Low oil indicator fading in and out
- Thread starter jonelli
- Start date
I did this on a C36 and I liked having the terminal strip. It really neatens things up, and makes probing and debugging much easier.
Yah, but then you can't hide it all wrapped up in e-tape for the next time you have a problem... lol
The terminal strip also will make it easy when you need to replace an instrument - which is inevitable.
The terminal strip fits very nicely in that box. I'm going to have to steal this 
I've been using DIN rail terminal blocks for some of my RV work, but I can't say for sure if they're tinned copper.
PS - your future self will thank you for using the terminal strip instead of splices.
I've been using DIN rail terminal blocks for some of my RV work, but I can't say for sure if they're tinned copper.
PS - your future self will thank you for using the terminal strip instead of splices.
Going off on a tangent here, I started looking at wiring diagrams, and literally the only thing I can find that is even close to what I have is the one in the harness replacement guide here: Universal Engine Harness Upgrade
The printed manual I have on my boat is even the generic engine manual and service guide that shows the old diagrams with the Ammeter. I don't have the Ammeter. Mine is an 87mkII with the Volt Meter/Tach/Fuel/Temp gauges.
I'm talking out loud now, but it seems that at the engine side of the harness I should have 7 wires going through the harness according to that upgrade document, and my "extra" wires Tach, Blower, Fuel are all wired around the trailer harness? I'm assuming the blower and fuel wires don't even go all the way down to the engine, and the tach wire is probably a grey wire that isn't part of the trailer plug? Does that all sound right?
The printed manual I have on my boat is even the generic engine manual and service guide that shows the old diagrams with the Ammeter. I don't have the Ammeter. Mine is an 87mkII with the Volt Meter/Tach/Fuel/Temp gauges.
I'm talking out loud now, but it seems that at the engine side of the harness I should have 7 wires going through the harness according to that upgrade document, and my "extra" wires Tach, Blower, Fuel are all wired around the trailer harness? I'm assuming the blower and fuel wires don't even go all the way down to the engine, and the tach wire is probably a grey wire that isn't part of the trailer plug? Does that all sound right?
This diagram should be pretty close to what you have but may not be exact (it has an ammeter). On mine, the gray #10 wire goes from the instrument panel's glow plug switch to the glow plugs as in the diagram, there's also a gray #16 wire that goes from the alternator to the tach which should be part of the trailer plug/harness. The blower and fuel pump wires (positive) just go to the blower/pump respectively. My harness has 8 wires.
Finished. The wire glands were too tight to close up on the harness side of things. Doesn’t look perfect, but it should be functionally fine. The terminal block is good and all the connections are good now.
Of course! So far, after testing everything first, I ran the engine, my gauges work, and the starter was more responsive already. Meaning, before the upgrade, sometimes the starter would just click and you have to push the button a couple of times. That seems to have resolved itself. And so far in just the few minutes of running the engine, I didn't hear the oil alarm. But too early to tell.
I'm going to start going through the other end by the gauges and make sure that's good and replace anything if needed. I'm positive that this will resolve that issue.
UPDATE AS PROMISED: It's been a little while now and a couple more island and sailing trips since doing the harness wiring. No more low oil beeping at all, quiet or loud, unless the engine is off or if I cut the engine from full RPM to idle. It's amazing how anything even still worked with that trailer plug condition.
I found mine!
Have an XPBC in my C30 MK III. And it (sometimes) made what I called a “chirping sound”. The alarm not quite coming on, not even long enough to tell if it was the pulsing sound of low oil pressure or the steady sound of high temp. But it really sounded like a loose wire or bad connection.
In my case, there are two wires crimped in one lug attached to one side of the oil pressure switch. As I was removing that lug from the switch to do some tests one of the wires just slipped out. It was not correctly crimped. Thus the intermittent chirping. I added a female to two male adapter and gave each wire a new crimped lug and voila, I have no more chirping.
One clue was it never happened in the slip or idling. Only in gear which would cause more vibration under load.
OR…. It could just be the Santa Monica Bay Curse
Good luck!!!!
If you are going to get rid of the original "trailer plugs" , why not eliminate plugs completely? The plugs were there for production ease only. Don't know of any reason that you would still need them. I rewired my C30 and used terminal blocks in the engine compartment only. My "trailer plugs" melted on my first sail on the boat (behind the engine panel in the cockpit) . Lucky we were at a dock and close to a WM store. What an exercise on a "new" boat to find and isolate the issue.
Technically, I did eliminate the plugs. It's a terminal strip at either end now. I thought about just splicing directly, but the terminal box is handy still. That reminds me I need to go back in there and spray protectant on all the connections.