Oil Gauge Jumping Around...

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B

Bro Paul

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Jan 3, 2005
50
- - Punta Gorda, FL
I have a Hunter 31 with a Yanmar 2GM. On my last trip out, my oil gauge started to jump around and then dropped to 0. I turned off the engine and went below to see what I could see. I noticed that a wire to from the sending unit, on the top was loose. I pulled it off and the little clip broke. So I twisted the wire and put it to the screw and tightened it down. It worked. Then it started jumping around again after a while, so I went below and checked it. It is all tight. All the other connections look good too. The temperature is running on the money, but the gauge jumps every once and a while and sits on around 50 where it has always been and then drops to 0 again. I think the panel is a Yanmar panel. It has 3 gauges on it and they are located on left side. The top one is a fuel gauge, then below that is the oil pressure and then the temperature. Any ideas for a novice mechanic.
 
W

Wright Ellis s/v Whiskey II

It's not repaired

It was fixed. These gauges work on variable resistance from the sending unit. A 0 reading is an open circuit to the sensor, a full over, or pegged, reading is a short circuit. Replace the clip, clean up the contact on the sending unit. Follow wires to check for abrasion. Next do the same inspection for the power supply to the gauge. By all means determine how the guage itself is grounded (if it doesn't ground through the sending unit)as this is often the source of erratic gauge readings.
 
S

Steve Dion

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Dec 2, 1999
15,184
Hunter Vision-36 Rio Vista, CA.
Did not come with a gage.

The 31 did not come with a gage. If it is a Yanmar panel, it may be one of the larger panels that was used on some of the other engines (not sure of the model designation). Are the buzzers still functional?
 
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Bro Paul

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Jan 3, 2005
50
- - Punta Gorda, FL
Sorry for the Confusion

The panel is the Yanmar and the guages are off to the side of the panel. They are after market add ons. It seems that the alarms still work they test fine with lights and sound.
 
G

Gary

Replace the sender....

they're cheap. I just installed a mechanical gauge and replaced the sender on my 2GMF. No more problems. Mechanical gauges show actual pressure, instead of voltage. Much more reliable. Good luck
 
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