Instrument lighting

G

Greatlakesboater

New member
As a new C-Dory owner, I have noticed that there is no instrument lighting for night time navigation on my boat. Of course, there isn't much instrumentation and you experienced boaters probably rely on the engine sounds rather than the rpm gauges or the trim meters (which aren't very reliable anyway). But just out of curiosity has anyone come up with a lighting alternative that doesn't interfere with night vision ?

This is a great website for we new owners and thanks to Joe of SeaWolf for responding to a previous question!
 
Have you checked to see if your instruments have lights? Most instrument manufacturers have included lights in their instruments for several years now. Or you might find that they are not wired correctly. Mine (2013) came from the factory wired such that the instrument lights were on when the anchor light was switched on but off when the navigation lights were on. A jumper on the back of the switch was connected to the wrong terminals on the switch.
 
Is your engine a Honda? My 2008 CD22 apparently has no power to the instrument lights. From the wiring diagram in my BF90D manual, I think the two small terminals on the wiring harness are the connection, though I have not yet tried connecting them for fear of damage. I had to cut a couple small tie wraps on the harness to free these connectors. When I hook up the instrument lights I would like a rheostat in the circuit but don't know if that is possible...
InstrumentLightsConnect.sized.jpg
 
When I bought my CD22 with the Honda digital RPM gauge the instrument light was not working. I found the instrument light was not hooked up. I can't remember if the solution was to hook two of the existing connectors together or connect one to 12vdc. Either way it was a 5 minute fix and that included time looking at the wiring schematic in the Honda owner's manual.

It was very easy to do.

The light in the RPM gauge is not that bright. A rheostat is not required (or would be on max all the time). The Yamaha gauges on my previous boat were much brighter and some people might have liked a dimmer. I didn't use the boat that much at night so it wasn't that big a deal to me.
 
colbysmith":151buuls said:
I only have instrument lights on my CD-22, when the nav lights are turned on. I'd like to see lighted switches!
Click to expand...

I would like it if the main switch panel on the console was backlit to see the switch labels.
 
Thanks for the suggestions, guys. Does anyone know when C-Dory first used instrument lighting. I ask because mine is an older model (2003) and I'm wondering whether backlighting on the instruments was added later. I have tried the nav and anchor lights and neither seems to activate instrument lighting. Maybe that's because there weren't any on the older models or maybe it's because I haven't figured out the wiring yet.
 
In my case the Honda RPM gauge lighting is on all the time the ignition switch is on (I think). In the daytime you can't see it. The light is internal to the instrument and it comes that way. I guess you could hook up the light input to your nav light switch.
 
Dear GLB,
The instrument lighting is from the manufacturer of the instruments, not somethng C-Dory does. Now C-Dory, or someone else in the last ten years, could have mixed up the wiring. With Honda instruments the tachometer and the tilt switch of that vintage should be lit when the nav lights are switched on. What engine(s) do you have? Someone with the same engine setup could give you some advice. No doubt the cabability to be lit is there.

Regards, Mark
 
Mark, thanks for the suggestion. My engines are Honda 40s. I am encouraged by your suggestion that the problem may be wiring rather than an absence of backlighting on the gauges themselves. Do you or anyone else have any further suggestion on what to look for in the way they are wired ?
 
The Honda Manual (for 2004 40hp engines) shows two wires coming from the instrument cluster pair (a pair is one tach and one trim gauge). The wires are Red/White and Black/White. It is possible that the wires from each pair (since you have two engines) are wired together near the instruments and then a single set of two wires down to the switches.

Your nav light switch and your anchor light switch have a jumper (I think this is called a diode jumper, one way street) between them. That way the anchor light goes on when nav lights are turned on, but not vice versa.

Whats a matter, getting dark a little early over there? :wink:

Mark
 
The manual for my 16 cruiser says:

If you would like your motor instrument lights to come on with your running lights, attach the instrument light's wire to the running light switch. You can do the same for your compass light.

On my 16 ( with a Honda 50) I have red/white wires from the tach, trim gage, and volt gage, as well as a black wire from the compass, attached to the running light switch (center pull).
 
Mark and Ron, thanks for the replies. Mark, you seem to be describing how the instruments are wired to the switches but that doesn't resolve my problem with the lighting of the instruments. On your 2004 Hondas are the tach and trim meters backlit with the nav lights on ? On my 2003, with the nav lights the instruments are not backlit. Should I be looking for additional wiring other than what you and Ron have described ?

Ron, you specifically describe an "instrument light" wire. Is that the red/white wire you both describe ? Or does the red/white wire from the tach gauge provide power to both the gauge and the lighting inside of it ? If so, then it seems that for some reason I'm getting power to the gauge but without any lighting.

Once I get a handle on this I'll run over to the marina and check out the wiring I have.
Thanks again.
 
RonJr":2v3nryzr said:
The manual for my 16 cruiser says:

If you would like your motor instrument lights to come on with your running lights, attach the instrument light's wire to the running light switch. You can do the same for your compass light.

On my 16 ( with a Honda 50) I have red/white wires from the tach, trim gage, and volt gage, as well as a black wire from the compass, attached to the running light switch (center pull).
Click to expand...

Didn't think about my compass. It does not light up. Might have to see about hooking it up.

However, I rarely use it because of the GPS. I was sort of thinking of taking it out.
 
Mark and Ron, thanks for the replies. Mark, you seem to be describing how the instruments are wired to the switches but that doesn't resolve my problem with the lighting of the instruments. On your 2004 Hondas are the tach and trim meters backlit with the nav lights on ? On my 2003, with the nav lights the instruments are not backlit. Should I be looking for additional wiring other than what you and Ron have described ?

>On your 2004 Hondas are the tach and trim meters backlit with the nav lights on ?

Yes, that is correct.

>On my 2003, with the nav lights the instruments are not backlit. Should I be looking for additional wiring other than what you and Ron have described ?

One possibility is that the light wires from the instruments were never hooked up to the light switch or have come loose. These lighting wires are independent of the other wiring to the instrumcents.

>Ron, you specifically describe an "instrument light" wire. Is that the red/white wire you both describe ?

Yes, these are the wires coming from the instrument, also the black/white wire. They are thin wires, 18 ga or smaller.

>Or does the red/white wire from the tach gauge provide power to both the gauge and the lighting inside of it ?

No the lighting wires are separate. The tach has to work whether the lights are on or not, eh?

>If so, then it seems that for some reason I'm getting power to the gauge but without any lighting.

Lights and power have separate wiring.

Regards, Mark
 
The wire for the lighting in the Honda digital gauges is separate in the harness. The wiring diagram in the Honda owners manual (or online) shows this wire. It is the red and white wire. Connect it to 12vdc (either straight to the 12v bus or through the nav light switch). The ground is the common ground for the rest of the instrument.

In the digital instruments the lighting is an EL panel behind the display and it is not very bright. On a sunny day you will have a very hard time determining if it is actually lit up (even when covering the gauge with your hands). It is sufficiently bright when operating at night.

For the analog gauges there are two wires for the instrument lighting. Red/white for 12vdc and black for lighting ground.
 
Greatlakesboater":1tv9we5o said:
As a new C-Dory owner, I have noticed that there is no instrument lighting for night time navigation on my boat. Of course, there isn't much instrumentation and you experienced boaters probably rely on the engine sounds rather than the rpm gauges or the trim meters (which aren't very reliable anyway). But just out of curiosity has anyone come up with a lighting alternative that doesn't interfere with night vision ?

This is a great website for we new owners and thanks to Joe of SeaWolf for responding to a previous question!
Click to expand...

It would be helpful to know what boat, what engine(s) and what electronics you are asking about. You can put that info into your profile and it will save putting that info into each question.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon
 
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