Need good recommendation on useful engine gauges please...

I would like to reconfigure the engine gauges on our E30+ to ensure I have the most useful information while running the engine.

I currently have a fuel gauge which works pretty well in conjunction with the engine hour meter to monitor fuel level, so I think I should keep that.

I have a water temperature gauge which I monitor religiously, and which is connected to an overheat warning buzzer. It suffers from condensation in the lens to the point where it is hard to read on some days, so I think I should replace it.

I also have an ammeter which is no longer working, and that is the spot where recommendations would be especially helpful. Because the engine wiring was modified as recommended on this site, the ammeter used to only show an electrical draw when the glow plug was operated; the rest of the time it read at "0", so was of little use. I think it would be nice to know if the glow plugs are both still working--ie. depending on the amount of draw, I could tell if one or both plugs were operational. I also have a link 10 system which shows battery voltage and amp draw located in the salon. Also, my electrical panel in the quarterberth has both an analogue voltmeter and ammeter connected just to the house battery (though maybe to the starter battery as well if I have the battery selector switch on "both"--I'll have to check that).

I have a red warning light that goes on if oil pressure/level drops, but don't have an oil pressure gauge. I think the likelihood of a problem in this area is pretty small, though consequences could be serious.

I plan to remove the broken ammeter gauge on the engine panel, and could simply replace it to get that glow plug draw information, but I'm wondering if there would be a better gauge to put in there to give me more useful information. Any ideas?

I don't have a tachometer which could be useful, but I've heard they are quite unreliable, and I have no idea how to wire it in. Or perhaps a voltmeter, so I can see if the alternator is still charging properly while operating the engine (though I can see that if I go below into the salon to check the Link 10, but I don't do that often while motoring, as I should be on the helm.

I do quite alot of singlehanded sailing, so convenient easy access to information is helpful, and access to the most critical information is what I'm after. Any thoughts and recommendations would be most helpful!

Frank

Check out CruzPro gauges

I have the CruzPro T60 digital temperature gauge. It has its own user-settable overheat alarm with a built-in 85db. alarm buzzer. I use it in conjunction with the existing temperature switch/alarm on my Yanmar 1GM, so I have some redundancy. (I configured the T60 to go off at a lower temperature than the Yanmar temp switch, to give me a bit of advanced warning.) They also make gauges for monitoring other functions, so you might want to look at these as well. Their tech support seems very responsive, so that's another plus. Check them out at http://www.cruzpro.com/

Thanks, Alan. It does look like a good company with interesting product lines. I would still welcome opinions on what gauges are most useful in our boats, given my description of what I currently have in my original post.

Thanks again!
Frank

I refer to the water (coolant) temp gauge all the time, as well as the tach.
Our fuel gauge is at the nav station.
Our Amp meter works, but we seldom refer to it.

The stock low-oil pressure buzzer works.

Aside: One trick that I use to try to keep all the panel stuff functional is that about every 4 or 5 years I remove the wires, one at a time, clean 'em up with sand paper and a small wire brush, and put them back on their little posts with some lube to displace any moisture.

Loren

Thanks, Loren. That is very helpful. I think you're right that the water temperature and tachometer are probably the most useful of all, but I'll wait a bit to see if others have any other ideas.

I did remove all the wires in the engine panel to clean them earlier this year when my fuel gauge was acting up a bit--it was alot of work in tight quarters, but the fuel gauge works properly again, and aside from the non-functional ammeter and condensation in the water temperature, the wire connections are all good now. But I understand why you would only want to do that about once every 4 - 5 years!

Frank

Useful Instruments

Frank,I agree that water temp and tach. are most useful. There are many ways to wire a marine diesel tach including some small simple digital tachometers that clamp onto the injection pipes and sense the pulses of the fuel flow. Others wire to the alternator on the stator output or to the voltage regulator if there is a tachometer output. The tachometer is a great instrument to help gauge fuel economy for cruising calculations and to assess the health of the engine (Correct idle speed, consistent power, etc.)Mike Jacker

On my 30+ I replaced the ammeter with a voltmeter. Same situation with my ammeter, it only showed a draw with the glow plugs. The voltmeter seems to work fine in that if you have 12.6 or less, the alternator is not charging. You can see the voltage drop when cranking or heating with the glowplugs.

I also put in an electronic tach I picked up for a few bucks at a surplus marine store. My alternator had a few taps, ummarked though, and one of them put out the right signal. The tach has an adjustment pot to get the right reading - check it against a handheld tach from Harbor freight. You can tell pretty much by sound the relative rpm, but it's nice to have.

Thanks, guys. Sailorman37, that sure looks like a nice installation! It seems there is agreement that the water temperature, tachometer and maybe voltmeter are the three most useful gauges, but if anyone has an additional opinion, I haven't bought them yet, so am still welcoming ideas.

Thanks,
Frank

On the question of ammeter vs. voltmeter, which one gives the earliest indication of alternator failure? I'm asking from the reference point of a gas engine (Atomic) with spark plug ignition.

Paul
E29 "Bear"

Frank Langer said:

Thanks, Alan. It does look like a good company with interesting product lines. I would still welcome opinions on what gauges are most useful in our boats, given my description of what I currently have in my original post.

Thanks again!
Frank

Click to expand...

To actually address your question.... I guess I'd agree with everyone else that the temperature gauge and tachometer are the most important. I do know of folks who have *replaced* their temperature switch buzzers for a sensor and a gauge, but I would not want to have *only* a gauge for monitoring temperature. Actually, I think the buzzer is the more important of the two (i.e., if you could only have one) because you cannot keep your eyes glued constantly on the gauge and an overheat condition could occur quite rapidly. Hence, the CruzPro is a good solution for those who have only one port in the engine, because you would simply swap out the temp switch for a compatible sensor and then you would be good to go. On my engine, someone had already installed a "T" and wired in an analog gauge, which I discarded in favor of this new one. (The T60 worked with the original sensor.) So my setup actually has two overheat alarms--the original one and the one built into the CruzPro T60. As for charging, I just take a look at the volt meter at my electrical panel and I can tell whether the alternator is working or not--though I don't pay much attention to the specifics. And regarding fuel: for that I use a mechanical gauge mounted directly on top of the tank. In fact, it's one of these: http://www.boatersplus.com/moeller-...utm_content=EB-5903553&utm_campaign=shopzilla MaineSail has a detailed thread on the SBO site about how failure prone the typical electrical sensors are on most fuel gauges. There are a few out there that he recommends and this mechanical sender is one of the reliable ones. There is also an add-on that can allow this unit to send the electrical signal required for a remote readout, which makes for a reliable setup that is also conveniently read. However, on my little Yanmar 1GM, which burns about 1/4 gallon/hour, I find that I only rarely need to check the gauge, and so I just glance at it on the top of the tank when I've got my head stuck in the engine compartment to check my oil level or whatnot, and that's more than good enough.

Thanks, Alan. That fuel gauge does look solid and foolproof. So many things to think about....

Frank

paul culver said:

On the question of ammeter vs. voltmeter, which one gives the earliest indication of alternator failure? I'm asking from the reference point of a gas engine (Atomic) with spark plug ignition.

Paul
E29 "Bear"

Click to expand...

Paul, either one will work just fine. V will show voltager drop from charging (13-14V+ volats down to 12), A will show no current. The A will do it faster, since V will be present in the batteries.

BUT, BUT, BUT, that's NOt why you should make the choice.

Ammeters, unless they have remote shunts (which most cockpit gauges do NOT) shouldn't be used in cockpit panels.

Why? Because an ammeter works in series with your power, so it means that ALL the charging power from your alternator has to come up to the cockpit panel BEFORE it goes to the batteries. And, it's usually in small wires.

Just a bad concept.

One doesn't really "need" an ammeter at all. It's a LOT less expensive, and much better engineering, to buy and install a battery monitor. It gives you A, V and ahs. What more could you ask for for less than $150?

Maine Sail has a great writeup on this, if you haven't seen it before:

How to Wire a Battery Monitor by Maine Sail: http://forums.catalina.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?t=125606

For info on ammeters & shunts:

Ammeters & Shunts 101: http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,6032.0.html

Stu Jackson said:

Paul, either one will work just fine. V will show voltager drop from charging (13-14V+ volats down to 12), A will show no current. The A will do it faster, since V will be present in the batteries.

BUT, BUT, BUT, that's NOt why you should make the choice.

Ammeters, unless they have remote shunts (which most cockpit gauges do NOT) shouldn't be used in cockpit panels.

Why? Because an ammeter works in series with your power, so it means that ALL the charging power from your alternator has to come up to the cockpit panel BEFORE it goes to the batteries. And, it's usually in small wires.

Just a bad concept.

One doesn't really "need" an ammeter at all. It's a LOT less expensive, and much better engineering, to buy and install a battery monitor. It gives you A, V and ahs. What more could you ask for for less than $150?

Maine Sail has a great writeup on this, if you haven't seen it before:

How to Wire a Battery Monitor by Maine Sail: http://forums.catalina.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?t=125606

For info on ammeters & shunts:

Ammeters & Shunts 101: http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,6032.0.html

Click to expand...

Thanks Stu. I have the ammeter without shunt and I see what you mean about the circuit path. I'll be changing things when I rebuild the engine panel.

Paul
E29 "Bear"

Minimalist

I vote for Temp and Voltage. Teleflex?

Throw in the tach if you want to splurge or are hearing-impaired. I would perhaps also eliminate the fancy switches and replace with simple (high-quality) push buttons. Funny, I have been looking at my whole system, too. The harness gives me the chills, the wires on the panel are all corroded, and I am thinking of redoing my panel, too, as I am working on the engine (other post). JUst need to find a good brand for the gauges.