Yet another WIF Sensor Problem

[Keith Pleas]

I’m in over my head here – I’ve tried the forum resources and I’ve failed, what am I missing?

My port WIF sensor has deteriorated in the 2 years I’ve owned by 1999 vessel (starboard works fine). It periodically started going off last season – a few button pushes and it was quiet. This season…I’ve only been out for a couple of quick trips but it doesn’t stop. Engine is Cummins 45728072, 5.9 6BTA from April 1998.

I cannot see a WIF sensor on the engine (starboard engine picture attached, assume port is identical). My Racor filters do not have sensors. I tried disconnecting the lead (as outlined in the known article) and there was no change – light did not go out, alarm did not stop.

What the heck am I missing?

Topic

[Keith Pleas]

Thank you for the pointer Corey. I carefully compared your board with mine and can see all of the connections and mounting points match up.

Would you suggest swapping out both boards? I’m not sure how to evaluate those changed alarm points. Are there any other improvements?

[Corey Schmidt]

Keith Pleas wrote:

Tony Athens wrote:

Searching on the PCB board…I see a post from you back in 2017 where you were considering running a batch of your own boards – did that happen?

If you find that in fact you do have a bum PCB board, yes we have made our own:

Cummins (SMX) Replacement Analog Instrument Panel Alarm Circuit Board (PCB)

[Keith Pleas]

Rob Schepis wrote:

Sounds like a bum PC board. Can try swapping the boards.

Ah – you’re saying swap P & S boards and see if the issue travels with the board.

Looking again at my board picture, I see that the board is…discolored…at that jumper J5 and resistor R13 adjacent to it. Is that a common failure point? I can see that there could be an intermittent connection with a bad solder point there. My solder skills aren’t great but I could try redoing that – or I could just put in a new board.

[Keith Pleas]

Tony Athens wrote:

Have you disconnected the 2-wire PINK/BLACK harness at the main instrument panel that goes back to the the engine? You could have a bum PCB board as Rob suggested.

Is that the “WATER IN” J5 in my 3rd picture? I think that’s a single PINK/BLACK wire – you can see it hanging free in that image. Like I said, it made no difference.

Searching on the PCB board…I see a post from you back in 2017 where you were considering running a batch of your own boards – did that happen?

[Tony Athens]

You do not have a WIF sensor, so how could it work? You only have a circuit that is not used and can & does give false alarms at times..

Have you disconnected the 2-wire PINK/BLACK harness at the main instrument panel that goes back to the the engine? You could have a bum PCB board as Rob suggested.

[Rob Schepis]

Sounds like a bum PC board. Can try swapping the boards.

[Keith Pleas]

Relevant images

EDIT: I fixed the original post, this had images but I cannot delete it. 🙂

[Author]

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