help with siemens VDO rudder sender

RIN

RIN

Well-Known Member
Joined
2 Mar 2003
Messages
3,236
Location
West Midlands
Visit site
Hi all
Anyone help with this? The flybridge rudder indicator gauge shows permanently to port, the cabin helm indicator shows to starboard and has a little movement on it. I have looked at the sender but cannot figure how it works. It has two wires only, one marked "G" brown wire. one marked "-" blue wire. Should I have 12 on one of those terminals? How do I test the unit is working properly? And if "G" is ground, what is "-"?
Thanks for any advice
 
Last edited:
RIN said:
Hi all
Anyone help with this? The flybridge rudder indicator gauge shows permanently to port, the cabin helm indicator shows to starboard and has a little movement on it. I have looked at the sender but cannot figure how it works. It has two wires only, one marked "G" brown wire. one marked "-" blue wire. Should I have 12 on one of those terminals? How do I test the unit is working properly? And if "G" is ground, what is "-"?
Thanks for any advice
Click to expand...

The gauge has 12v neg and pos, then you take a wire from neg to sender - terminal and wire from g terminal on sender back to the g terminal on gauge.

To test gauge you remove sender wires and needle will show full to one side, connect g terminal to neg and should read other direction.
 
Thanks I can try this today. But should the -ve terminal on the sender unit be connected to the boats grounding system? i.e. to the -ve battery / 240v earth?
 
OK thanks for that. Have done some testing and with wires disconnected, both upper and lower helm gauges are fully to port. When the wires are connected and the terminals bridged,both gauges are fully to starboard. I have cleaned up the terminals and connectors and tried again with the same results.
Does this indicate a poorly sender? Should I try connecting the -ve on the sender to the battery -ve?.

Lovely day here on the Hamble
 
RIN said:
OK thanks for that. Have done some testing and with wires disconnected, both upper and lower helm gauges are fully to port. When the wires are connected and the terminals bridged,both gauges are fully to starboard. I have cleaned up the terminals and connectors and tried again with the same results.
Does this indicate a poorly sender? Should I try connecting the -ve on the sender to the battery -ve?.

Lovely day here on the Hamble
Click to expand...

I'd be putting a meter on the sender to see how it behaves as you turn the wheel, and also on the loom from the sender to two gauges to check for continuity.
 
Also consider that it could be grossly out of adjustment so that the voltage is indeed changing but within a range that means the gauge is fully to stbd regardless.

Do as Jimmy says, and see if the voltage is changing but if the same thing is happening, try rotating it further than its current range to see if you can get the voltage in range to get the gague close to the midpoint. You can then adjust the hardware as required.

I had my cable changed once and it is a question of getting it roughly right and then taking the boat out, get it going straight and then have some poor so and so try and adjust whilst underway.
 
Still trying to understand the comments about measuring the sender. Am I measuring voltage or resistance?
I have taken off the actuator rod and can move the sender arm shaft through 90 degrees which causes a little movement on the lower indicator but nothing at all on the upper.
Also I can't see any adjustment that can be made either to the gauges or the sender so there must be a specicification for the output from the sender. Anyone know of a datasheet for it?
 
The problem with measuring voltage at the sender is that you're effectively trying to test two things - the loom from the gauge and the sender itself - because the voltage is supplied from the gauge to the sender using the loom. So in the absence of knowledge I'd disconnect everything from the sender and watch the resistance as you sweep the sender from one extreme to the other. Then I'd measure continuity from the sender end of the loom to the gauge end.

Edit: I see you're saying that when the 'wires are connected' both gauges say the same. Assuming you mean that you shorted the wires at the sender, then it does sound like a duff sender. Checking it with a meter would help.
 
RIN said:
Still trying to understand the comments about measuring the sender. Am I measuring voltage or resistance?
I have taken off the actuator rod and can move the sender arm shaft through 90 degrees which causes a little movement on the lower indicator but nothing at all on the upper.
Also I can't see any adjustment that can be made either to the gauges or the sender so there must be a specicification for the output from the sender. Anyone know of a datasheet for it?
Click to expand...

You will check the resistance across the 2 terminals of the rudder sender.

Should be between 10 and 180 ohms as you move the sender arm from one side to the other.

http://www.furneauxriddall.com/acatalog/VDO-Viewline-Rudder-Angle-Sender-440_102_002_001.html
 
Rogershaw said:
You will check the resistance across the 2 terminals of the rudder sender.

Should be between 10 and 180 ohms as you move the sender arm from one side to the other.

http://www.furneauxriddall.com/acatalog/VDO-Viewline-Rudder-Angle-Sender-440_102_002_001.html
Click to expand...

Thanks for all the help everyone. Yes that is the sender I have
20160516_111901_zpsqhywqggm.jpg


Will take the digital meter down to the boat next time and check the resistance. If its significantly different I'll order a new sender (£107 in the UK, £70 delivered including import charges from the US!). If not I'll have to check the wiring loom. Back of Lazerette to front of flybridge could be an interesting challenge:)
 
RIN said:
Thanks for all the help everyone. Yes that is the sender I have
20160516_111901_zpsqhywqggm.jpg


Will take the digital meter down to the boat next time and check the resistance. If its significantly different I'll order a new sender (£107 in the UK, £70 delivered including import charges from the US!). If not I'll have to check the wiring loom. Back of Lazerette to front of flybridge could be an interesting challenge:)
Click to expand...

Wow what a high cost.

I got mine from a boat jumble on time I was in the UK. and offered a reduced price as he was packing up so got it at a knock down price.

PS disconnect the wires before measuring the resistance.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top