Gauge issues

BTheis

Hi just wandering if I can bench test a Malibu (medallion) gauge . It’s the 4 in 1 and only the oil pressure stopped working. Thanks

FSSPCat

@BTheis mine did the same thing but with the fuel. I took a friends out of their boat to see. It was the gauge for sure. I ended up replacing it.

Ray

Probably the stepper motor. If your patient enough, that's a nice winter project. Go slowly and make sure you don't break the impossible-to-find bezel. 3 years since the repair and they work perfectly.

DkLkSkr

@Ray do you have more insight on how to replace the stepper motor?

Ray

I hope my memory serves me right...
 
Symptoms: Some gauge needles don't cycle anymore when energized. 

1. Disconnect and remove gauge.
2. Remove the bezel with care.
3. Take out the lens. That's a challenge. Using a razor blade slowly around the lens next to the case flange, a bit of heat can help. The case will probably be brittle, and you'll need to be really gentle.
4. Use tape to mark the position of the four needles at home position (can't remember whether it was clockwise or counterclockwise).
5. Take out the needles and the gauge background.
6. Unsolder the main connection point. Now you have the board in your hands.
7. Unsolder the stepper motors (it makes more sense to change them all if you have reached this point).
8. Remove all the solder with a vacuum tool (important).
9. Resolder the new stepper motors with the least amount of heat.
10. Solder the board into the casing.
11. Put the background and needles back on.
12. Seal the lense with silicone, reinstall gauge.

S1Pitts

@Ray Do you have a source for the stepper motors?

Ray

@S1Pitts Amazon, search for "168 gm stepper motors"

This is what I bought, but they are unavailable at the moment.


Dromedary 6 GM GMC Stepper Motor

DkLkSkr

@Ray Thanks for the write-up! Why silicone instead of a glue for plastic? Is that so it is easier to disassemble should the motors need replacing again?

Ray

@DkLkSkr Yes.

Personal choice, but my rationale was that it bears no load, glue excess would be difficult to remove and it might not sustain a second surgery using high strength glue.

BTheis

@Ray thanks for your advice and pictures, got it all apart just need to order the stepper motors.

GaryJanzig

Anyone tried marine gauges from Autometer.com? They have a real nice GPS speedometer. Skiboatpartsonline.com has a good selection of replacement gauges too.

03RLXi

I just ordered one of these medallion conversion kits https://skiboatpartsonline.com/Medallion-Conversion-Kit-Malibu-TRD-1208-MAL-PP?search=1208 Once it arrives and is installed I'll report back on how it goes

Ray

@03RLXi Clean solution but what about engine hours, depth finder, water and air temperature provided by MMDC? The tach option gives you an hourmeter and the paddle wheel thermocouple can be wired back to PP for water temperature display.

It would be nice if Ron's tach could also display depth.

03RLXi

@Ray the 1208 kit gives me a new multi gauge and GPS speedo.
Could have got the 1205 with multi and tacho but as my third gauge is the Malibu tacho & PP combo the 1208 is the best option.
Engine hours available in the PP (or in engine if plug in diagnostic reader.
I don't care about air temperature as just use feel to kow if it's cold, ok or hot :-)
For water temperature and the all important decision if boardies only, shorty wetsuit or long wetsuit we're always on same lake so roughly know by season and weather, and if we really want to know water temp it's already available in PP.
We will miss the depth alarm but sometime I'll add a new depth gauge/alarm.
I did ask Ron if theres any chance he's developing a gauge with LCD for depth, temps etc but reply was no, not at moment.

BTheis

The kit cost $62 , 7 motors lots of spare lights in three colors. The soldiering vacuum is king when doing this kind of work (it came with the kit along with soldiering tool).

DkLkSkr

@BTheis what was the method you used to separate the lens from the case?

BTheis

@DkLkSkr I used a one sided razor blade. It took many hours.

DkLkSkr

@BTheis Figured as much. I've been using a razor blade as well and just rotating the gauge as I have the razor blade up against it. Makes even more sense as to why @Ray used silicone to reattach. Would save a lot of time if needing to do this again, which is likely the case given these stepper motors.

BTheis

@DkLkSkr If I had to do it again I would have used a hacksaw blade filed flat and thin.

03RLXi

Installed my TRD kit. GPS speedo and multi gauge. It completely removes the Medallion MMDC computer so no future issues. Haven't water tested it yet. Tomorrow hopefully weather willing.

03RLXi

The replacement TRD guages work great! Very happy with them. The GPS speedo is awesome and no waiting for it to find satelites as it stays powered up for 8 hours

royalto3rd

Do you have the wiring instructions for the gauge replacement it you bought from RT?

03RLXi

Yes, he supplied some instructional diagrams