Cracked gauges - replace the lens?

b_arrington

b_arrington

Well-Known Member
GOLD Sponsor
Feb 21, 2007
3,482
Setauket, NY
Boat Info
Back Cove 37
AB Ventus 9VL
Engines
Cummins QSC 8.3 600
The lenses of my gauges have started to crack. My SmartCraft RPM gauge had a small crack that I was ok living with, but when I went to the boat yesterday I saw it had gone totally kaplooey. It's now cracked all the way across and in 3 places, with a chunk barely hanging on.

The SmartCraft RPM gauge is the worst and most immediate issue, but the other gauges are starting to show cracks as well.

Questions:

  • Is there any way to replace just the lenses, or would an entire gauge need to be replaced?
  • If the whole gauge has to be replaced, does the data for the SmartCraft one (engine hours, settings) reside in the gauge on on the ECU?
  • Is there different lens availability for the SC gauges and the more standard small round guages?

I did search for lens replacement, but the answers weren't conclusive.


cracked_gauge.jpg
 
This is strange that a number of your gauges are all cracking. While a cracked lens is certainly not unheard of, it's odd that they are all doing it. There must be a common denominator in there somewhere. Weird.

I do not, personally, know of any source for just a lens, nor a "better" lens/gauge. For the most part, the existing ones are pretty reliable. The "info" for the SC resides in the ECU.
 
Lazy Daze said:
This is strange that a number of your gauges are all cracking. While a cracked lens is certainly not unheard of, it's odd that they are all doing it. There must be a common denominator in there somewhere. Weird.

I do not, personally, know of any source for just a lens, nor a "better" lens/gauge. For the most part, the existing ones are pretty reliable. The "info" for the SC resides in the ECU.
Click to expand...

Thanks. The one pictured started to crack 2 seasons ago, just the center most crack. The top crack was was next, then the start of the bottom crack this spring. When I uncovered the boat this year they were slightly bigger; when I came back the day after a cleaning session the cracks spread as shown in the picture.

The speedo gauge developed a small crack last year. All the cracks started to get bigger on that one weekend. The speedo cracks are now multiple, all in a row. This happened after cleaning the boat and wiping them down with some UV protectant as usual. The only think I can think of as a common denominator is that the cockpit was really hot when I came back the next day, but that's no different than a typical summer day.

I guess I'll have to replace the gauges as they fail. I'm sure that won't been cheap.
 
b_arrington said:
Thanks. The one pictured started to crack 2 seasons ago, just the center most crack. The top crack was was next, then the start of the bottom crack this spring. When I uncovered the boat this year they were slightly bigger; when I came back the day after a cleaning session the cracks spread as shown in the picture.

The speedo gauge developed a small crack last year. All the cracks started to get bigger on that one weekend. The speedo cracks are now multiple, all in a row. This happened after cleaning the boat and wiping them down with some UV protectant as usual. The only think I can think of as a common denominator is that the cockpit was really hot when I came back the next day, but that's no different than a typical summer day.

I guess I'll have to replace the gauges as they fail. I'm sure that won't been cheap.
Click to expand...

What UV protectant are you wiping the gauges with? I wonder if this could be making them gauge lenses weak. I've never used UV protectant on my gauges.
 
b_arrington said:
The only think I can think of as a common denominator is that the cockpit was really hot when I came back the next day, but that's no different than a typical summer day.
Click to expand...

I agree, that is certainly not something that is "out of the ordinary". We may never know what caused it, unfortunately.

I use Serious Shine, as well. A chemical interaction is certainly a plausible theory, but you're safe using the SS.
 
My guess is the heat. My gauges get fogged but never cracked. But when the boat is in it's slip, the stern faces due west, so the sun bakes on the dash for a good part of the day. It also looks like the trim around the gauges is pretty dark, perhaps adding to the heat situation.
 
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In Two Deep said:
My guess is the heat. My gauges get fogged but never fracked. Bit when the boat is in it's slip, the stern faces due west, so the sun bakes on the dash for a good part of the day. It also looks like the trim around the gauges is pretty dark, perhaps adding to the heat situation.
Click to expand...

That's a good point. The dash panels behind the gauges are black with light speckles, and the gauge faces themselves are black. I guess 11 years of heat have taken their toll on the plastic lenses.
 
Did you find a solution? all of mine work great just the lenses are all cracking
 
gaugesaver.com
They have the lens for the SC1000. They can replace or sell the lens for DIY repair.
 
All my gauges are cracked. They were like that when I bought the boat. Not sure what caused it either.
 
This might be related to the gauge problem or not ---You should not clean plastic/styrene/eisenglass/ or any type of plastic with glass cleaner that contains ammonia, windex-glass plus-and many other glass cleaners contain ammonia, which when used on plastics it strips the polymers or something like that and causes the plastic to "dry out" and become slightly smaller and very brittle.

Same thing goes for spray furniture polish and finishes, especially Pledge-unless it is the pledge that says right on the can "safe for plastic" .

Maybe something in the "serious shine" is reacting with the plastic.
 
yv1 said:
gaugesaver.com
They have the lens for the SC1000. They can replace or sell the lens for DIY repair.
Click to expand...
Thanks. I found this guy at the end of the summer. I’ve been chatting with him every few weeks to get updatedwhile he’s been working through the production process.
 
Sublimetime said:
This might be related to the gauge problem or not ---You should not clean plastic/styrene/eisenglass/ or any type of plastic with glass cleaner that contains ammonia, windex-glass plus-and many other glass cleaners contain ammonia, which when used on plastics it strips the polymers or something like that and causes the plastic to "dry out" and become slightly smaller and very brittle.

Same thing goes for spray furniture polish and finishes, especially Pledge-unless it is the pledge that says right on the can "safe for plastic" .

Maybe something in the "serious shine" is reacting with the plastic.
Click to expand...

That’s why I used the Serious Shine. It says its for use on plastic. When I get the gauges fixed I won’t be using it any more on them, just in case. I have some Imar cleaner / polish now so will use that.
 
b_arrington said:
That’s why I used the Serious Shine. It says its for use on plastic. When I get the gauges fixed I won’t be using it any more on them, just in case. I have some Imar cleaner / polish now so will use that.
Click to expand...
Or just use a tiny amount of dish soap and water and no chemicals. And throw a cheap white beach towel over them when you are away from the boat to prevent sun damage to them and the gauge panel.
 
I've heard lot's of good things about the gentleman that started GaugeSaver - from what I understand he started doing it somewhat as a hobby - after seeing a need in the industry for it. I'll be using him soon for at least one of my Yamaha multifunction gauges as the LCD is leaking.

For what it's worth, SeriousShine won't cause that issue. I 100% agree about watching what you use, but SeriousShine is completely safe. I've used it on all of my boats for a couple decades... on the vinyl, fiberglass and window glass, as well.
 
MonacoMike said:
Would GaugeSavor work to replace gold bezels with chrome?

MM

Just went through photo gallery and doesn't look like it.
Click to expand...

I just texted them and asked if they could change the chrome bezels on my gauges to black, and their response was they don’t stock or sell bezels but bezels are available and easy to replace. I suppose I just need to find a source.
 
lawndoctor said:
I just texted them and asked if they could change the chrome bezels on my gauges to black, and their response was they don’t stock or sell bezels but bezels are available and easy to replace. I suppose I just need to find a source.
Click to expand...

Where are they available from?

MM
 
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