the battery post to short out and explode from not only possible leaks from the fuel lines but fuel vapors inside the dog house. Automotive fuel lines that are not Coast Guard Approved. If there was a fire and there is a very good chance that would happen, the fire would burn through the automotive fuel lines very quickly and cause the boat to catch fire and explode. Non shielding wiring going to the fuel pump. No safety oil pressure switch for the fuel pump. In essence when you turn the ignition switch to the on position they fuel pump would run continuously. If there was an explosion or fire the engine would die but as long as the ignition switch was on the fuel pump would stay on feeding raw gas to the flame until the fuel pump quit working.  With an oil pressure safety switch when the engine dies the oil pressure is no longer sensed at the switch and turns off the 12 volt reference signal to the fuel pump. This was not installed.
2. Battery by the engine not secured with a proper battery box or hold downs. Making contact with the wiring against the engine more than likely to short out causing a spark and igniting fuel vapors in the dog house and causing the boat to explode.
3. Unshielded wiring throughout the engine and not routed properly more than likely would of caused a short and a spark and caused fuel vapors to ignite and explode in the dog house. Ignition coil laid in place not secured. It could come loose fall down ground out against the engine cause a spark and ignite the fuel vapors and blow up the boat.
4. All the original Coast Guard fuel lines and the hoses going to the tank and vapor lines were all cracked and rotted and all needed replaced. Again either cause a fuel leak or leak of fuel vapors from the rotten and crack hoses and cause an explosion and blow up the boat.

The customer was trying to wire this to get it running so he could take out his four grandkids out on the lake. Thank God he was never able to get it running and go out with the kids. I am glad he brought it to me. I told him the boat wasn’t safe and I wasn’t going to work on it.  Forget even the basics of a boat safety course, this was a disaster.  I told him it was incredibly dangerous and an accident waiting to happen.  He understood and went looking for another boat.

I am sure I missed other things but

GOOD GOD PEOPLE…

IF YOU DON’T KNOW HOW TO WIRE A BOAT, DON’T DO IT!

TAKE IT TO A PROFESSIONAL!

 IT’S NOT WORTH YOUR LIFE OR THE LIVES ON YOUR FAMILY!

THIS COULD HAVE ENDED UP VERY BADLY FOR EVERYBODY.

Roger Hockemier

Performance Tech