Strange beep from cockpit engine panel

gfroch

.
Jun 5, 2004
76
Catalina 30 Rochester, NY
Hello all-
We have a 1987 TRBS with a Universal M-25XP. We’re getting a faint, quick, intermittent buzzing sound from the engine panel in the cockpit which is similar to the buzzing when the key is on but before the engine is engaged, but this sound is much quieter. And (and this makes it strange to us) it happens when the engine is not running and the key is stowed. There is no regularity to when it happens. As I said, it’s a quick, quiet beep and it can happen six times in a 2 hour sail, twice in a 3 hour sail and not at all for a couple weeks! Has anyone experienced this? I called the factory and they suggested it could be that somewhere between the engine and panel there is a loose or dirty connection. I just figured I would see if anyone has experience with this before I pull things apart.
Thanks!
Jerry
 
Feb 18, 2022
440
Catalina 36 Port Orchard
The buzzer is a low oil pressure warning, so I would start there looking for corrosion shorts or salt water shorts. Melted plugs can be a thing too, especially if you have an amp meter and the original gummybear plug.
 
Sep 25, 2008
7,435
Alden 50 Sarasota, Florida
Remove, clean and reconnect every connection on the panel. like the factory rep said, this sounds like a voltage based sensor sensing a low voltage due to bad connection someplace
 
Jun 2, 2014
602
Catalina 30 mkII - 1987 Alamitos Bay Marina, LB, CA
Read my post here. Had something similar. It was because of the old trailer connectors.
 

gfroch

.
Jun 5, 2004
76
Catalina 30 Rochester, NY
Thanks all- I will follow the path and check and clean all leads.
jonelli- Yes, our instances were very similar, except mine happened when the engine was not running and the key was stowed.
Thanks again!
-gf-
 
Jun 2, 2014
602
Catalina 30 mkII - 1987 Alamitos Bay Marina, LB, CA
Thanks all- I will follow the path and check and clean all leads.
jonelli- Yes, our instances were very similar, except mine happened when the engine was not running and the key was stowed.
Thanks again!
-gf-
Even more reason to suspect the connectors. Did you see what mine looked like when I pulled them apart? It’s amazing that anything worked at all.
 

gfroch

.
Jun 5, 2004
76
Catalina 30 Rochester, NY
OK. You know how when you're sailing and you hear a faint noise and you can't tell where it's coming from? We think the faint beep was the alarm on our depth sounder. We turned it off several sails ago and no beep. Huh. Thank you for all the insight, though! Cheers...
 
  • Like
Likes: jon hansen