LINC and gauges intermittent SAN 210

[Andy Mohler]

my 2011 SAN 210 developed an intermittent display: Analog RPM and Speed pegged to zero underway, all digital data went to zero. The LINC display stayed lit, but no information. Then we got various intermittent readings, false RPM and speed readings, fuel reading zero then correct amount, some ballasts read correct and others not. We ignored it until done surfing then restarted the boat, gauges resumed correct operation.
Any opinions?
Thx/Andy

[High altitude]

What's the saying? ...."Opinions are like _______, everybody has one" With that said, everybody has an opinion on electrical issues and they usually are varied. It seems a common thread in the world of boat maintenance to replace parts in order to fix the problem. Accurate trouble shooting is probably the best bet but not very easy.

With that said, here is my opinion. I believe you have a bad ground. It could be one of several places. I don't own a SAN (I have a 99 SN) but it can't be a whole lot different than any other boat I have worked on. There could be a bad ground at the battery, instrument panel or on the actual motor. It's a wicked pain in the rear to find unless you get lucky. I still have a very intermittant grounding issue with my boat that effects the starting about 1 in 50 times. I created an additional switch that circumvents the whole problem until I have more time to find the root source.

Good luck and please let us know what you find. -Marc

[BT]

Doesn't the linc system work off of a CAN bus system?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CAN_bus

A CAN bus module needs power, ground, and a digital signal on the bus line between modules to work properly. I would think there could be a trouble code in a module that might lead toward a direction to repair. The bus signal would need to be checked with an ocilliscope to verify if it is present or not.

I'm not sure that this is the way it works, but I seem to remember hearing sometime back around 2007 the Nautique guages work this way. A good wiring diagram will tell the story.

Sometimes a module will get "stunned" and a simple reboot, like turning the igniton off then back on again, will get modules talking each other again. Might be best to wait and see if the problem occurs again before you troubleshoot or take it to the dealer.