charging issues

[walleye 1]

I have a 1989 blue fin fish and ski made by bayliner. It has a 85 hp force motor. The other day while cruising across the lake I smelt electrical and shut her down when I turned the ignition back on my gauges no longer worked. Could there have been a voltage spike that caused this? I have new gauges but don't want to fry them too

 

[roscoe]

Welcome walleye 1.

Is the motor still charging the battery?

I suspect not.
Your voltage rectifier has probably died, which would also kill the signal to your tach in most instances.

Did you locate the source of the "electrical smell"?

 

[walleye 1]

I still have power at ignition switch but it did also kick the circuit breaker on motor. Yes it is still charging my garmin shows voltage to it and it reads 12.4v without motor running and 13.6v wot. Have not located the hot spot but have not pulled the voltage gauge. No smell from ignition switch or fuel gauge NO tach

 

[jerryjerry05]

Probably not a voltage spike, but a short somewhere?
Start under the dash and check the fuse panel.
Then check under the gunnel by the shifter for worn wires and burned spots.

 

[walleye 1]

I finally took boat out and hooked a volt meter to the tach wire and was getting 16v at WOT 13.2 at an idle is that to high where do I go from here

 

[Jiggz]

The gauges are fed through the ACC or ON position of the ignition switch either through a fuse or circuit breaker. On other units, the red wire comes directly from the starter solenoid while on others it comes directly from the battery. You might want to check where the fuse or circuit breaker is located at. I do not believe this is caused by voltage spike but more of a short circuit in one of the gauges or wires feeding the gauges.

 

[jerryjerry05]

16v is ok 13.2 is the usual battery reading.
I don't think that motor charges unless the motors running over 1500/2000 rpms.