21i Taps Gauge Not Working

[lalijaca]

Hi All,
Had the first ski and wakeboard of the new season here in Oz. Waters fresh, but still OK for shorts and a jacket. Anyway, the taps gauge stop working. It sits on the number 8. I have read previous threads and they mention a green wire. When I look at the power pack it has a blue, yellow, black and green wire running to it. When I look at the gauge, there is only blue, yellow, grey and white. No green.
Where does the gauge sender wire come from. Does it come straight from the cylinder or from the power pack? Which wire is likely to be the sender wire on the gauge?

[Ruger761]

Most of the time there are 2 small green wires hooked to the gauge something around 22g wire. Not 100% on an 07. The wires run all the way back to the cylinders. Due to the small wire sometimes they can get pinched or break. Does the guage move at all when you first turn the key on/off?

[lalijaca]

I checked whether the gauge worked at all after posting the thread. The gauge works after trying a couple of times. I will try and check the connections at the actuator. It would be great if I could get a wiring diagram for the gauge.
To answer your question Ruger761, yes the gauge moves when the key is turned on.

[Ruger761]

Sounds like it has to be the wires or connection then to the actuators which can be a PIA to get to.

[lalijaca]

OK, Today I pulled the floor over the fuel tank off and found that the silicon was quite oily. Further inspection I found evidence of ATF oil. I pulled the actuator off and noticed that there is one green wire that goes directly to the actuator from the HPU. I cleaned all the silicon off and remounted with fresh marine grade adhesive/sealant and re-tested. Running the actuator up and down to bleed it, I came across that if I extend the actuator all the way down, and I then apply force to the taps plate, I can get the gauge to register. This tells me that the sensor in the actuator is faulty, if there is one.
Can I pull the actuator apart and check the sensor, if there is one?
Or do I replace the whole cylinder?? This will be a big job.
I checked the back of the gauge and there is no evidence that the greens wires mount to the back of the gauge. There is just a "medallion" connection.
Your thoughts??

[tri_slarson]

The sensor is in the actuator. Seems like when the TAPS gauge stops working that's the problem. Mine quit working last year and replacing the actuator fixed it.
Give Bennett Marine a call and they should be able to determine what you need, 1-954-427-1710.


For my 2002 21i it was part number B0000SCS, cost was $117 plus shipping.

[lalijaca]

I have spoken with the Bennett distributer in Australia. They have firstly asked me to check the resistance of the sensor wires. They want between 220 and 240 ohms. As I stated earlier, the wires start of as single green sheathed cable and then there is a change somewhere at a harness or something as the green wire does not run back to the gauge. Where is this change is wiring likely to be. I am not fully keen on pulling half the boat apart to find it.
If I know what the wire colours are at the gauge, I can check from there.

[Ruger761]

If the medallion controls the guage you will have to go to it, to find where the wires are coming from the sensor. You won't be able to check after the medallion as it can change the signal.

[lalijaca]

I finally found the wires. The single green wire comes up past the throttle box on the starboard side and raises up to the underside of the dash. From there it splices into 2 smaller green wires. The worst thing is that after checking the connections and playing with the wires, wiggling and moving them, I tried the TAPS again and hey presto, the gauge works again. I am thinking that the plunger in the actuator is sticking so I will play with that next.

[Ruger761]

sounds like a short in the green wires. Doesnt take much as small as they are to have an issue