Poor grounds

[Capttman]

I hope you can help. The transition from sail to the new to me Albin 40 is difficult. Systems are a bit more complicated.
Ok, ok my hour meters and fuel gauges are not working. If I were not bald I’d be pulling my hair out trying to find out why. It has to be a common ground but where....

[jleonard]

I don't think you have any choice here except to break out the voltmeter and start checking grounds for continuity.
what year and what engine? There are some schematics in the library section that might help you.

[Capttman]

1990 Albin 40 sundeck dual 135 Lehman’s

[catalina_mike]

So the fuel gauge and hour meter should be fed by the common instrument ground and the ign switch. My 28 had the fuel gauge fed from a switch but when I redid my dash I fed it from the ign.

[rebuckley]

I would meter the back of the gauges - if the setup is like the one on mine (36') - they use small jumper wires to pass the ground along the back of the gauges. I made the mistake a few years back of looking at this short (1 inch or so) jumper wire and saying "hmm - that is pretty useless" - when I pulled it out some gauges did not function. SO some tracing of the ground may be the call.
When the ignition is on - you should get a 12v read on every gauge for power. As Jay mentioned - there is a wring schematic in the library - which may help decode some. I would even say post a pic of the backs of the gauges - the hour meter seems like it should be ok - provided the tach is working fine. The fuel gauges - that could also be a sender issue - but whenever you get multi issues on the dash - a bad ground is the first culprit.