Sea Ray 260DA touch switch panel failure - magic?

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Ferguson

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I have a 2001 260DA with the 9-switch panel on the console for horn, bilge, blowers, lights, etc. These switches go through a mux/demux to a set of relays to control the actual devices.

They all failed at once, one one trip. Well, almost; the bilge was working but no light, then all of a sudden none of them work at all. Zero. Nada.

From what I've read these are difficult to troubleshoot, to tell if it's the switch module, the electronics, etc. I've stared at the schematics a bit, but it's raining like mad and have not tried any serious trouble shooting beyond a brief look on the water yesterday. Shaking, disconnect/connect the wiring harness, and checking the fuses (with the push to test) showed nothing.

When I get time will try to make sure +5 and +12 actually have voltage at the plug, but beyond that...

Any suggestions? Any magic? How hard is it to break all these out and install separate individual plain old regular switches (anyone know if anyone has ever produced a panel cutout for such)?

To me it's an over-engineed mess, where simple switches would be fine. But now I have to deal with fixing it.

PS. Another forum estimated it as a $1500 replacement and hopeless repair, so I'm not real keen to drop it off at Marine Max. Hoping someone here has better advice.
 
replacing it with switches requires you to access the box in the engine room where it all comes together and bringing down a switch harness from the dash. The switch harness would provide the 12V for each system .simply connect the circuits in the main control box.
 
One big one or perhaps two to check before spending big boat bucks. Make sure any Master harness connectors that from the panel to the engine room are re-seated and clean.
Next if there are master 12VDC negative and a positive lead for powering the relays and or switches follow and check them both. These power leads maybe in the same Master connectors I mentioned above.
I assume these circuits run off your engines batteries.
Bill
 
Thanks, both. I will. Yesterday storms, today too hot, waiting for a bit of shade.

I THINK (but I need to confirm) from the schematics that the relays are inside the fuse box behind the helm, meaning that if I wanted to replace with switches that the individual lines are already run to the helm. But I am not certain -- I see where they go on the schematic, but mapping that to physical locations is not all that easy.

I'm sure I can test the +12 and +5 line to the touch panel, I already found that connector (and cleaned/reseated it to no effect). The power for that comes through the same box (wherever it is) that contains the relays (per the schematic), so if there's power to the switches that's bad -- bad because that would be relatively easy to trace I think. If it's not that, lacking a scope (and specs for the mux) I have no idea how to tell if it's a communications issue (muxes for example) or touch switch issue. Which leaves two very expensive parts to swap blindly.

But I think the second thing I'll look for is exactly where those individual lines come from. If they are already in the harness behind the helm, I'm going to be very tempted to replace it with a bank of regular switches (lighted perhaps). I don't mind wiring like that, but I am no good at "pretty".

Any chance anyone knows of a commercial replacement for these, is this a common problem a 3rd party may have addressed?

Or do most people just spend the money for sea ray's over-engineered mess?
 
Well, delayed a bit by weather and schedule I went over the schematics and got out a meter and the good news is bad news -- the power to the unit is fine, both the +5 and +12 feed to the switch panel are present and at the proper voltage. That's the bad news also since it implies the failure is in either the switch panel or the electronics in the associated box.

Now I have to decide whether to spend huge bucks fixing it, or try to tear out the wiring and do my own switch panel.

Advice welcomed, especially pointers to any vendors who might have after market solutions to this.
 
See if you can trace both voltages through physical examination of the circuit boards. This takes time and can be a tedious process. I'm guessing it's possible a trace on the circuit board has opened.
This is a PIA but much easier than trying to re-invent the switching system. I believe the 5 volt system has a voltage regulator circuit, the 5VDC buss might disappear if you put a load on it if the regulator circuit is failing or has failed. Checking voltages with no load won't always isolate the problem. Test again by throwing a few switches, and listen for the correct relay "click" or latch sound.
If nothing works also make sure the ground connection is solid between the 12VDC source feeding the switch assembly.
Circuit board traces can be repaired if the board is only 1 or 2 sided, another thing to look for is through the board rivets if the board has these try soldering every rivet. These rivets carry the circuit from traces on both sides of the board completing the connection between the substrate.
If you have the electrical schematic in a form you can e-mail to me I'll see if I can give further troubleshooting advice.
 
Well it's fixed. Bill, thanks, I read this a bit too late though (I thought I subscribed to this for email updates, but apparently did not). I did some of what you suggest though,there are only a few leads to the switch panel itself, and I confirmed they were working, so all the voltage sources were OK.

The Sea Ray dealer was a fiasco for a while, four experts got involved and each had a different and mutually exclusive take on this (e.g. the service manager insisted the tech go out and determine which part was bad, the tech told the parts guy (but apparently not the service manager) he couldn't tell so there was no use in going out, the parts guy found from Sea Ray the old and new parts were not compatible, the service guy said they were.... I finally went in there and got most of them in a room). They agreed to order the switch panel and take it back if that didn't fix it, but... plugged it in, worked perfectly.

So for once the toast landed jam side up. Murphy blinked. :)

For anyone who stumbles across this thread, FOR THIS MODEL YEAR at least the old parts are no longer made, but the new part numbers (below) are compatible with the old, at least i know the switch panel is. The parts are the prices as of this writing in Florida at Marine Max.

1718632 (switch panel) $251.88
1718631 (electronic interface module) $330.42

And while it started as a fiasco, kudos to the Ft. Myers marine max for hanging in there and resolving all the conflicting information they had.
 
Ferguson, I just came across your old post. I have the same problem but can't find anyone who will sell me one that will take it back if it doesn't solve the problem.

Any ideas?

Thanks, Mark in St. Pete FL
 
Mark, what year is your boat and do you plan to keep it or go bigger in the future? I'm asking cuz the best fix is probably replacing most of the wiring.
 
Should you decide to do a hardwire check the cables used in traffic lights and equipment control cables.
some comtain between 10 and 25 individual wires
 
http://img.diytrade.com/cdimg/1459273/21359810/0/1305777079/UL2854_PVC_MULTI-CONDUCTOR.jpg
 
I've been dealing with this same problem. Just when I was ready to replace, it would start working again. I used Corrosion X, but didn't fixed long term. I'm ready to buy the starboard keypad but very afraid that is not the problem, haven't found anyone that will take a return if it is not the problem. I guess I will try swapping, using the port, but am a little concerned that could cause a problem. I wonder how the switches map between port and starboard, but maybe that doesn't matter...if switches work after the swap, I've isolated the problem. Right?

I'm in St. Pete FL..any tips are appreciated.
 
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