2003 Bass Tracker Accessory Plug

[varnco]

My 2003 PT185 has an "accessory socket" near the driver's seat - you know, what you plug a phone charger adapter into.

It isn't working when I plug in an adapter (12v to 5V to USB) to charge my cell phone or run my fishing light at 12V.

I found the 2 wires that go to the socket disconnected and under the dash.

There is an accessory switch on my dash that doesn't do anything that I can tell (except the light on the switch turns on when I flip the switch), but found that there are 2 leads coming off that accessory switch. Any reason I couldn't/shouldn't use this switch to power the accessory socket? It's not that they came unplugged, as the wire connectors on the end of the accessory socket and those coming off the accessory switch are completely different.

Thanks!

 

[richg99]

It is your boat, do what you want.

Of course, you wouldn't want to plug some device in that would draw so much current that it will overwhelm the thickness of the connecting wires. A phone adapter isn't going to be a problem.

There are numerous, sometimes inexplicable, reasons why people do what they do with their boat.

 

[varnco]

Thanks... I'll take a look at the fuse that it's on.. I'm guessing 5 am, and the wire seems decent.

I am finding out that people do weird things that you usually don't see in cars.

 

[moecarama]

I had the same problem on mine a 2002 PT185. The wires connected to the back of the socket are very short; if that panel has ever been off; they probably disconnected from there. I extended the leads about 6" and restored the power to it.

 

[varnco]

I could not find where the socket wires should connect under the dash, so I connected the outlet to the accessory switch (which was connected to nothing), so now it's a switched accessory outlet, which works for me. Tied to a 5 amp fuse in the panel.

 

[richg99]

Sounds good. Now, just don't plug anything in that requires more than 5 amps. Tell your wife to leave the hair dryer at home! ha Ha

 

[moecarama]

Did you take a look behind the panel the shifter/throttle and accessory outlet are mounted to?.....you will probably find the wires I referred to in my earlier post.
I see you found another solution, now go have some fun.

 

[varnco]

Did you take a look behind the panel the shifter/throttle and accessory outlet are mounted to?.....you will probably find the wires I referred to in my earlier post.
I see you found another solution, now go have some fun.

I had the side panel off, and couldn't find the other leads. The leads from the outlet went up and over and we're under the dash too. Thanks for the tip!