Sounder Problems

[MassMax]

Took '98 3000 SCR for drive today. Sounder switch heated up to the point of melting the rubber cover above the indicator light. This is a rocker switch. At times the sounder readings went to "--". Anyone had this problem? Is the heating problem limited to the switch, possibly a short? Or is this an indication of a larger problem with the entire sounder unit?

[capav8r]

I would check for high resistance through the switch. If there were corrosion, etc this could cause the heat without causing a breaker to open. Might just be a bad switch. You could remove the switch and use an multi meter and check resistance. It should read around 1 ohm or so. While the switch is out, you could use your multi meter and see how many amps the sounder is drawing. You would need to consult the sounder's documentation to determine how many amps it should be drawing. Good Luck, Capav8r

[Page One]

Must be the weekend for '98 3000 SCR sounder problems. Over the winter it appears my mechanic has stepped on the sounder's transducer cable and broke the connect right at the transducer surface. Does anyone know where you can find a replacement or information on the type for replacement?

[shrew]

Originally Posted by Page One

Over the winter it appears my mechanic has stepped on the sounder's transducer cable and broke the connect right at the transducer surface. Does anyone know where you can find a replacement or information on the type for replacement?

The mechanic should be fixing things that you broke, not the other way around. If it worked, then he broke it, then he gets to worry about finding parts and fixing it.

[MassMax]

Well it turned out that there is more than a problem with the sounder switch and the fuel flow meter, which I had not mentioned earlier. The boat was surveyed today and the stringers were found wet and in some areas, the wood had pulled away from the fiberglass. Stringers were wet from the forward wall in the engine compartment to the transom.

Additionally you could see where two bolts, possibly the bolts that hold the transom zinc, had been pulled into the fiberglass. Because we decided not to haul the boat, saving me $260 on the survey, we did not take a moisture reading along the transom. But the surveyor and I believed we had enough information to stop the survey. Since the purchase was contingent on the completion of a satisfactory survey, we did not purchase the boat.

So do boat owners ever check the condition of their stringers on a routine bases? I will write a more extensive article on this incident under a different thread.

[ss3964spd]

Definitely a case where hiring a surveyor paided off, good for you MM.

I doubt most anyone routinely checks the condition of their stringers and/or transom. I know I wouldn't unless I suspected a problem like constant water in the bilge.