Help: Angler Temperature Gage and Voltmeter problems

[bobka]

I have a 2004 Angler 204FX with a F150 Yamaha and Angler instrument panel. When I bought the boat two weeks ago the voltmeter worked. Now it pegs at 18 volts when the key is on and the motor is NOT running. Same thing after the motor is started. Voltage at the back of the meter is about 6 volts. Batteries are at 12.5V. Does any one have an idea as to what's wrong?

Also the temperature gage does not register. It is part of three function gage including the fuel gage and voltmeter. Any thoughts on what the problem is? Can I replace the separate gages if that is the problem? Who sells them?

Bob

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Help: Angler Temperature Gage and Voltmeter problems

Since this is a three-function gauge and two of them are not working, I would suspect a ground connection is loose or disconnected. This is essentially three gauges packed into one unit. That merely means all the same connections are used as would be used with three separate gauges. Weird electrical problems are almost always due to loose or corroded connections. Start at the battery to make sure the cables are clean and tight. that means on both ends. Work your way forward to the panel.

 

[bobka]

Re: Help: Angler Temperature Gage and Voltmeter problems

Thanks Silvertip. The center post on the cluster gage is the ground. I read 12.5 volts between it and the fuel gage positive terminal, but 6.3 volts between the ground and the positive termiinal of the volt meter. Does that suggest anything?

The battery posts are clean and reading good voltage across the cables lugs. The ground goes to a buss in the consloe and that reads 12.5 volts across other positive terminals in the area.

Bob

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Help: Angler Temperature Gage and Voltmeter problems

The +12V feed to the instruments comes from the ignition switch. Trace that circuit back until you hit +12V instead of 6 and you will have found the problem. When making tests like these, use battery ground as your ground reference. Until you determine whether it's a ground or +12V problem you will end up running around the tree so to speak. Since there are only three terminals on a voltmeter (ground, light and +12V) there are only three things that can be wrong. Either the gauge is bad (highly unlikely), poor or missing ground, or poor +12V connection. Measure from the ground terminal at the gauge to +12V at the fuse panel. If that now measures +12.5V the +12V connection to the gauge is bad. If it still measures 6V, there is a bad ground. Then measure from the +12V terminal on the gauge to the ground bus at the fuse panel. If that measures 12.5V it also points to a bad ground.

 

[bobka]

Re: Help: Angler Temperature Gage and Voltmeter problems

Well, I have everything cleaned up and I confused some of the connections behind the gage when I wrote before. The input to the voltmeter is 12 volts but the gage pegs at 18+.

The 6.5 volts (now 7 volts as it is warmer out) is between the ground and the post to the temperature gage. In each case I'm measuring from the center ground post on the back of the gage OR the common ground buss. Same readings.

Does this sound like just a gage, or am I likely to need a new temperature sender too? Any chance of opening the gage to fix a bad wire?

Bob

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Help: Angler Temperature Gage and Voltmeter problems

Disconnect the light wire on the voltmeter and see what happens.
No -- gauges are sealed, -- there is no way into them without wrecking things. In your orginal post you said the "batteries are at 12V". Do you have a battery switch by any chance and is there a chance you have two batteries in series thus making 24V. I sure hope not because that would fry your 4-stroke electrical system. The last check for the voltmeter is to disconnect +12V to the TEMP gauge. See what happens. If still goofy, disconnect +12V to the voltmeter. See if the temp gauge works. The only way you can get an 18V voltmeter to peg is to put 18V on it. Since you have a 12V system, the gauge may indeed be bad. since this gauge group has a common ground, it probably has a common +12V feed as well. So if that line measures +12.6 volts to a known good ground, the gauge group is getting power and any malfunction has to be in the lighting circuits or the other connections to the malfunctiing gauge.

The temp sender is a variable resistor that changes value as the engine heats up. The temp gauge has four connections on it. Ground, +12V, Sender, and light. You are probably measuring the sender input, not +12 volt input. At ambient temperature (60 degrees or so) the sender should measure about 100 ohms or less. At 180 it should measure 500 ohms or higher. Those are real conservative numbers as I have no idea what kind of gauges or sender you have. As the sender heats and cools the voltage on the temp gauge send terminal will change so the six or seven volts you are measuring is probably correct. Be aware that the sender resistance needs to be measured with the send line disconnected at the gauge.

Go to the Electrical forum. At the very top of the list of postings is a "Generic Boat Schematic" That should help you figure out what's going on.