Gage's not working

garoldk

Recruit
Joined
May 15, 2015
Messages
2
I bought a 1988 Four Winns sundowner 215 over the winter. I finally got it all cleaned up and fired it up yesterday. Runs great!! However, the gas gage and the trim gage are not working. Also, I don't seem to have any power to the depth finder. The cables seem to be ran right.
So I am looking for first things to check on Gage's and see if I can get any suggestions on depth finder.
Thanks for any help.
 

GA_Boater

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
May 24, 2011
Messages
49,038
Welcome aboard.

The first thing to check are all the fuses and/or circuit breakers. One fuse/CB may be feeding the three dead instruments.
 

Silvertip

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Sep 22, 2003
Messages
28,758
Gauges are powered from the ignition switch and there generally is no fuse in that circuit. The depth finder is usually powered from the "boat" harness, not the "engine harness" like the gauges. So there are two problems here, unless someone wired the depth finder into the gauge power circuit. If you have other gauges and they work, then the problem is very likely the sending units or the wire that feeds the "S" terminal on the gauge. With the key in the RUN position, using a short piece of wire, carefully short the "S" terminal on the gauge to the ground terminal. If the gauge pegs, the gauge is not the problem and the send wire or sender is. If the gauge does not peg, using a voltmeter, verify that there is +12 volts on the "I" terminal. If not, fix it. If the gauges test ok, then go back to the fuel tank and short the sender wire to ground. Again, the gauge should peg high. If not, The wire is the issue. If it does, the sender is the issue.
 

garoldk

Recruit
Joined
May 15, 2015
Messages
2
Thanks for the info!! I will try these ideas and let you know how it turns out.
 
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