Help with Water Speed Sensor

D

davenpom

Active member
Joined
May 19, 2012
Messages
29
Fluid Motion Model
C-288 C
Vessel Name
Sultana
Howdy. Took a bit longer than expected, but got our R29 (Sultana) out for first time this year. There were many represented needed. We went out for long trip 65 miles out of Seward AK. Great fishing.

After first day, I noticed the water speed on my Garmin stopped displaying. It says 0.0 Mph. I set this up and used it because it would tell me when I forgot to open the Water valve. Well I panicked for a second thinking I was out 65 miles and my Water was plugged up. Well done testing showed it was working fine and my temperature stayed right in normal range as well. Do I know Water is cooling the engine.

So, long story but was hoping that someone could point me where to look to get the Water speed information working again.

I have the R29. Yanmar engine. Garmin 5215 chart plotter.
 
You seem to be talking about two different features. Water speed is related to your speed over the water and this can and usually is different than speed over ground. Speed over water takes into account any current that is against or with you. Speed over ground tells you how fast you are moving over the ground. So if you have a current pushing against you, say at 2 knots, your speed over water may say 10, but speed over ground will say 8. This feature requires an added device and sender to be installed for it to work. This is not usually a standard feature when purchasing the boat and will most likely be added after market by your dealer.

Your raw water intake is what will cool your engine antifreeze via the heat exchanger. Many of us have installed an after market flow alarm. This will sound immediately if a) when you started the engine you forgot to open the seaccok or b) while cruising your intake got clogged, the raw water pump belt broke or your impeller disintegrated. In all three instances water flow would stop and the alarm will sound.

I hope this helps in figuring out what issue you are trying to resolve or perhaps there is no issue because you may not have either device.
 
Yes, I guess I did mix two things. I very interested in the alarm you mentioned for the flow indicator.

What I was trying to ask was the water speed quit displaying on the Garmin. Any idea on where the sensor would be or what I need to do to fix?

Also great explication of why my GPS speed and Water Speed are different.
 
davenpom":zriea84c said:
Yes, I guess I did mix two things. I very interested in the alarm you mentioned for the flow indicator.

What I was trying to ask was the water speed quit displaying on the Garmin. Any idea on where the sensor would be or what I need to do to fix?

Also great explication of why my GPS speed and Water Speed are different.
Click to expand...

Hello davenpom

Most 'speed through water' transducers use a paddle wheel. The paddle wheel can be on the end of a THRU-HULL transducer but more commonly (as Mike said above) by way of a transom mounted transducer such as this
Garmin-010-10192-21-Transom-Mount-Transducer_330x280.jpg

The paddle wheel is barely visible at the aft of the transducer.

I'm still baffled by your linking speed through water AND intake of raw water for engine cooling in the second paragraph of your initial post
I noticed the water speed on my Garmin stopped displaying. It says 0.0 Mph. I set this up and used it because it would tell me when I forgot to open the Water valve. Well I panicked for a second thinking I was out 65 miles and my Water was plugged up. Well done testing showed it was working fine and my temperature stayed right in normal range as well. Do I know Water is cooling the engine.
Click to expand...

How does one relate to the other?
 
I will see what I can find on that. Thanks for pointing me in that direction.

I linked the two together, apparently mistakenly so. There was a day when I forgot to open the seacock. Of course by the time I hit just out of the harbor, I figured it out. Too late, had to replace the impeller. Shortly after that, I was customizing the layout on the 5215 and I saw the water speed option so I added it to one of my combination displays. Again another day I was pulling out of the slip and I noticed the Water Speed was displaying 0.0 miles per hour. I checked the seacock and it was closed. I opened it and when I took off again, the Water Speed was again displaying. So I made the assumption that that indicator was based on how fast the raw water was coming through. Obviously I'm not very savvy on engines or any of these type of gizmos, but it seemed to make sense. Probably not as much today as it did since you pointed out a few things.
 
Not sure why, but after about 45 min into our trip today, the Water Speed started to display again.
 
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