Gauges at helm Issue - Fuel, Oil etc

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Ndemauro's picture
Ndemauro
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Posts: 53
Gauges at helm Issue - Fuel, Oil etc

I am having an issue all off a sudden with my gauges at the helm which won't read.   I had the boat surveyed a few weeks ago.  In addition, I had all the rust etc scrapped off the engine and painted.  Somehow between the two - mainly the survey I believe, the gauges stopped working.  The low oil pressure light came on but the engine checks out fine.  None of the other gauges are working.  I saw there are a couple breakers for the gauges but I can't locate them.
​Anyone have any suggestions on either the breakers or what the cause may be?  The boat was fine until the surveyor got on so it's either a major coincedence or he did something that I can't figure out.  I appreciate any suggestions!
​Nancy
​Cat's Meow

Nancy
Cat's Meow #2046
San Francisco
2002 MK II

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LCBrandt
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Posts: 1282

Very likely a coincidence. The problem must be something common to all gauges, which can only be the ground connection. It ought to be a *relatively* simple fix. 

Larry Brandt
S/V High Flight #2109
Pacific Northwest, PDX-based
2002 C-36 mkII SR/FK M35B
 

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LCBrandt
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Posts: 1282

Coincidentally, I have a similar problem that I'm waiting for warm weather to address. Your (and my) first step should be to open the engine pod and validate the ground connection. Start with a visual inspection of the wiring; then an ohmmeter check from the pod ground wire to the ground buss located behind the circuit breaker panel. 

Larry Brandt
S/V High Flight #2109
Pacific Northwest, PDX-based
2002 C-36 mkII SR/FK M35B
 

Ndemauro's picture
Ndemauro
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Posts: 53

Thanks!  I’ll let you know what I find. 

Nancy
Cat's Meow #2046
San Francisco
2002 MK II

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bakerha
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Posts: 267

Nancy:  I would start looking at the engine where the wiring comes down from the instrument panel.  Since you had been scraping and painting the engine that seems to be a real possibility to me.  There are also some inline fuses/breakers there that could be the issue.  Also - if the wire to the oil sensor is off and had shorted to ground - might also be a problem.

_____________
Harold Baker
S/V Lucky Duck
Duncan Bay Boat Club
Cheboygan Michigan - Lake Huron
1989 C-36 mkI TR/WK M25XP

RCombs
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Posts: 5

Interesting. When we had our boat surveyed last year the tach stopped working. Worked before the survey, didn't work afterwards. May be coincidence.

Didn't keep us at the dock but on the project list for Spring. 

Roy and Michelle Combs
S/V SEEKER
1999 C36 
Chesapeake Bay

SEEKER
#1747, 1999
tall rig, wing keel

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LeslieTroyer
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Posts: 533

The tach working is an indicator I use to make sure the alternator/regulator is working.  There is only one wire involved in the tach signal so it’s easy to trouble shoot.  

If you have a VOM you can test the signal by setting it to AC volts if you get more the milivolts it’s good. If you meter has frequency setting that is even better, the tach works by measuring the frequency of the AC signal on the line. 

But before you delay too too long on repairing the tach make sure you have 14+ VDC at the charging battery.  

 

Les & Trish Troyer
Mahalo 
Everett, WA
1983 C-36 Hull #0094
C-36 MK 1 Technical Editor. 

Commodore

 

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bakerha
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Posts: 267

Nancy: I saw your PM but also wanted to respond here to get as much input from the group as possible.
So - after I posted I realized that you had a MK2 and I'm on a MK1.  Same beast just small variations on how Catalina did things.
Any way - I looked at the schematic for your boat and there are 3 circuit breakers.  2 should be near the wiring harness terminal strip at the engine.
There should be a 20 amp and a 10 amp breaker there somewhere close to that strip.   The most probable breaker might be the third one that is in the engine control/ instrument panel.  It is a 10 amp breaker between the ignition switch and the instruments.  I assume your engine starts and your alarms sound when you turn the key on initially so I would start with the instrument panel breaker. The beaker might be on the panel itself - sometimes hidden on the bottom though. 
Your schematics are on the site at  https://www.catalina36.org/sites/default/files/legacy/C36MkII_Owners_Man... right before page 4.6.2
Good Luck
 

_____________
Harold Baker
S/V Lucky Duck
Duncan Bay Boat Club
Cheboygan Michigan - Lake Huron
1989 C-36 mkI TR/WK M25XP

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Haro
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Nancy I have the PDF file that has the required wiring diagrams.
Unfortunately this file is over 2 M and can not be uploaded here.
PM me and I will send you a copy.
Haro.

Jim Savage
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Joined: 8/10/21
Posts: 2

Hi

Just purchased a 2004 Catalina 26 mk 2 with the following issue(s). Tach  water temp, oil pressure and fuel gauge all non functional (they all go to max) at key turn...the fuel level will sometimes drop to 0. Thectach will drop and wave or go to zero. Have an excellent diagnostic marine electrician checking and found the "pink" wire doesn't go anywhere...the buzzer terminals  not as per diagram and appears to have two negative wire connected. Previous owner bought boat new and advised that was how boat came. Trying to figure out why this wiring different than specs.

Pics to follow.

Jim
Happy new cs36 owner 

Jim Savage

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Siler Starum
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Posts: 113

suggestion to check with this kind of issues is the key-switch: replacement of the key-switch could give also a positive effect. Bad contact or dirt/salt is disturbing the whole loop. 

Durk Nijdam
S/V "SILER"
Catalina 36MKII - 2001 / hullnr. 2013
Stavoren - Holland

Jim Savage
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Posts: 2

Here are a few pics that we are trying to figure out...note 24v buzzer

Jim Savage

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Siler Starum's picture
Siler Starum
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Posts: 113

The 24VDC buzzer is not the problem, we have this one also fitted and it is working well

Durk Nijdam
S/V "SILER"
Catalina 36MKII - 2001 / hullnr. 2013
Stavoren - Holland

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Chachere
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Posts: 825

Jim -
The probable reason the wiring doesn't agree with the diagram is that your boat is 17 years old, and prior owners probably made some modifications.
On our (now 36 year old) Mk1, when trying to untangle these sorts of problems I found it best to make my own wiring diagram (using the factory diagram as a point of departure) so that I could fully understand the wiring as it actually existed.   (At a minimum, check over things like grounding, however; a fault there can make the gauges go nuts).

Matthew Chachère
s/v ¡Que Chévere!
(Formerly 1985 C36 MKI #466 tall rig fin keel M25)
2006 Catalina Morgan 440 #30.
Homeported in eastern Long Island, NY

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