Thread: I have a question for you electronic gurus'

My gas guage does not work when I turn my key on ( Key switch does nothing but start the outboard). Nothing works on my boat except starting the engine with my master toggle switch turned of.....that switch on mine controls the power to all guages and my FF's, and live well pump, and bilge pump.....It is a master power on power off switch. It furnishes the power to all accessorys.....it turns on all the guages.....all the other stuff is controled by their own switches but they will not work without the master switch being turned on. This is the way the boat was wired at the factory. My old G3 boat did not have a master switch.....some boats do and some do not.

G, Mine has power to all the FF's, bilge, aerator with out the key switch on, when I turn the key on, I see the gas gauge come on and the tach move, I am wandering that when I turn the key on and then the nav lights and the gas gauge quits, I am wandering if it might have something to do with the fact that I dont have th nav light plugged in at the front and back of the boat ??

It's not normal, and even tho G's is on the master switch, most fuel gauges are hooked to a separate ignition wire from the main wiring harness. Most fuel gauges work by turning the key on so you can check the fuel level without the risk of turning everything else on. You should have four wires going to the fuel gauge. Blue is the wire that should jump from the Nav Lite switch to turn the lite on in the gauge. Purple, or sometimes Grey, is the power wire from the ignition. Black is ground, and the Pink wire is a ground from the tanks sending unit to the gauge. Fuel gauges and sending units work on a ground to eliminate sparks at the tank, and a fireworks display on yer boat!!! Kaboom!!!


BRM

If your stuff has power without the key switch on......then you did not need the red light, the red light is for a boat that is wired with a master power switch like mine is. The red light is just to warn that you have the master power switch on. don't think your boat has a master power switch because your stuff has power with the key off. And your guages are getting power with the key on. I suggest you take the red light out etc. and wire everything back like it was when you got it.

Bill is right on Kaboom......You might ought to get a boat tech to check your wireing out......sounds like something is screwed up to me.

BTW, it sounds like you have the blue and purple wires in the wrong spots. Call me so we can talk. I was in the car audio business for 30 years, and am somewhat of a 12v expert. Lol


BRM

Originally Posted by "G"

If your stuff has power without the key switch on......then you did not need the red light, the red light is for a boat that is wired with a master power switch like mine is. The red light is just to warn that you have the master power switch on. don't think your boat has a master power switch because your stuff has power with the key off. And your guages are getting power with the key on. I suggest you take the red light out etc. and wire everything back like it was when you got it.

G, I have did that already and still with I turn on nav lights the fuel gauge quits, as I said do you think it has something to do with the fact that I dont have nav light plugged in and its causing an open circuit maybe ??

Sound's like your Nav. Lights are robbing the ground from your gauge. Try putting a temporary jumper from the gauge body mounting bracket to a good known ground.
Just my 2 cents, which don't mean much on here!!!!


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