In my 40 yr + career doing electronics and mechanical work, I came up with some troubleshooting aids which are a great help.
1. Most important: A good digital voltmeter. One which has enough functions can be had for under $30 at a discount store (read: Walmart). The accuracy is sutable for troubleshooting. Hint: in a boat, keep it in a ziplock, with its battery(s) removed. If they leak, it won't screw up the instrument. A volt, ohm and 0-10 ammeter is sufficient.
2. Remote starter switch. Mines on a 10' cord. Clip across the secondary starter relay.
3. Clip leads. Go to THE SHACK or an electrical store and buy the raw clip leads. I use #10 ga stranded wire. I have some which are 3' and some 15'. Uses? Suspect you are loosing ground hor hot wire to something? Simple go from teh battery to the unit in question with the clips leads. If it runs, definitely a wiring problem. And, by substituting for different wire runs, you can locate the corrode connection/broken wire easily.
4. Small mirror, about 3" in diameter. Allows you to see where your head don't fit.
5. Headlight. One of those which you wear and it shines where you are looking.
6. magnifying hood. great for small work.
7. This one may not get used much, but if needed there is no substitute. At The Shack, buy these resistors:
33 Ohm, 100 ohm, and 240 Ohm. Buy a small plactic "project box" there and a 1 pole 3positionswitch. Wire the switch so it selects each of the resistors. Have a 4' clip lead on teh wires. In boat guages, 33 ohm is full scale, 100 is roughly 1/2 scale, and 240 is beginning of scale, or left side. This holds true for the Gas, temperature and oil guages. gage don't work, or gives left field readings? disconnect the sender and clip the box between the sendwer wire going to the guage and the other to ground.If the readings are as above, sender bad. If no readings, connect the clip to the guage "sender" terminal on theback of it, and the other to ground. If the guage reads, problem is in the wires. If not, use item #1 to verify voltage and ground to the guage. Got volts, and no reading? replace the guage.
8. last but very important; a manual for the engine showing wire colors and functions.
Now, when you all are trying to fix something and asking our advice, we can get the data we need, only if you can measure what we tell you to do. But we need at least the meter.....
I am a retired engineer. Rick, AKA-- 2850 bounty fixes boat engines professionally. There are others with a lot of experience here. We will help you.
1. Most important: A good digital voltmeter. One which has enough functions can be had for under $30 at a discount store (read: Walmart). The accuracy is sutable for troubleshooting. Hint: in a boat, keep it in a ziplock, with its battery(s) removed. If they leak, it won't screw up the instrument. A volt, ohm and 0-10 ammeter is sufficient.
2. Remote starter switch. Mines on a 10' cord. Clip across the secondary starter relay.
3. Clip leads. Go to THE SHACK or an electrical store and buy the raw clip leads. I use #10 ga stranded wire. I have some which are 3' and some 15'. Uses? Suspect you are loosing ground hor hot wire to something? Simple go from teh battery to the unit in question with the clips leads. If it runs, definitely a wiring problem. And, by substituting for different wire runs, you can locate the corrode connection/broken wire easily.
4. Small mirror, about 3" in diameter. Allows you to see where your head don't fit.
5. Headlight. One of those which you wear and it shines where you are looking.
6. magnifying hood. great for small work.
7. This one may not get used much, but if needed there is no substitute. At The Shack, buy these resistors:
33 Ohm, 100 ohm, and 240 Ohm. Buy a small plactic "project box" there and a 1 pole 3positionswitch. Wire the switch so it selects each of the resistors. Have a 4' clip lead on teh wires. In boat guages, 33 ohm is full scale, 100 is roughly 1/2 scale, and 240 is beginning of scale, or left side. This holds true for the Gas, temperature and oil guages. gage don't work, or gives left field readings? disconnect the sender and clip the box between the sendwer wire going to the guage and the other to ground.If the readings are as above, sender bad. If no readings, connect the clip to the guage "sender" terminal on theback of it, and the other to ground. If the guage reads, problem is in the wires. If not, use item #1 to verify voltage and ground to the guage. Got volts, and no reading? replace the guage.
8. last but very important; a manual for the engine showing wire colors and functions.
Now, when you all are trying to fix something and asking our advice, we can get the data we need, only if you can measure what we tell you to do. But we need at least the meter.....
I am a retired engineer. Rick, AKA-- 2850 bounty fixes boat engines professionally. There are others with a lot of experience here. We will help you.
Comment