Unknown alarm behind helm?

We are helping on a 2013 Swift 44. There is an alarm behind the helm that is going off that we can't figure out what it's for. They tell me- The alarm "Goes off for about 30/45 seconds then shuts off then it starts back up again with no consistent time frame." He says- " it's located under the downstairs helm , if you go into guest head there is a panel you can unscrew overhead and the sounder/alarm is located right above it." The alarm looks like original equipment as they have had the boat since new. The alarm is powered by a set of wires that go into a bundle so they are hard to trace. The alarm sounder has 12v and 50/60 Htz shown on it. That seems like a strange set of voltage and Htz but that is what the alarm sounder shows. Does anyone have any idea what this sounder is trying to tell us?

Just a couple of guesses....


Water in fuel alarm from fuel filter or fuel tank?


High water alarm for bilge? If you have a normally dry bilge, then it might sound while the pump runs since the pump really should never run. That might explain the inconsistent interval, and the alarm duration. Try manually activating the bilge pump and see if it sounds.



Most engine control panels have sounders, often dangling from the wiring harness. Check engine temp and oil pressure.


I'm thinking the bilge pump alarm theory best fits your description.

The next time the alarm sounds, try flipping various 12v circuit breakers to find out which one is powering it. This might provide one more clue (?)

You could use a tone generator and try to trace the wire back.

44ft is a smallish boat
I reckon I could have shone a torch in every hole and checked bilge levels etc faster than it took you to open an account and ask a question. (-;

twistedtree said:

Most engine control panels have sounders, often dangling from the wiring harness. Check engine temp and oil pressure.

Click to expand...

Some engine installations also have additional sensors for oil pressure, coolant, and battery voltage. One of these sensors may be faulty or a loose wire connection. As a result, engine gauges may read normal inspite of an alarm being triggered by a failing sensor.

In addition to the sensors mentioned, some installations don't include a transmission oil pressure gauge. The alarm may be for that. Check your transmission oil level (often overlooked).

Ted

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,sgniteerG

Probably oil pressure, engine temp alarm. Sounds like a faulty sending unit.

pete

Thank you

Wow, this is a very active forum. Thank you for the suggestions. That is really great. I will pass these on. There are some very helpful suggestions there. Thanks again.

That should be the bilge alarm. Try turning the manual bilge switch on at the helm and see if it is the alarm.

Yes, good call.

Yes, good call. It turned out to be the bilge alarm. The forward water tank was leaking at the valve and slowly filling the bilge.
Thanks again for all the good responses. That was really helpful.
Scott