# Hot ground on radio.



## randymcfishnsfun2 (Dec 24, 2014)

I put some interior lights in the boat last weekend. When I went to hook the radio back up to the battery, the negative was throwing sparks and heating up. This happens with the positive disconnected. Traced the lines and can't find anything wrong with them. Any suggestions?


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## Snakecharmer (Apr 9, 2008)

randymcfishnsfun2 said:


> I put some interior lights in the boat last weekend. When I went to hook the radio back up to the battery, the negative was throwing sparks and heating up. This happens with the positive disconnected. Traced the lines and can't find anything wrong with them. Any suggestions?


How many batteries in the boat? Metal or glass boat? Trailer connected to tow vehicle? Just trying to determine where the juice s coming from...


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## randymcfishnsfun2 (Dec 24, 2014)

Aluminum boat, one battery, going to get a second today to split up the load. Truck was not connected. bilge, pump for live well, 4 small interior led lights, running lights, trolling motor, radio, and fish finder are the electronics. Dual bank charger was not connected. Motor is a 15hp pull start tiller so nothing is connected to that. Everything else works as it should. Been a really busy year for me so far. Got it in the water for the first time this year yesterday. Everything is good except the radio. Ill probably pull it out today or tomorrow.


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## erie mako (Jan 22, 2013)

What kind of lights did you put in?
Are the housings for them connected to the negative wire or do the bulbs "float" above ground?
Are the light housings made of metal and mounted to the metal part of the boat?
Is the radio bracket mounted to the metal part of the boat?
You may have inadvertently connected the metal of the boat to the negative battery terminal.

I'd start by unhooking the new lights (both + and -) and see if your "hot radio ground" goes away...


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## randymcfishnsfun2 (Dec 24, 2014)

Good call Erie. With lights disconnected radio works fine. Negative wires for lights run to the battery. Now to figure out if I can still use them.


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