does boat wiring go bad?

[norse42]

So here is my problem...my bilge pump stopped working last year so this year I am replacing it before the maiden voyage. I rewired a new pump with existing float...nothing came on. so I decided to make sure I was getting power at all the spots. Toggle switch turns on and gives power off (using volt meter). Then I check the fuse connected to the toggle switch by detaching it and hooking it up to a different battery, gives me power. so I reattach and go down to the wire at where it connects to the float. This is where I get zero power. Could it be possible that the wire somehow went bad? I took the wire and connected the volt meter to it and back to the original battery on board as well, still no power. Seems unlikely that a wire would go bad so I figured I would ask on here first before I rerun the wire. Any help would be greatly appreciated! BTW rocker switch was set to ON.

-Norse42

[Ronman]

If it has zero volts its bad. My Auto bilge wire corroded and completely fell off at a splice on a 10 year old tracker boat. I have been slowly upgrading my wire for years now which includes added fuse boxes new proper gauge trolling motor wire etc. My last upgrade this week was running 6 Gauge wire (Left over from the trolling motor upgrade) from the battery to the fuse block. Its way over kill as far as the math goes but the old wire was so stiff it about knocked my eye out pulling it out. I really try to keep everything dry now in those wire areas by opening up hatches when every I can to get air in there.

[norse42]

I clipped off about a foot and still no power through it. I'm posting a pic of the wire because it really is not in bad shape. But, I'm running to the store to get new wire and connectors anyway.

[Ozark Bob]

norse. You are posted all over the place! Do you know you have to lift up the float so the switch completes the circuit? 12 volts to it without a circuit to the negative side of the battery does nothing.

[norse42]

I did that and also checked the positive going to the float after disconnecting. No current

[Bobby Winds]

A simple ohms test with a cheap multi-meter will tell you if there is a break in a wire......

[Ozark Bob]

An inline fuse along the way?

[Kevin23]

As already said, you need to test resistance. ohms on your digital multimeter.

I'm not sure how a multi strand DC wire could "go bad" unless the insulation broke down and allowed the wiring to be corroded to the point that it split internally. Shouldn't happen on that marine tinned wire though.

I think you have a bad connection somewhere.