Sounds like a ground problem. Did you visually check or pull and inspect grounding wires. I've had wires look good but were corroded and bad connection where it fell apart in my hands.

If the sensor wire is grounded, but there is power to the gauge, then it will peg all the way to the right. I would try removing some of the sensor wires from the gauges, that should get you pegged all the way left. Sounds as though there is a miswire in the sensor leads.

Check the obvious stuff, from return (ground) at the panel to hot, should be 12 V., that each gauge is getting power, that each gauge has a ground. The ground is on the gauge only for the sake of the light, make sure it is not connected to the sensor wire S instead.

With the sensor wire disconnected from the gauge and the power off, measure the resistance between the sensor wire and ground. It should be anywhere from 33 to 240 ohms, probably somewhere in the middle. If not, follow the wire back to the sensor.

When you have two stations, you have a sender that varies from 17 ohms to 120 ohms, so that it can power two gauges. The S terminal on both gauges should go to the sensor. There is a terminal block somewhere where they come together. Terminal blocks are good places for miswires.

Whoa!

Before taking a swan dive into that instrument cluster, think about what wires you may have disturbed in the repairs. One of them might simply be shorted to ground somewhere.

Question: Did the starter crank when you hit the key?

Jeff

Okay here is what I have found. When I lift the start switch's on the bridge to run, All gauges, both upper and lower stations work fine :d/ . When the bridge switch's are turned off lower station gauges peg all the way right . Now the tricky part. Keys in ignitions turned on, Lower station start switch's turned off, Upper station switch's will turn the motors over but won't start them. If I go back below and lift the lower station switch's to the run position without starting the motors I can then go to the bridge and start the motors. I am beginning to think the problem may be in the start toggle switch's. I am aware that if you originally start the motors from one station you must go to that station to shut them off. In the past when I turned the ignition keys on I could start the motors from either station without having the lowers turned on. Hope this makes sense to someone that could point me in the right direction. Until then me thinks the problem may be in the toggles . If anyone has run into this before I would love to hear what you found out, thanks

Tim,

Check all the places that the purple wire connects cause if U have checked for good ground then the Purple wire will be the culpert some where along the line either miss connected or not making a good connection

Norm,

Big s Live On

Sir: You are allowed to work on my boat any time!

Jeff