MPH Guage not working

tony1b2000

tony1b2000

Active Member
Oct 10, 2007
243
Salem MA
Boat Info
Carver C37
Engines
Mercury Diesel 4.2 TDI, inboards
Hi,

I have a 2003 280 Sundancer. The MPH gauge has not worked since I bought the boat 2 years ago. One mechanic mentioned to look for a tube in the back of the sterndrive. I have 2 drive and do not see any tubes out of either.

Any help or pictures would be greatly appreciated

Thanks
 
tony1b2000 said:
Hi,

I have a 2003 280 Sundancer. The MPH gauge has not worked since I bought the boat 2 years ago. One mechanic mentioned to look for a tube in the back of the sterndrive. I have 2 drive and do not see any tubes out of either.

Any help or pictures would be greatly appreciated

Thanks
Click to expand...

Most boats your size and up have a paddle wheel inserted in a plug that protrudes from inside the boat to expose the wheel to water flow passing the bottom as the boat moves forward. The paddle wheel is retractable from inside the boat while its in the water, yes water does shot in while a blank plug is inserted. This paddle wheel can become fouled with growth, dirt, and even bottom paint. If you have the paddle wheel type, pull it and clean the wheel until it spins freely and re insert. (Make sure the wheel is properly aligned with the axel horizontal to the keel.)

This wheel is a magnet which when spinning causes a small coil inside the plug to clock a electronic pluse and that is reported up wire to the speed gauge.

If you have one, this is the fix.
 
On the front of the Out drives (the side closest to the boat) about halfway up the lower unit there should be an opening. It's not large maybe the size of a bobby pin and looks nothing like a tube. GENTLY insert a paperclip in this hole to see if any dirt has jammed in there. If it's full of crud this is your issue. try to loosen up as best you can and it may solve your problem. Not sure if this applies to Alpha drives but you don't state what type of drives you have.
 
if you have alpha1's then we have the same boat. I hate this speedo, seems like it's way too much work. When it does work, it's always off. There's a little opening on the forward face of each drive near the bottom. These suckers don't take much to get plugged up. Hit any kind or size wood and it pretty much gets clogged. You have to take a little wire and pull the debris out, fun. This year I had to snake the tubes to clean them out. I HATE THIS SPEEDO.
 
No Paddle wheel on this model


Yes, I have 2 alpha gen 2 drives. Wow, pin size? Talk about looking for a needle in a hay stack? It would be on just 1 drive right? Which one? And Which side?

Thanks
 
tony1b2000 said:
No Paddle wheel on this model


Yes, I have 2 alpha gen 2 drives. Wow, pin size? Talk about looking for a needle in a hay stack? It would be on just 1 drive right? Which one? And Which side?

Thanks
Click to expand...

Not pin sized, a little larger. Just run your finger up the front of the drive and you'll feel the opening. Probably on both drives
 
Larry&Leisa said:
Some will use a small drill bit by hand and work into the opening to pull the gunk out.
Click to expand...


Up until last year i would have recomended that. Then a Marine Max "mechanic" was doing that on my brother's Baja and he broke the bit in the opening.
 
Others have done it before and will do it again, hell i did it on my Crownline. I just think after witnessing one break off and the outdrive needing replaced was enough to scrare me into not doing it again. Not sure the outdrive needed replaced but MM did it and that mechanic is no longer working there.
 
Hi guys, ok is the opening at the little v groove in the drive ?

Thanks for your help
 
Here's how it works for me. In the winter I clean it out real good. I drop it in the water and yayyy it's working. Then I cruise to my season marina down the hudson. Hit some twigs and small branches. No longer working, still too cold to jump in the water and unclog it. after a couple of months I jump in and spend an hour underwater trying to pull little bits of wood out. Yayyy it's working. On the drive back to the slip I run through some floating debris.... Not working again.
 
Sea Ray's have spedometers?

Oh yeah. . that is the gauge in the middle I never look at. Starts at like. . 10mph, right? Much rather have a pair of temperature gauges that size instead. I really run the boat based upon RPMS.

This is the main reason I have a chartplotter. . . .
 
Larry&Leisa said:
Some will use a small drill bit by hand and work into the opening to pull the gunk out.
Click to expand...

Zorba said:
Up until last year i would have recomended that. Then a Marine Max "mechanic" was doing that on my brother's Baja and he broke the bit in the opening.
Click to expand...

Larry&Leisa said:
guess I better delete that then.... don't wanna get black balled for bad advice... :)
Click to expand...

Don't delete it, the mechanic was a klutz! If he placed the correct size bit (can't remember the size and length, it is on the boat) in a pin vice, he would've had more control. The key is not to push on the bit when you feel resistance from the obstruction. Last year I had to drill as far as the bit would reach, then blow air back through the pitot tube that came up from the stbd side drive......the gauge might be worthless, but without it working, it screws up Smartview data for fuel range.

Here's a pin vice...just google it, there are plenty out there.

EXL70005.jpg
 
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