Gauge Removal and Updating

[Boomer 880]

I am re-doing my dash, and want to have the rims and face plates updated by Livorsi. Is there any easy way to remove the guages without taking off 5-6 wires per gauge? It looks like the rims could pop off!?

If no easy way to pop off the rims, do you suggest unscrewing each lead or cuting the wires and adding in a male-female plug for easy re-installation? How did everyone keep track of so many wires... ugh.

[Sean H]

take some pics first, label everything, then take it apart.... that is about the easy way i have found to do those things so far... it is also a good time to make sure your wiring is properly supported and looking nice underneath there, spend a few extra minutes with some zip ties and cushioned clamps....

[puder]

for guages contact trickmarine fred (too old) the owner is on the board!

www.trickmarine.net

[fund razor]

Disconnect the batteries.

Start at one end of the panel and go one at a time. 2 out of 5 wires on each will be the lighting circuit anyway (and possible a daisy chain). The ammeter might have some extra stuff tied on. Some do.

Make sure you lable each lead with what it was and where it went.

The nice thing is that there is a standard color code that most boats follow. The senders will be different colors depending on what they are (brownish grey-tach) etc. Be patient.
It also makes it nice when they go back in if you "gang" all 5 or 6 wires from each gauge. Half the battle is not interchanging leads among different gauges.

After you have done it once, you will be much more comfortable with what everything is and you will be able to troubleshoot easily if you have a problem in the future.

Good luck.

[Boomer 880]

Thanks for the feedback... yes, I already contacted Trick Marine.

Looks like it is just a slow process and a lot of lables. I went to Radio Shack and they have ties with labels on each. I will bundle each set of wires and mark each one and put a corresponding mark on the gauge. Not hard, but time consuming.

[Wally]

well heres the nice thing about what your doing......out of all the wires going into the gauge only one is different then the others. The sending unit gauge is what you need to mark so you dont mix them up. The rest only consists of ground, power/ignition, and the light wire. heres a color code list i posted up a while back....this should help you with your project

Boat wiring color codes (edited) PRINT THIS OUT!

Blk -Grounds-General
Blk/Brn -Pump Grounds
Blk/Red -Voltmeter Grounds
Blk/Org -Isolated Accessory Grounds
Blk/Yel -ignition stop
Blk/Grn -Water Level Sender Ground
Blk/Blu -Lighting Grounds
Blk/Gry -Nav Light Grounds
Blk/Wht -Battery Parallel Solenoid
Brown -Pumps-General, Bilge or Sump (Manually Switched)(Also alternator starter to Ign.)
Brn/Red -Pumps, Bilge or Sump
Brn/Org -Power feed to Auto Bilge Switches-Pumps, Fuel/Oil Tranfer or Priming
Brn/Yel -Baitwell or Aerator
Brn/Grn -Fresh Water Pump/Water Maker
Brn/Blu -Head Pump
Brn/Vio -Washdown Pump
Brn/Wht -trim pos sender
Red - Battery Feeds Unprotected
Red/Vio -Misc. Accy. Main Feed Protected (fused) from batt to trim panel.
Pink -Fuel Sender
Org/Blk -Audio System Feed
Org/Brn -Electric Head-Sanitation System
Org/Red -Wiper Port
Orange -Accessories common feed- Dist Panel to Acc switch-Anode Electrode-Mercathode
Org/Yel -Diesel Pre-heat
Org/Grn -Wiper Stbd
Org/Blu -Communications Equipment
Org/Vio -Navigation Equipment
Org/Wht -Wiper Center
Yel/Blk -Choke - Neutral saftey trans mounted
Yel/Red -Start Solenoid(starting circut), Neutral Safety
Yel/Org -Powered Ventilation, Fans
Yellow -Bilge Blowers -(also alternator DC output)
Yel/Wht -Rudder Angle Sender
Grn/Red -Stop Solenoid/Kill Switch
Grn/Yel -AC Grounding
Green -Bonding
Grn/Wht -Engine Trim in and or tilt down
Grn/Org -Engine Independent Trim down
Blu/Blk -Cabin Lights
Blu/Brn -Oil Temp Send
Blu/Red -Cabin or Cockpit Lights Port
Blu/Org -Engine Independent Tilt Up
Blu/Yel -Lighting Circuits to Remote Send
Blu/Grn -Cabin or Cockpit Lights Stbd
Blu -Instrument & General Lighting
Blu/Vio -Courtesy, Boarding Lighting
Blu/Wht -Engine Trim Outand/or Tilt Up
Light Blue -Oil Pressure
Vio/Red -Eng. or Generator B+ from Breaker
Vio/Yel -I/O Trim Up (ballast bypass)
Vio/Grn -I/O Trim Down
Vio -12v Ignition-Generator or Engine
Vio/Wht -Trim "Trailer" switch
Gry/Blk -Mast Light
Gry/Red -Spotlight Remote
Gry/Org -Docking Lights
Gry/Grn -Strobe or Beacon
Gry/Blu -Spreader/Flood Lights
Gry/Vio -Windlass/Winch
Gray -Navigation (running) Lights, Tach. Send
Gry/Wht -Anchor Light
Wht/Brn -Temp. Alarm or Indicator
Wht/Red -Fuel Alarm or Indicator -((Ignition module to Dist.)Mercury Thunderbolt Ignition)
Wht/Org -Fire Alarm or Indicator
Wht/Yel -Air Flow Alarm or Indicator
Wht/Grn -Water Press/Flow Alarm or Indicator - ((Ignition module to Dist.)Mercury Thunderbolt Ignition)
Wht/Blu -Oil Press Alarm or Indicator
Wht/Vio -Voltage Alarm or Indicator
White -General Alarm Usage, Yamaha Kill Switch
Tan - Water Temp sender
Tan/Blu -Warning system sense wire (Audio warning)
Pink -Fuel sender


oh and just take you time with it all.......and dont do something like what a buddy of mine did to "try and help me out" by pulling the dash appart before i could get there!!!! spent the next 90min tracing wires down cause none of the circut breakers worked at the time either!

[Sean H]

i helped a buddy do a boat, all red or black...... that was fun...

[fund razor]

The nice thing is that there is a standard color code that most boats follow. The senders will be different colors depending on what they are (brownish grey-tach) etc. Be patient.

well heres the nice thing about what your doing......out of all the wires going into the gauge only one is different then the others. The sending unit gauge is what you need to mark so you dont mix them up. The rest only consists of ground, power/ignition, and the light wire. heres a color code list i posted up a while back....this should help you with your project

See.... I learned everything I know from Wally and Iggy.
I saw Wally's post last year and printed that cheat sheet out for future reference.