Unstable DC voltage at plug near headlights?

[westhawk39]

Well after reading on here I decided to wire my Garmin Montana's powered cradle to the wires behind the headlights.

I soldered the wires and installed the cradle. Fired up the sled and no voltage to GPS! Took it all apart, voltage tested the wires, good, voltage tested the cradle, good. Tried a buddy's Montana and it was charging!

So I re wires and soldered it again. And sure enough his GPS charges mine won't. We go out on a 2 day ride and I use his GPS and he keeps mine in his pocket. Halfway though day 2 his stops charging (and the lighting bolt on the screen blinks). Put my GPS on the cradle and it works!

Finish the ride with my GPS. Then I went on another 2 day ride expecting it to stop working halfway along but it never did... What could the problem be? Unstable voltage?

Have been thinking about adding a battery for auxiliary LED lighting. Maybe this would fix it? Never had this issue all last season with the cradle wired to my ski Doo summit.


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[Reg2view]

That's a 2 amp fused DC circuit under the hood, if that's what you likely connected to. Think the Montana DC power adapter has a 1.5 amp fuse in it, not that you're using it here. Could it be sensing too many amps, and shunting the power, don't know? FWIW.

 

[westhawk39]

I thought the fuse would go if that was the problem but who knows


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[skibreeze]

I tried running a BD EBC off that plug and it didn't work for crap.

 

[westhawk39]

I tried running a BD EBC off that plug and it didn't work for crap.

What is that??


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[r.c.rob]

Boondocker electronic boost control for turbos

 

[Reg2view]

I thought the fuse would go if that was the problem but who knows

I was assuming the 1.5 amp DC Montana charger was not being used. The Montana could get more then 1.5 if you weren't using the charger and wired direct to the 2 amp DC plug.

Another approach - Does the device charge fine with a DC charger, and if so, put that inline with the 2 amp DC plug and how it works.

 

[bigbone]

I hooked my garmin cradle to that plug by the headlight and every time you shut the sled off the garmin goes into a 30 sec shut down and you have to press the screen to keep it on. I think I'm going to buy the electric start wire kit and battery and hook it up to that.

 

[simnil]

Have my old Garmin Zumo 550 hooked up to the DC outlet by the head light and so far no problems.