Captiva 212 Shifter/ Temp gauge sender wire

rlawrence

Anyone have photos or link to process to remove / replace shifter? I can dig into it and figure it out, but would like a review first.  I'm actually just working to remove it and find the short that it is causing to my temperature gauge sender wire.  I've tested it to confirm.  Something in there is binding it and opening up circuit.  Cannot find anything on engine end.  I'm looking for ideas.

212rowboat

before you do that, can you explain what the gauge is doing?  does it work in neutral but not in gear or vice versa?  

the harness that encases the temp sender wire doesn't involve the shifter... the harness has a wire drop out, and then go back in the harness- and that is all... that is the neutral interrupt.  the other wires that drop out and back in are the trim wires- and they are also not impacted by the temperature sender. 

my guess is you can make this much easier by intercepting the ground from your temperature gauge and place it on another known good ground.... and your problem will be resolved.  

now what it 'could' be is the harness has broken a zip tie anchor point, and when you use the lever you pull the harness forward or backward, and it places a strain on the connectors... and those connectors LOVE to corrode... on my 212 i ended up pulling those plugs off and soldering wires to both ends, in effect extending the harness and eliminating the plus which are NOT water tight and invite corrosion... I wager your temp sender wire is corroded and pulling off the connection when the harness is moved.  

rlawrence

It's more like intermittent.  Sometimes works in neutral and drive.  Sometimes pull it back to neutral and won't work until full throttle.  Never seemed to work in neutral, mostly when pushed to forward.  Sometimes works all the time for hours and just quits again.

I pulled the wire off sender and grounded it and gauge didn't work.  Played with the shifter, and sometimes the gauge pegged.  So because it so shifter dependent, I pulled the gauge and tested it.  Placed the sender post to the ground on the gauge and the gauge worked fine.  All the connectors on the gauge are fine and bold on clean and tight.  The ground on the gauge goes to other gauges on the panel and checks fine with ohm meter.  Only think I haven't done was hook up a replacement wire from sender to gauge to verify it is the sender wire.  But thought I'd done enough so far. 

You say, "the harness has a wire drop out, and then go back in the harness- and that is all... that is the neutral interrupt."   where is this "drop out"?  Is it behind the side panel where the shifter is?  That's what I was thinking. 

What plugs are you talking about that you soldered?  that was corroded?   On the gauge side? 

Sounds like you have some experience with this.  I'm listening.

212rowboat

what year is your boat?

the speaker behind the helm seat and the little compartment behind it can come out and allow you to see- but it takes some work... a flashlight and a phone (camera) are your friends. 

the dash and instrument panel needs to be removed as well... you can unscrew them and lay them, still connected, across your steering wheel and prop the instrument panel atop a beer can(you have beer, right? you'll need beer)... 

where the harness disappears behind the bend- going back down the gunnel to the engine- there is a likely 12 pin connector.... almost square white thing.  in my experience, this is the culprit of most 'instrument' issues (when it isn't the faria gauge).

that connector isn't water tight... and though there shouldn't be that much water intrusion back there, it still happens.... even if just a mist.... and the connectors in that white block corrode- turning a nice patina green and shearing right off...

it is that block i removed- by pulling the speaker and the panel compartment thingy behind it and cutting a couple zip ties of the harness- allowing a few more inches of 'reach' from behind the dash pulling that white block to directly under the dash.... i then cut wire-for-wire, soldering water-tight sleeve style 'butt' connectors on each and adding about six inches or so of length in the process. 

the only gauge i have now that has 'intermittent' issues is the battery gauge.  it doesn't bother me it misbehaves because i rarely pay attention to it.. 

something else i did, too.... I pulled two 00ga wires through the gunnel and terminated them on the panel between the under-dash and the waste container compartment.  It's wired to the battery switch.  this allows me to have solid clean connections of 12vdc available without relying on the OE harness.  that was for accessories understand, like the nav and radio, extra lights and amplifier.  However, it's come in handy with other items as well. 

the wiring in that dash is horrendous... i mean 'really' strange.  i resorted to a meter and pencil in hand, writing discoveries on a tablet, and then pieces of masking tape on the wires to identify them.  insofar as standard color codes, 'they' followed them on about 3/4 of the wiring, and tossed in others it seems just to confuse. 

there is another white block connector that is your radio/speaker wire harness... i'm not talking about that one... i'm talking about the one hiding around the corner... you may be fortunate and find the wires aren't broken and the connector is simply corroded and something a spray of battery terminal cleaner and then terminal protection spray can cure. 

there is a little harness that dives out of the main harness between the shifter and the dash... it has your neutral interrupt and your trim switch wires in it.. you'll know it when you see it. 

again, i suggest that white 12pin (i think it's 12 pin) block is your issue, and a disconnect (don't let the end going back to the engine go! i used a zip tie to secure it to the steering cable housing) , clean, protect, and reinstall will set you up back to new function.     



.... but before you go diving in that wiring, do me a favor... go back to the engine and find both temperature probe connections... they are just a post and push on connection... pull them both off- slightly squish the connection with needle nose pliars... reinstall... they are notorious for bad connections- ESPECIALLY if they are tied to the same wires IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT the neutral interrupt and the automatic choke wires are connected to... if they are, they will 'ride' the gear/throttle brackets and move ever so slightly which is enough to alter the connectors grip on the sensor/sender post.  

i really wish this connection was a spade or a pin connector, even a ring and nut connector.... and guess what? the post is threaded allowing a ring and nut to be introduced, but it is difficult to work in that area... try the squish method first... you may find this is your issue and it's not at the dash at all... 

by the way- i've encountered BOTH these issues just this year.  

rlawrence

Wow, thanks for you time man.  I'll have to print this out and take it over to the boat.  I had no idea there was a terminal between the sender connector on the gauge and the sender.  That's what I was wondering.  Sure would be nice to find a wiring diagram.  I have a 2002 212 captivia. 

I don't understand the "squish" directions.  You mean the connectors on the temp sensor?

212rowboat

Yes.. the harness side sticks on the exposed threaded post of the sensor/sender... close it a little so it stays on there firmly.  I'm willing to wager that is your issue alone, especially if it is tied to the wires for the interrupt and choke... 

rlawrence

oh, yeah, I noticed that; but remember, I grounded that wire and the gauge did not peg.  That's why I tore into the gauge to test it without the sender wire.  And then that lead me to something in between the gauge and the sender.  I'm guessing it is that connector post you describe.  That'll be my chore tomorrow; will advise.  Thanks again for your time to share.