Dash Rewiring Estimate

[daniel123]

I bought an as-new (and looks unused) Aquasport dash panel with gauges and switches and breakers, from that salvage place in Florida everyone here seems to use (thanks, Marc!), for my 1999 Osprey. It looked like a perfect re-fit, although short three gauges/holes from the original dash on my boat. I hoped the wiring harness would plug right in, and all we'd have to do is drill three 2" holes for the extra gauges, wire them, mount the panel (which looks and measures just like the original) and plug it in. I'm not good with electronics, however, so I took it to my local marine mechanic and he just informed me that the two harness are are not interchangeable and the the entire panel will need re-wired if I want to use the new gauges and controls. He said that is a 2.5-3 hour job at $97 per hour, and that with the drilling the three new holes in the new panel and mounting the gauges the bill would ad another hour and the bill would be about $400. Does that sound right? Is there anything else I should ask him to look at while he's at it?

While the rig is in there, and I plan to tow it down to Florida late this winter (2500 mile round trip), I asked about repacking trailer bearings and he said it was $125 per axle/pair --which sounds really high and has me wondering...

I welcome - and appreciate -- your thoughts and comments.

[flounderpounder225]

Daniel, I would be very leery of this situation, obviously I'm not there, and can't make an assessment of the situation, however, unless your 99 Model has been rewired (which I doubt) and the panel with the gauges is the proper panel (which I am assuming it is) there is NO WAY it is going to need 2-3 hours of re-wiring.,  Assuming the "Blue" plug is different, that is just a connection, all the wire colors for all the different gauges and switches are the same, its an industry standard.  at most he would have to do is eliminate the plug and "hardwire" the panel to your existing harness.  Its not that difficult...

[daniel123]

I just talked to the guy doing the job and he's already into the rewiring and said it's not as hard to do as he first thought. He said there's a half dozen wires coming in separate from the harness and that all the switches and gauges are wired together which makes it tougher. I'm going to have to run with it and live with the results. I'll keep you posted.

[seabob4]

I just talked to the guy doing the job and he's already into the rewiring and said it's not as hard to do as he first thought. He said there's a half dozen wires coming in separate from the harness and that all the switches and gauges are wired together which makes it tougher. I'm going to have to run with it and live with the results. I'll keep you posted.

He is incorrect.  The gauges' only commonality to the boat wiring is the back-lighting and the ground for said back-lighting.  The gauges have their own molex plug and the boat's harness does as well.  It's simply a matter of applying power to the boat harness pins, wire by wire, see what comes on, then match that wire with the corresponding wire coming off the switch panel.

I would have done the same job for you for $xxx, including installing and wiring the additional gauges...

[daniel123]

Well, I got nicked for $450 for everything I had done on the Osprey at the local dealership, which included:

-Removing the old and installing/wiring the new dash, including drilling three new holes for the additional gauges  
-Securing the new fuel sender plate with two additional self-tapping screws (I was able only to get three of the five mounting screws to 'take' when installing the new WEMA sender last month) and hooking up the wires to same
-Repacking two trailer wheel bearing assemblies
-Checking and replacing wire nuts with butt connectors on the bilge pump wiring

How's that sound?

Dan

[gran398]

Well, I got nicked for $450 for everything I had done on the Osprey at the local dealership, which included:

-Removing the old and installing/wiring the new dash, including drilling three new holes for the additional gauges  
-Securing the new fuel sender plate with two additional self-tapping screws (I was able only to get three of the five mounting screws to 'take' when installing the new WEMA sender last month) and hooking up the wires to same
-Repacking two trailer wheel bearing assemblies
-Checking and replacing wire nuts with butt connectors on the bilge pump wiring

How's that sound?

Dan

Sounds about like what we would pay at a boat place here.

[daniel123]

Thanks for letting me know; I was worried I might have really gotten taken. He did a good/neat job on hole-cutting and the siliconing of the dash panel and the sender unit install and wiring. Much as I hate to drop $450, I am glad I got it all done -- and by a pro, especially the wiring. Now the rig is ready for winter and the first/next trip in March: the long haul to FLA down Pine Island/Matt's way -- where we will have to rely on the boat to get to and from the island (North Captiva) where we are staying. Oh, and we might even use it to do some fishing...

Thanks all for the advice and help on getting the rig water-ready.

[Bergertime]

Man... I love boating in that area!  Cabbage Key Rocks!!!  I bet my dollar bill is still somewhere on the wall there.. Ha Ha!  Safe travels

B

[daniel123]

Mine is; I check every year, but it takes a beer or two until I can find it.

Last time we were there I went back to the boat to get something during lunch and an otter was in the bait box of the boat next to ours and eating all the guy's ballyhoo. Everyone else thought it was the guy's dog until it slid overboard and never surfaced.

Great place indeed.