new smell

[gettinthere]

Last run of the engine and started smelling something kind of sweet. A little later, the tach stopped reading. The smell was not antifreeze, I checked and that smells different.

Today, tach would not read and got a bit more of the smell. After an hour, tach came back up and no more smell.

Alternator was running 180 to 200 today.
ARS 5 voltage reg appeared to be OK but havent gone deep into the menu.

Would something like a diode smell kinda sweet if it was cooking? And would it come back to life?

Thnx

 

[Eddie7045]

A bit of a shot in dark

It does sound to me, a shade tree mechanic, like the insulation on a wire or some other electrical component got hot and burned causing the smell and causing the failure of the tach to operate. In the past I have had things like that happen due to an incorrect fuse or incorrect wiring used.

 

[gettinthere]

Letting eng cool off...will look for that tomorrow. Thnx for the suggestion

 

[All U Get]

Where are you anchored if you need parts?

All U Get

 

[gettinthere]

Lying Castine. Could ship to harbormaster here. If its alternator or voltage reg, I'll swap in spares. Wiring, got extra. New engine? Hmmm
Thnx

 

[All U Get]

Hate the odors game, we cleaned the bilges and began smelling odors that were masked by the more offending bilge. One was a plastic smell which turned out to be a swimming noodle that I had stowed in the cockpit pushed forward under the dodger. Once the sun got on it I would get the plastic smell and head to the engine room to check for hot wires. That kept me busy for more than a week. Any aftershave missing? Good luck with the search.

All U Get

If you need a store, there's a Hamilton Marine in Rockland.
http://store.hamiltonmarine.com/about.htm

 

[gettinthere]

Thnx, been there! Will be going back

 

[Benny17441]

Automatic transmission fluid perhaps?

 

[mauruuru]

Ozone is a by product of electrical arcing and has a sweet odor. Check your wiring....

 

[H45DS]

Last run of the engine and started smelling something kind of sweet. A little later, the tach stopped reading. The smell was not antifreeze, I checked and that smells different.

Today, tach would not read and got a bit more of the smell. After an hour, tach came back up and no more smell.

Alternator was running 180 to 200 today.
ARS 5 voltage reg appeared to be OK but havent gone deep into the menu.

Would something like a diode smell kinda sweet if it was cooking? And would it come back to life?

Thnx

Semiconductors tend to have a bit of an acrid smell when they fry. I wouldn't call it sweet at all, so I don't think that's your problem, but...

 

[celticwinds]

If the tachometer is working intermittently you could have a corroded or loose connection at the sending unit. The tachometer will be connected to the engine with a couple of wires and usually resembles a temperature sending unit, but looks a little bit different. Carefully disconnect the wires one at a time and clean the connections with some emery cloth and then spray them with WD40. Make sure the connections are snug.

 

[gettinthere]

Will engine oil on a wire cause this smell? I have a valve cover gasket that refuses to seal completely and so I now have some oil on some wires.

No sign of chafe or burn on any wires that I can see.

 

[gettinthere]

One wire leading to the alternator had some eng oil run down it to a connector. I wiped up everything and no more flaky tach and no more smell.
So maybe that is it. I wont know for sure until it comes back, if it does!
I'll give it another week and then do a more thorough cleaning and replace the connector.