Gages on crack!

[Kabudda]

I have a 1977 Sea Ray SRV 195 with a 165hp merc i/o... My gages are just plain screwy. I find myself pretty mechanically inclined and I can usually figure out these types of problems, but I'm stuck. After replacing my coil, points and condenser my tachometer pegs out to max as soon as the ignition is turned on. I double checked the wiring I messed with when replacing the points etc... but can't find anything connected incorrectly / differently than before. Also my fuel gage seems to work in reverse... It has done this since I acquired the boat. I checked the polarity going to the gage and it seems correct.. Is there a way to check the polarity of the sender w/out yanking the floor to get to the tank?

 

[ringmaster]

Re: Gages on crack!

check the ground wires on your dash at the guages. my did that also it drove me nuts till i found the ground wires loose.

 

[cnr2003]

Re: Gages on crack!

I'm having similar problems as well with my '77 Starcraft. At idle the tach reads over 2,000 rpms and with any throttle it pegs out. I have not checked any of my wiring. Loose ground as well maybe? Do the gauges ever go bad?

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Gages on crack!

All of those sound like ground issues or low voltage.I have had connectors be corroded where wires connect together and is not visible.
run a temporary ground from the battery to the dash,if that does not work test the voltage at the dash with a test meter.

 

[1976SRV190]

Re: Gages on crack!

70s vintage Sea Rays have a instrument issue. That is the ground is coming loose. Mine needs the entire wireing pack tied to a high point under the dash or the ground keeps coming loose. I had weird intermittent or no gauge function till I got under the dash and grabbed the whole wiring pack and tied it to a screw under the dahs with a zipp tie for strain releife, now no problems and everything reads correct.

1976 Sea Ray SRV 190......