hunter 49 engine alarm intermittent beeping

[Zencra]

Hi all, I'm crossing from Tahiti to Tonga and the ignition panel alarm has started sounding with a constant intermittent peep. this beep is also there when the ignition is on without the engine running. I've checked water and oil, impeller and run the temp gun over all water pipes and thermostat, it all seems normal. any hints?
Craig

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

this beep is also there when the ignition is on without the engine running.

In theory, this "may" be an intermittant ground. Unfortunately, the theory is not going to point you to the physical connection to ground.

If you're really at a dead end, disconnect the wire from your high temp. switch and see if that stops the beeping. This would indicate a faulty switch with an intermittantly closing contact and not a ground fault.

Good luck with this and let us know what you find.

 

[colemj]

When the panel is on without the engine running, shouldn't there be a continuous tone? You don't mention the engine brand/model, or what gauges you have available on the panel, or whether any idiot lights are also flashing intermittently.

An intermittent ground someplace like mentioned is a common reason for this type of thing. Particularly if there should be a continuous tone when powered, but not running.

Mark

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

When the panel is on without the engine running, shouldn't there be a continuous tone?

Great ! The closer one looks at it the worse it gets. How about multiple failures ?

- Can we get the OP to take the wire from the pressure switch and connect it to ground ? This is with the start key in the ON position and the engine OFF. Does it give a continuous alarm?

- Next, can we get the OP to repeat this process but this time only with the temp. switch wire. Key is still ON. Does it give a continuous alarm ?

- If the OP has no continuous alarms to this point, leave the temp. switch wire connected to ground, the key is ON, and put a volt meter to the contacts of the audible alarm. Does he see 12.XX volts ?

If the OP can reply to these questions, maybe we can get a little closer to the source of the problem.

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

I've checked water and oil,

Seeing as how I'm just about ready to drop off the end of the limb I'm going out on, can we get you to disconnect the oil pressure switch wire under the same conditions as above and see if that stops the intermittant beeping while the engine is not running ?

CAUTION: DO NOT run your engine without the oil pressue switch being correctly connected. This is the only thing that protects you (audibly) from a low oil pressure catastrophe. BTW, do you have an oil pressure gauge ?

 

[Zencra]

yes through the factory installed "Mas-Technolies digital readout. further investigations show all readings including the Tacho are not reading correctly with the temp guage reading way higher than actual temp(99°C), oil pressure s little lower and tacho fluttering. All this still send to point to a bad earth, probably to the Mas Tech electrónics box at engine. I might try the earth to this box first. why do these things always rear their ugly heads right before a long passage!

 

[artboas]

yes through the factory installed "Mas-Technolies digital readout. further investigations show all readings including the Tacho are not reading correctly with the temp guage reading way higher than actual temp(99°C), oil pressure s little lower and tacho fluttering. All this still send to point to a bad earth, probably to the Mas Tech electrónics box at engine. I might try the earth to this box first. why do these things always rear their ugly heads right before a long passage!

The Mass Technologies guage is a replacement for the original Maretron
The “black “box” is a Teleflex i8305 (no longer made, or supported)
You might want to look at the 8305 I/O, and see if any signal levels appear wonky.
FYI
Hunter was was ahead in the industry, in that it provided a N2K interface to the engine, and did away with a cumbersome engine panel full of gauges in lieu of a single N2K guage.

I have found that the original Maretron guages, along with their successor replacements, have horrible B&W lcd displays, and very confusing menu.
A long time ago, I fed the Teleflex engine data into the cockpit Raymarine MFD chart plotter.
You have a full color screen showing all of your engine parameters by doing this.
I literally glassed over the hole where the original guage was.
I highly reccomend doing this!

 

[tkwhalen]

Mine did a similar thing a few years ago and turns out the high water alarm switch on the engine panel had go bad. In the end it was a simple replacement.