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fleetimus · Posted: Tue May 18, 2010 3:56 pm Post subject:

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keatonboat1 · Joined: 06 Jul 2007 Posts: 37 Location: central calif.

Unplugging the MSD Dist. didn't change much. The only thing that changed was the voltmeter went straight up to around 13.5v It didn't do the stop at 12v then after about a second delay go up to 13v. The temp and fuel still pegged to zero when I turned the key to on.

I checked for voltage at the back of the gauges using 12v test light and they all have light up when checked so I've got 12v to the gauges.

I unplugged the hour meter and that had no effect. I rechecked all the wires at the terminal block found one that was perhaps suspect going from the ignition to the coil - replaced it and same thing.

I'm going to check the wires from the alternator and starter again (bitch to get to) but I've ohmed them out and they appear ok.

I can't see what could be causing this - probably something simple - but I hate wiring problems. At least the dang thing runs

Mark
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Mark
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keatonboat1 · Joined: 06 Jul 2007 Posts: 37 Location: central calif.

Yep, I've got that diagram in my Berkeley manual, except I don't have the ballast resister and I've got the fuel gauge, hour meter, bilge blower, bilge pump and radio that aren't shown. I don't have nav. lights or lights in the gauges.

Could the diode on the alternator be causing issues?

Mark
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Big Nasty · Joined: 30 Oct 2006 Posts: 721 Location: San Pablo CA

keatonboat1 · Joined: 06 Jul 2007 Posts: 37 Location: central calif.

Maybe the issue is with my fuel gauge. To be honest I can't remember what my water temp and oil did. I do know that the fuel gauge would read what's in the tank.

I guess I can run some water to my boat and see if the water temp gauge starts to go up when it gets warm or stays pegged to 100 which may or may not eliminate that. Otherwise, I'm at a loss right now.

Mark
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Squrtin Squeeek · Joined: 29 Jan 2004 Posts: 2217 Location: Saginaw,Michigan

Lets start at the beginning. You stated it ran fine before what ever you and heat did something to make the boat run great. Beside drinking a few brewski's what did you do ??? To me it sounds like you have a + and - bassackwards.
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keatonboat1 · Joined: 06 Jul 2007 Posts: 37 Location: central calif.

Nothing has changed since we first re-installed the engine and all the wiring. After that everything functioned as normal. No wires have been moved. The only thing that gets hooked up each time is the battery and that is hooked up ok.

Two weeks ago the gauges functioned normally. Last week I believe they were ok as I know the fuel gauge was reading ok.

Went to check the boat the other day and when I turned the key to on is when I noticed the gauges were pegging to the left. Nothing had changed from the time the boat was out last week until the other day.

I checked all the wiring and everything appears as it should.

Though all this the boat still starts and runs fine, but the fuel temp and water temp stay pegged tot he left. Oil pressure registers some pressure. Tach works ok.

I took off the water temp sending unit wire and the grounded it and the gauge goes to hot so I think the gauge is good.

I'm going to double-check the fuel sending unit today.

I disconnected things such as the radio and hour meter and nothing changed.

I disconnected the MSD dist connector and actually the voltmeter does not go to 12v stop and then go to 13v - it goes straight to 13v which is
different from when it's plugged in as the voltmeter will go to 12v stop and then go to 13v

Some questions as I'm not knowledgeable enough on this to know if they are possibilities:

1. Could the ignition switch have an issue such that the boat will still start but is causing something strange between the I terminal in the switch and 12v?

2. Could the alternator (which I believe has a diode in it) cause an issue?

Anyways, not sure what else to try.

Mark
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Mark
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Squrtin Squeeek · Joined: 29 Jan 2004 Posts: 2217 Location: Saginaw,Michigan

Look on the back of the ing switch and see if any wires have come loose and are touching other wires. Happened to me once, but it messed up all my gauges.
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keatonboat1 · Joined: 06 Jul 2007 Posts: 37 Location: central calif.

Thanks. I thought it might be the ignition switch internally that had gone bad and I checked the ignition switch and everything appears ok.

So, I removed the ignition wire from the water temp and ran a separate wire from battery + to the ignition (+) terminal on the back of the water temp gauge. When I touched the negative cable to the negative battery post the gauge immediately pegged to zero (left).

I also tried running a separate ground wire from the battery negative to the ground on the back of the water temp and still it pegged to zero.

I'm thinking that I'm going to take a spare water temp gauge I have and hook up a separate ground from battery negative to the gauge. Then take a separate wire from battery positive and hook it up to the gauge and then run a wire from the water temp sending unit to the gauge. I'll see what happens and based on that take the ignition wire off the back of the ignition switch and run a single wire from the ignition terminal on the back of the ignition switch to that single gauge a see what it does.

What is messing with me here is the oil pressure gauge only moves slightly to the left when I turn the key to on and then once the engine is running will move up to 40+ psi, whereas the water temp and fuel gauge will stay pegged to the left. The tach also works ok and all these gauges use the same ground and in fact the oil temp is between the water temp and fuel gauge in the series of ground and ignition wire daisy chains.

The way the voltmeter is acting is strange too in going up to 12v then a second later goes up to 13+v. When I disconnect the MSD dist. it doesn't do that. I thought that might be indicating the ignition switch might be suspect.

I'm still not ruling out a wiring issue, but I can't seem to find an issue there.

Mark
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Mark
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Squrtin Squeeek · Joined: 29 Jan 2004 Posts: 2217 Location: Saginaw,Michigan

Switch the + and - leads on the guages and see what happens. Worse case is you mite blow a fuse. Hard to believe more than 1 sender went to hell at the same time. Recheck all yer grounds.
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Big Nasty · Joined: 30 Oct 2006 Posts: 721 Location: San Pablo CA

Heatseeker · Joined: 28 Jan 2004 Posts: 2989 Location: Lathrop,CA

Mark, I'm sorry I didn't see this when you first posted it. If you can't find the problem, give me a call. Maybe we can get together and figure it out.

Glad to hear that it's running good!

John
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keatonboat1 · Joined: 06 Jul 2007 Posts: 37 Location: central calif.

Thanks John. Yep, it runs really good. I've had it out twice in the past few weeks with no issues until this gauge thing popped up. After checking things out it almost appears now like a short is occurring some where, but that's just a guess as it looks like all the grounds are good.

Mark
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Mark
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Squrtin Squeeek · Joined: 29 Jan 2004 Posts: 2217 Location: Saginaw,Michigan

Big Nasty, whats to say the + and - arnt backwards now ?
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keatonboat1 · Joined: 06 Jul 2007 Posts: 37 Location: central calif.

I will say nothing in the wiring has changed with respect to + and - since they were working fine a couple of weeks ago. The only thing I hook up when I take the boat out is the battery and the battery was hooked up correctly and + and - have never been switched there.

I'm wondering if the alternator, which has the diode/voltage reg. affixed to it, could cause an issue since it's sending a line directly to the ignition source, although it appears from the voltmeter that charging is occurring when the boat is running. It;s a Delco marine alternator which is the original alternator.

Mark
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