www.iFourWinns.com

Hey i just purchased a 1999 258 vista and everything was working but then towed it home 600 miles and now the dash is totally dead, I checked all the fuses under the steering wheel and wiggled wires but nothing, and can't figure out how to remove the cluster to check out voltage.

Searched high and low but can't find how to remove it. any help would be appreciated.
Thanks

Are you sure that the kill switch safety lanyard on ok. If that switch doesn't make you will have no power on the vdo cluster

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2001 328 Vista "Nauta Dream 2"
AB Inflatable 10AL "Little Dreamer"
2000 248 Vista
1997 225 Sundowner


Mike

Actually I did look in behind the safety switch and one of the wires are off but assumed that the previous owner disconnected the switch like a lot of people do. I did reattach it while the boat was running and pulled the lanyard and boat kept running so maybe it is disconnected somewhere else along the circuit... will check it out and see, thanks.

Do you know how to get to the back of the cluster in case I need to chase wires?

Thanks

Well I checked out the safety switch itself and it works but it does not shut off motor and even when I ground the two wires together nothing happens?? The cluster illumination lights from dash switch work but all gauges are dead. I can not find a fuse dedicated to the gauges?? Any help would be greatly appreciated....

On my 1998 225 Sundowner there were 2 screws at the top of the dash on the front side and 4 clips or so on the backside accessible from underneath the helm.

I have a 98 258 Vista and have removed the dashboard on several occasions, but not in a few years so I am a little rusty on exactly what I did and the boat is in a slip so I can't confirm my memory.

First, remove the compass (four small screws, as I remember). Reach into the opening and there are nylon "wingnuts" in the corner of the dash that you unscrew. Be careful to turn them the correct direction. I believe that is all it takes. Simply reverse the sequence to install the dash.

The integrated VDO dashes in the 98's (and maybe other years and models) can be source of endless frustration; there are a number of other posts regarding dash issues. Good luck on sorting out your problem.

My fuel gauge regularly would go from reading correctly to reading empty, the warning light would come on, and the annoying alarm would beep for random periods of time. In order of activity, expense, and hassle, I replaced the ground wire, the lead from the sending unit in the tank, the sending unit itself, and I finally stuffed a cloth rag into the alarm so I could not hear it if started beeping. Fortunately, it has not acted up in more than a year (knock on plastic).

Cheers,

Did you find this boat on a beach?

The ignition switch is miswired. A lot of people do that?

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Tom
Cape Coral

'99 Four Winns 258 Vista
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/bowcam
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/cape-coral-marine-radio VHF
http://67.207.143.181/vlf9.m3u VLF: Lightning, spherics

Find on a beach??? Came from Cape Cod.... not sure what you are getting at but boat is in like new condition with 330 hours and everything was working when picked up.... I think (or hoping) that a new ground wire will work after reading the cdi electronics four winns document on their website today.... will try it tomorrow and let you know thanks for the help everybody

Just wondering if the previous pilot was thrown overboard by a rogue wave - with no working kill switch - and the boat found land. Seems dumb to me to disable it.

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Tom
Cape Coral

'99 Four Winns 258 Vista
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/bowcam
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/cape-coral-marine-radio VHF
http://67.207.143.181/vlf9.m3u VLF: Lightning, spherics

Yes was wondering the same thing, but four winns guy told me on phone yesterday that the kill switch may be controlled through the vdo cluster..... hope so anyway. fingers crossed on the ground.

Got it out last night by prying up on top of dash with acouple of flat screw drivers... popped right out... checked voltage at connector and there was voltage across most pin with boat running.... so thinking this may confirm a ground issue. now that i have the cdi diagram I can rewire a ground and hopefully will fix issue... will post when i try it!

thanks

I had a similar thing happen a few years ago, but NOT with VDO gauges fitted. The engine was running, no gauges were working and the ignition and kill switches did not stop the engine. It was a combination of a loose main power connection to the helm (poor factory installation) and dodgy ground connections at the engine ( a number of dissimilar metals and corrosion). It never recurred after sorting those out.

The only way to stop the engine was to disconnect the low voltage connection to the distributor. I can only assume the engine ECU was somehow getting power from the alternator or battery independently from the ignition circuit.

Well i tried the ground and it was good but there was no power to pin 22 in the diagram which says it is the battery positive wire... there is supposed to be a 5 amp fuse somewhere in the circuit but could not find it. So jumped a wire off the fuse panel under dash and spliced with pin 22 and everything is now working!!

The wiring diagram trouble shooting page from CDI electronics were invaluable... much thanks for all the help!!

Isn't it hanging off of the ignition switch?

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Tom
Cape Coral

'99 Four Winns 258 Vista
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/bowcam
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/cape-coral-marine-radio VHF
http://67.207.143.181/vlf9.m3u VLF: Lightning, spherics

Thats what I thought but checked both sides of fuse for power and nothing... So that is the fuse that supplies power to the dash.... the wire must have come loose somewhere else maybe at the starter or where ever it terminates...