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Guage Cluster


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New to the site great info though... so thanks in advance. Finally got to take my (new to me) 98 sunsetter out this past weekend and my entire guage cluster seems to be inoperative but the boat ran like a top and everything else seems to work other that I need to replace the steering cable. I bought the boat in November 07 and everything was working when I bought it. It there a main fuse for the guage cluster as I find it odd that everything would stop working at the same time.

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New to the site great info though... so thanks in advance. Finally got to take my (new to me) 98 sunsetter out this past weekend and my entire guage cluster seems to be inoperative but the boat ran like a top and everything else seems to work other that I need to replace the steering cable. I bought the boat in November 07 and everything was working when I bought it. It there a main fuse for the guage cluster as I find it odd that everything would stop working at the same time.

Anything used - I would go through it.

Grease the rudder, check all hoses, seals, electrical connections. Lubricate the throttle linkage, grease the steering.

Some people just use the things and don't do all the little maintenance things that add up.

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New to the site great info though... so thanks in advance. Finally got to take my (new to me) 98 sunsetter out this past weekend and my entire guage cluster seems to be inoperative but the boat ran like a top and everything else seems to work other that I need to replace the steering cable. I bought the boat in November 07 and everything was working when I bought it. It there a main fuse for the guage cluster as I find it odd that everything would stop working at the same time.

Anything used - I would go through it.

Grease the rudder, check all hoses, seals, electrical connections. Lubricate the throttle linkage, grease the steering.

Some people just use the things and don't do all the little maintenance things that add up.

For sure I did that when we inspected the boat and brought it home to winterize it. The guy that owned it before babied it pretty good. Everything works really well and I knew the steering was stiff, but the guages worked when I bought it and now they dont! I have read the computron systems are pretty finicky???

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I would guess that the 12 volts to power the gauges comes from the "I" terminal of the key switch, most likely on a purple wire. You can check the back of the gauges for voltage with the key in the run position. Test between where the purple and black wires are connected. If you get nothing, then try from where the purple wire is connected to an effectively grounded spot. If you get 12 volts now, you have a bad negative wire conection. If you get nothing either way look for a fuse or fuseholder in the purple wire and check that. If you can't find a fuse, follow the purple wire to its source.

edit; did not realize you had the computron system.

Edited by electricjohn
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I would guess that the 12 volts to power the gauges comes from the "I" terminal of the key switch, most likely on a purple wire. You can check the back of the gauges for voltage with the key in the run position. Test between where the purple and black wires are connected. If you get nothing, then try from where the purple wire is connected to an effectively grounded spot. If you get 12 volts now, you have a bad negative wire conection. If you get nothing either way look for a fuse or fuseholder in the purple wire and check that. If you can't find a fuse, follow the purple wire to its source.

edit; did not realize you had the computron system.

Hey man, Thanks for the info I will definitely try it. I was told I had a computron system, would that be wrong?

I did not get any literature with the boat but nothing has been changed or altered it is a completely stock boat. Can I ask what the black box under the dash is that the 2 speedo line go into is? I do not have alot of experience with this much stuff on a boat as my other boat is a 69 sidewinder....very basic electrical system

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I would guess that the 12 volts to power the gauges comes from the "I" terminal of the key switch, most likely on a purple wire. You can check the back of the gauges for voltage with the key in the run position. Test between where the purple and black wires are connected. If you get nothing, then try from where the purple wire is connected to an effectively grounded spot. If you get 12 volts now, you have a bad negative wire conection. If you get nothing either way look for a fuse or fuseholder in the purple wire and check that. If you can't find a fuse, follow the purple wire to its source.

edit; did not realize you had the computron system.

Hey man, Thanks for the info I will definitely try it. I was told I had a computron system, would that be wrong?

I did not get any literature with the boat but nothing has been changed or altered it is a completely stock boat. Can I ask what the black box under the dash is that the 2 speedo line go into is? I do not have alot of experience with this much stuff on a boat as my other boat is a 69 sidewinder....very basic electrical system

So after doing some research I do not think I have a computron system as I have no digital read out screens. Also I did not mention that I had water dripping from under the dash (did not think the two were linked), so would I be correct to assume my MDC is pooched I looked up a pic of the MDC and I saw something that looked the same when I was under my dash jiggling wires to see if anything was loose. Thanks again for all the info and help!!!!

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I would guess that the 12 volts to power the gauges comes from the "I" terminal of the key switch, most likely on a purple wire. You can check the back of the gauges for voltage with the key in the run position. Test between where the purple and black wires are connected. If you get nothing, then try from where the purple wire is connected to an effectively grounded spot. If you get 12 volts now, you have a bad negative wire conection. If you get nothing either way look for a fuse or fuseholder in the purple wire and check that. If you can't find a fuse, follow the purple wire to its source.

edit; did not realize you had the computron system.

Hey man, Thanks for the info I will definitely try it. I was told I had a computron system, would that be wrong?

I did not get any literature with the boat but nothing has been changed or altered it is a completely stock boat. Can I ask what the black box under the dash is that the 2 speedo line go into is? I do not have alot of experience with this much stuff on a boat as my other boat is a 69 sidewinder....very basic electrical system

So after doing some research I do not think I have a computron system as I have no digital read out screens. Also I did not mention that I had water dripping from under the dash (did not think the two were linked), so would I be correct to assume my MDC is pooched I looked up a pic of the MDC and I saw something that looked the same when I was under my dash jiggling wires to see if anything was loose. Thanks again for all the info and help!!!!

That water is coming from your speedo tube. You have either a cracked tube, the tube came off the speedo (has happened to me 2x), or a cracked speedometer. That water could have shorted something out.

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did some steel your engine? hey once you lubed the stearing cable did it make a big difference?

dude not sure what your talkin about here.??????

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I would guess that the 12 volts to power the gauges comes from the "I" terminal of the key switch, most likely on a purple wire. You can check the back of the gauges for voltage with the key in the run position. Test between where the purple and black wires are connected. If you get nothing, then try from where the purple wire is connected to an effectively grounded spot. If you get 12 volts now, you have a bad negative wire conection. If you get nothing either way look for a fuse or fuseholder in the purple wire and check that. If you can't find a fuse, follow the purple wire to its source.

edit; did not realize you had the computron system.

Hey man, Thanks for the info I will definitely try it. I was told I had a computron system, would that be wrong?

I did not get any literature with the boat but nothing has been changed or altered it is a completely stock boat. Can I ask what the black box under the dash is that the 2 speedo line go into is? I do not have alot of experience with this much stuff on a boat as my other boat is a 69 sidewinder....very basic electrical system

So after doing some research I do not think I have a computron system as I have no digital read out screens. Also I did not mention that I had water dripping from under the dash (did not think the two were linked), so would I be correct to assume my MDC is pooched I looked up a pic of the MDC and I saw something that looked the same when I was under my dash jiggling wires to see if anything was loose. Thanks again for all the info and help!!!!

That water is coming from your speedo tube. You have either a cracked tube, the tube came off the speedo (has happened to me 2x), or a cracked speedometer. That water could have shorted something out.

thanks the tube is still on the module, so i will have to look closer to see if its cracked. Thanks

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A 98 Sunsetter would have the kysor medallion dual speedo setup. If all the gauges are out then look at the mdc under the dash. If you have a drip or leak while underway, hopefully it is a cracked hose. I have heard of the MDC speedo sensors freezing and the water can then get to the circuit board and ruining the mdc.

Check your ground bar. I have had to pull my ground wires off the bar and clean them.

I have a buddy that purchased a mdc off ebay last year to replace his actual computron in his echelon. I don't think he is going to use it, and it may be a dual speedo unit. There is a difference between the dual speedo mdc and the single speedo unit (5" gauges) that came in 99. There is a programming change for the pitot select and the speed adjust. On the dual speedo the switches calibrate either speedo, on the 99 and newer 5" one is pitot select and the other is calibration. Medallion sent me a the wrong year and only one pitot woudl work.

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A 98 Sunsetter would have the kysor medallion dual speedo setup. If all the gauges are out then look at the mdc under the dash. If you have a drip or leak while underway, hopefully it is a cracked hose. I have heard of the MDC speedo sensors freezing and the water can then get to the circuit board and ruining the mdc.

Check your ground bar. I have had to pull my ground wires off the bar and clean them.

I have a buddy that purchased a mdc off ebay last year to replace his actual computron in his echelon. I don't think he is going to use it, and it may be a dual speedo unit. There is a difference between the dual speedo mdc and the single speedo unit (5" gauges) that came in 99. There is a programming change for the pitot select and the speed adjust. On the dual speedo the switches calibrate either speedo, on the 99 and newer 5" one is pitot select and the other is calibration. Medallion sent me a the wrong year and only one pitot woudl work.

Cheers thanks for the great info, when i head back to the lake I will be sure to check all the grounds and the speedo tubes. If your buddy wants to sell the MDC let me know I don't think it would hurt to have an extrac. The one under my dash has two tubes attached to the Black box under the dash they are zip tied on pretty tight so I am thinking the MDC is cracked from freezing as the boat came from Cali and is now in souther BC Canada and it gets alot colder there. Is there a main inline fuse or breaker for the dash?

Thanks Again for the help

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