Dash lights

[lynnboy021]

I have all new gauges but half the time people don't look at the gauges.... so I wanted to know if I can add lights so let's say the motor is over heating, a light will come on showing the motor is over heating and same for oil fuel and alt not charing just like a cars dash.... So is that possible to do without computer???

 

[glenn property of pam]

Re: Dash lights

theres no real problem with doing that. Once you have decided on what you would like to monitor then its just a case of buying switchs (thermal, level,etc) or in the case of the alternator you can install a idiot light. another way is to rotate the gauges so all needles point up when they are in the safe zone as that's quicker to spot a problem then reading the gauges.

 

[lynnboy021]

Re: Dash lights

What kind of switchs do I need to buy???

 

[lynnboy021]

Re: Dash lights

Do I run the wires from gauge to lights or sensors to light???

 

[agallant80]

Re: Dash lights

What motor do you have? Some of them have a horn system that will alert to these conditions.

 

[lynnboy021]

Re: Dash lights

89 Chevy 5.7 omc

 

[sam am I]

Re: Dash lights

Well with that engine and to do idiot light jobs as you requested......go to the auto parts store and get Oil Pressure "Switch" and Water Temp "Switch", any oil switch and temp switch say high limit of 200F will do as long as they can thread into the block in the appropriate places........wire those switches to lights of your choice.

Auto Meter/200 degrees Fahrenheit Pro-Lite warning water temperature light switch (3246) | | AutoZone.com

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/pa...-8znc6?itemIdentifier=68467&_requestid=238563

As far as Alt light.....What type of alternator do you have?

The low fuel light might be a custom job, contemplating that one still.

 

[lynnboy021]

Re: Dash lights

I forgot what alt I have... I had a 50 amp came with the boat but it was junk so I bought a new one I think a 100 amp one wire alt.... I am asking about the fuel cuz I saw on YouTube a guy had a old boat and he had a fuel light so I thought I would like that and plus for water oil alt... If it's a lot of work forget it just wanted something to do over the winter.... I rewired the boat added another battery new alt new starter new carb new fuel pump.... Been restoring the boat for 2 years cuz every time I went to the water I always had some type of problem lol.....

 

[sam am I]

Re: Dash lights

Ahhhh, one wire is wired for local sensing then......hate those BTW. they don't account to wire loss under larger load situations, When jumpered to only sense locally it makes an alt a bit dumber to the conditions of the outside world!! Anyway, probably internally jumped/converted from 3 wire to 1, most are....That can be wired for idiot light but requires you to open up the alt. Got a part number?

The fuel light thing.....hmmmm, wonder why no after market manufactures put a lil dumb LED light in their gauges when the needle is close to "E" geeeeesh, we have LED's on everything else in our worlds these days. That would be easy to do, make one and get rich? Simple voltage comparator

http://www.circuitstoday.com/voltage-comparator

Fig 1, Vin comes from fuel sender.........at 1/8 full for example, Vin = 1 volt, set R1 and R2 such that the "-" input is around 1 volt and Vout goes low when tank is around 1/8 and less full.

 

[lynnboy021]

Re: Dash lights

We'll maybe it's a 3 wire lol I have one for batt and a red n black smaller wires.... True that on the led on the fuel gauge or any gauge....

 

[wrench 3]

Re: Dash lights

We'll maybe it's a 3 wire lol I have one for batt and a red n black smaller wires.... True that on the led on the fuel gauge or any gauge....

Not sure if you're talking about a three wire sender or gauge, but either way, it will have a 12v, a ground and the sensor signal. You would connect the Vin to the sensor signal.
For engine protection why not install an audible alarm such as a Sierra MP41400 kit. It includes oil pressure and temperature switches, and is a single wire to the dash.

 

[sam am I]

Re: Dash lights

We were talking (i think) about a 3 wire alternator, verses 1 wire alt's...The typical three wire alt types have of course, the batt. term wire, a sense wire (terminal #2 typically) and a idiot light wire [(terminal #1) makes the 1/4 of his idea easy to implement.] opposed to the 1 wire types which just batt. term. wire.

Below(perfect design, brilliant engineer) is a typical and to make it a 1 wire, people/manufacture etc, jumper "#2" to "Batt" internally(local sensing) and not wire out #1 (that's what we were after)

The reason I said I dis-like local sensing (1 wire's) is when charging the batt for example and depending of gauge of wire, age and quality to connections, length of wire of the Batt. wire yada yada yada, there is going to be resistance inherent which will then have voltage drops and that voltage drop is a linear proportional relationship to the current (V=IR). The alternators with "remote sense" (3 wire)wire makes up for this by increasing its output , the 1 wire types can't, they're dumb to that.

 

[lynnboy021]

Re: Dash lights

New Mercruiser Marine Alternator Delco 3 Wire 110 Amp | eBay this is the one I have.......

 

[sam am I]

Re: Dash lights

Good deal, if this thing is wired as per factory then of the two wires....the red wire is the sense(#2 on schematic) wire and should be going to 12 Volts somewhere (typically parallels the Batt term wire to somewhere near the batt). The Black wire is the idiot light wire (#1 on schematic). Hook that up to a 1 or 2 watts incandescent as per the schematic above/below(the switch in the above schematic, is your ignition switch "on" position as shown below). Use the same type bulbs for the oil and temp swiches too. Perhaps put the lights near the corresponding gauges?

When you turn the ignition just to "on", the light should light up, just like a car's alt light does(bulb check), then when the engine spins up and the alt comes online after starting, the light will go out.



That's 3 of 4 idiot lights.

What was the resistance of the fuel tank sender btw? I suspect its open(or the path to it) by the sounds of it.

 

[lynnboy021]

Re: Dash lights

I have wire 2 and batt connected together then to the batt is that ok???? The fuel I did not open it up yet

 

[sam am I]

Re: Dash lights

Yes.. you just made a 1 wire is all.



Personally....I'd dis-connect that and run it as near to the batt as possible though, your batt charge states will be managed much better, unless it's close as possible by default.



For the low fuel light........you'll end up with something like this I suspect. He is adjusting the R1/R2 ratio to achieve that figurative "1 Volts" threshold in the above example i mentioned.

Or If your handy with a soldering iron, a piece of vector broad and a few components from radio shack, we'll line you out here. What the heck, that's why they pay us the BIG bucks here eh?

Wizard 7 low fuel warning light adjust - YouTube

Fuel Gauge Wizard Matches Gauge to Sender Petrol Diesel LPG Oil Water Etc | eBay


4 of 4 and w/o a computer Bygolly....I soooooooo wanted to code up a microchip controller, dang the bad luck. Maybe next time.




"Next time"...............

So just to show some contrast of using a "computer" (microcontroller)for the non-computer designed below, and waste 10 mins coding it up, a $2.00'ish uPc with a built in 10bit ADC and some code can save A LOT of $$$$$ and time. Gotta love the digital world these days, so easy to build things.

http://ww1.microchip.com/downloads/en/DeviceDoc/41288F.pdf

This setup would cost maybe $4 or $5 minus the switches, bulbs and beeper. The code and its one chip encompasses the entire discrete design below....... The gas gauge circuit, logic for the bulbs, relays and muting the beeper etc, etc.

Plus, the sky is the limit, say you want the gas light to come on solid when down to 1/8 full but, want it to begin blinking at 1/16 full and lower, you'd just add a few lines of code, recompile, flash the chip and POOF!! No re-wiring, no adding parts, it's all in the "words" of the code. If you can think it and write it( I like "C") it's fairly easy to implement new changes or additions.



The code as complied in MPLAB w CCS's plugin compiler

 

[wrench 3]

Re: Dash lights

Sorry about the mix up on the three wire but I assumed you were referring to the previous post. BTW if you're getting an automotive temp switch, be careful of the setting. Most of them are for 220+ degrees.

 

[lynnboy021]

Re: Dash lights

That's cool how can I make one???

 

[sam am I]

Re: Dash lights

Well...... It might be easier just to buy one? and I'm not questioning your abilities etc but, you would have to have the tools and some basic electronics assembly understanding first?

And can solder point to point things on a plated vector boards? Solder things like 1/8 or 1/4 watt resistor leads to 28/30 AWG wire and to IC leads etc all on a 1/10" spacing?

You'll need to have small soldering iron and solder, small gauge wire (kynar type, 30AWG preferred) It might come down to having/needing some basic understanding of some electronics/electricity theory and trouble shooting if you make a mistake wiring it the first time (even a seasoned old dog like me after making 20 or 30 point to points connections makes a mistake or 10).

I don't mind helping and have the circuit designed but.........it might be less a pain to buy it if you've not done assembly and trouble shooting or have the tools to go down into the component levels.

 

[lynnboy021]

Re: Dash lights

I work on mobo doing traces when ppl left the pads.... Like on xbox you know so how about the part list lol