what is it exactly, my friend blew the inline fuse but does not know what it goes to.
thanks
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what is it exactly, my friend blew the inline fuse but does not know what it goes to.
thanks
It puts out a DC voltage to mitigate the effects of galvanic corrosion. Never heard of one blowing a fuse.
I'd replace the fuse and put the boat in the water to see if it happens again.
You know that's why fuses are sold five to a box.......four to diagnose the problem and one to repair it. :D
Mercathode
The Mercathode is a device that helps protect against Galvanic Corrosion.
Most newer Mercruiser Engine Packages (with the exception of the 4 cylinder models) come standard with an installed Mercathode Antigalvanic Corrosion System.
The Mercathode system has two parts; the Controller and the Anode.
The Controller is located in the boat and it's usually mounted on the engine. The Controller sends a signal to the Anode which develops a protective field around the sterndrive unit to protect it against gal;vanic corrosion. It should be wired directly to the batteries positive terminal with the included in-line fuse. The Mercathode must stay powered up even if the battery switch is turned off.
There are four color coded wires attching to the Mercathode Controller. One is RED for positive power. Another wire is BLACK for a negative ground supply. One wire is ORANGE and yet another is BROWN. These ORANGE and BROWN wires run down to the Anode device on the bottom of the gimbal housing. The Anode is mounted outside the boat on the very bottom of the gimbal housing assembly. It is a black plastic device which is held in place with two bolts. The Anode is what produces the invisable protective field around the drive unit. The Anode must be kept clean and should never be painted.
The Mercathode will drain your boats batteries. The harder it has to work the faster the drain. If you are keeping your boat in the water you NEED to keep a battery charger on the battery or the battery will go dead and you could sink the boat. Make sure you use a marine rated fully regulated and fully rectified battery charger.
If you keep your boat in the water and you dont have a Mercathode, GET ONE. They are not too difficult to install and the whole Mercathode Kit is only about $119.00
Testing procedure:
http://www.mercstuff.com/mercathodetest.htm