2000 X-Star Engine Gauges Don't Work

[T-bone]

310 Predator. All gauges worked fine in the driveway and for the first 5 minutes at the lake, then stopped. Just the engine gauges though. Depth finder, PP, clock, etc still work.

Speedo, voltmeter, tach, oil pressure and engine temp. do not work but they light up when turning the navigation lights on, so there is power there. Could it be the ECM? I tried resetting the breaker but nothing. Any suggestions?

[Jim@BAWS]

Originally Posted by T-bone

310 Predator. All gauges worked fine in the driveway and for the first 5 minutes at the lake, then stopped. Just the engine gauges though. Depth finder, PP, clock, etc still work.

Speedo, voltmeter, tach, oil pressure and engine temp. do not work but they light up when turning the navigation lights on, so there is power there. Could it be the ECM? I tried resetting the breaker but nothing. Any suggestions?

Bad ground or MDC box has failed

Jim@BAWS

[T-bone]

Thanks Jim. I'm thinking it might be the MDC as I just checked it and it looks like water was coming out of the bottom of it. I think the speedo stopped working first, then the rest of the gauges right after.

If it failed, could water from the pitot tube have shorted it out inside?

Tim

[BriEOD]

Originally Posted by T-bone

Thanks Jim. I'm thinking it might be the MDC as I just checked it and it looks like water was coming out of the bottom of it. I think the speedo stopped working first, then the rest of the gauges right after.

If it failed, could water from the pitot tube have shorted it out inside?

Tim

I have a 2000 PS 205 and my MDC went bad and all my gauges went. Water from the pitot filled up the MDC box and shorted it out. I bought a box from Jim and all was well again.

[Jerseydave]

Originally Posted by BriEOD

I have a 2000 PS 205 and my MDC went bad and all my gauges went. Water from the pitot filled up the MDC box and shorted it out. I bought a box from Jim and all was well again.

Same happened to my friend's 2001 x-star. I think when water comes out of your MDC box that means it's shot.
Why would they put a printed circuit board inside a box where water operating the speedos could possibly get into it and short it out? What years did they do this? I'm just glad my '05 is not that way.

[BriEOD]

Good point. I have since unhooked the pitot lines from the MDC box. I get a speed reading from my PerfectPass.

[T-bone]

Thanks for the help guys. Looks like I'll be ordering a new MDC box on Tuesday. With PerfectPass, I think I might unhook the pitot lines from the box as well.

As JerseyDave said, it doesn't seem like the best idea to put a printed circuit board in the same box where water is operating the speedos. It sounds like it's a common problem, so hopefully they have changed the design on the newer models.

[BriEOD]

You're most welcome. It is a real easy fix--four screws, two bolts on the wire harnesses, and the pitot tubes. It should take 10 minutes, max.