2000 Caravelle Interceptor Volvo Penta SX Drive...Engine Wiring

[Cparker41]

I'm in the process of installing my newly rebuilt engine in this boat. The 350 Vortec that was in the boat was already converted to a carbureted engine when I purchased it. The ECM box was still in the boat with wiring harness still connected. Unfortunately whoever did the conversion job absolutely butchered the engine wiring harness. I pulled the engine out and rebuilt it. I'm going back with a 383. I refurbished all the wiring harnesses. Replaced bad connections, used heat shrink over all the wire connections that was not factory and replaced all the wire loom with new. I removed the ECM and ECM wiring harness completely. I really want to make everything look factory. I did all of this before installing the new engine. Now, I've gotten the new engine installed and completed. I actually started it for the first time tonight. It ran great. Thankfully!!!! The only issue that I have ran into is the oil pressure gauge is not working and my trim gauge is not working. I'm not really sure about engine temp. I did not let it run long enough to get hot. I installed a manual oil pressure gauge to make sure it had pressure so I know that's not the problem. I don't think the trim gauge worked before. It has a depth gauge to that is also not working. Don't think it worked before either. I also have serval connectors that I don't know what they are for. I really am in need of a wiring schematic for it. Does anyone know where I could download one? Are there any components that usually go bad on the trim gauge? Has anyone ran into any of these problems before? Thanks for any advice you can give me.

 

[Cparker41]

Here are a few photos of this project .

 

[wrench 3]

Forget about the boat. I want your work shop!

If you go to http://boatinfo.no/lib/volvo/manuals/by_elect.html#/156 there's engine wiring on page 156. I don't know that it's the correct diagram for sure without a model number. There's a list of applicable numbers at the front of the book. If yours isn't there, you can go back to the library and try another book.

 

[Cparker41]

I worked on the gauges issue a little while tonight. Installed a new oil pressure sending unit and the gauge still doesn't work. I ran it a good while checking for leaks allowing it time to warm up so I could see if the temp gauge was working and thankfully it is. One less thing to worry about. All I have to figure out now is the trim gauge, depth gauge and oil pressure gauge.

The depth gauge is not even coming on. If the transducer was bad, the gauge should still come on or light up shouldn't it? I'm going to check the connections in the dash and see if I can find the fuse for it tomorrow night. I'm also going to ohm out the oil pressure signal wire to see if it's broke or cut somewhere in the harness. I'll deal the trim gauge last.

 

[Cparker41]

My home, wife and kids are in Mississippi and I work in Kentucky. The shop I'm working in is in a coal mine where I work. The service truck is mine. I keep all the equipment running on site. The shop is pretty nice when I get to work in it. I brought my boat up here to do this project. I have another boat project going on at my shop in Mississippi. I keep my self with something to do. Lol. Thanks for the info. I have not looked at it yet. It will not let me pull it up on my iPad. I'll have to look at it on my laptop.

 

[Scott Danforth]

gauge wiring is standard for non-networked gauges

 

[wrench 3]

The back of both those gauges should look pretty well the same. There will be a power wire (12V with ign. on), a ground wire and the wire from the sensor. There will also be a wire for the illumination. If you have an old style 12V test light you can connect it between ground and the sensor terminal. It should give you a gauge reading somewhere in the mid range.
The most common problem with a trim gauge is the sender. It's out in the water taking a beating. However may not be your problem. There will be a couple of wires from the sender that come through the transom plate it the top and are plugged into the engine harness.

 

[Cparker41]

I checked the oil pressure gauge tonight and it is getting power. I did not look at the gauge while I was checking it. I'll have to clamp a wire to it to be able to look at the gauge while I check the signal wire. I'll try that tomorrow.
The depth gauge is also getting power. Shouldn't it come on even if the transducer is bad? While I was looking around under the dash, I saw someone had zip tied up a coil of wire that is hooked to the depth gauge and the end of the wire has a sensor of some kind. May be a temp sensor that was never Installed. Looks kind of like a probe. Is that what it is?
Is there a way to check the trim sender to see if it is the problem?

 

[wrench 3]

If you have power and ground to the depth gauge the screen should light up. They're usually completely non serviceable.
The test light trick will work on the trim gauge also. The sender can be tested directly with an ohm meter across the terminals in the harness connector and run the drive up and down. Have you checked to see if the sender is plugged into the engine harness?
To work the gauge, the trim sender has to ground through the engine harness. Don't forget about the grounds at the gauges.

 

[Cparker41]

No Title

Yes, I checked the connection but I found 2 places that it could hook to. There is a grommet type plug coming from the engine harness and another one that is running with the harness that goes to your trim motor relays. The harness coming from the trim senders has 3 wires in it, 2 black and one white. On both the connectors that I could plug it in to only have two wires. Here is a photo to explain.

 

[wrench 3]

The wiring diagram shows it going into a plug on the engine harness with a black wire and a brown wire with a white tracer.
The sender uses the two black wires. Not sure why the white one is there.

 

[Cparker41]

I got connection now to my Oil Pressure gauge from the sender. My problem now is the sender has been changed and when you turn the key on, the gauge pegs out. I know it's probably the wrong sender. Does anyone know what sender I need for the gauge?

 

[wrench 3]

If it pegs the gauge without the engine running and drops to 0 when it's running, you have a switch for a light or an engine alarm instead of a gauge sender. You need something like a Sierra 18-5899 http://www.iboats.com/Oil-Pressure-...5706487--session_id.183615004--view_id.986572 Unless you have a high pressure oil pump and a 100psi gauge.

 

[gsxrdan]

Regarding the sounder - some of them just die if you power up OUT of the water (i killed two already cause im dumb). How have u gone with the oil pressure?