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Moisture in gauges

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I had moisture problems in my gauges 2 years ago and Bennington replaced them.  Now my problem is back and the dealer states this is normal and to turn your lights on to clear up the problem.  I tried this and it still takes over an hour to clear up the moisture.  Does anyone have a cure for this problem?  Does Bennington have a new design to eliminate this issue?


           Pics of the moisture in the gauges and the Sony remote stereo control

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There was a thread last year but i didn't remember seeing any real options for a cure, Mine does it also.
 
This happens because the gauges aren't 100% sealed. Not a specific BM problem, so they decided replacing them wasn't a permanent solution.


Not a deal breaker for me. Not even an annoyance.
 
On of mine does this as well. I don't recall which one. It clears up in an hour or 2 in the sun. Kind of a pain. Not a huge deal.


I do wonder if it has any long-term issues on the gauge.


Briab
 
Personally, I find that unacceptable. I've owned boats of much less cost that never had that problem. I'd ask that they be replaced under warranty. 
 
Mine does this as well. You'd think in 2016 there would be a solution for this...
 
Ours has been replaced 3 times and it still does it after 10 years. Same gauge, older style. Only solution would be a different manufacturer, maybe.
 
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goldnrod24 said:
This happens because the gauges aren't 100% sealed. Not a specific BM problem, so they decided replacing them wasn't a permanent solution.


Not a deal breaker for me. Not even an annoyance.
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I've got to agree about moisture and an unsealed unit.Those gauges are designed in such a way that the light bulb is replaceable.And that is where the moisture enters the gauge. Needless to say, the boat is used in a very humid environment. In the past, I've removed the bulb and heated the gauge with a hair dryer to remove moisture from gauges and light lenses on cars and boats. Then reinstalled the bulbs. It's best to do this on a day with low humidity.You probably could even put some type of tape over the socket to help keep moisture out once it's removed.


By the way,the sun only takes the moisture droplets and makes it into vapor. And it's still stuck in the gauge if the bulb is not removed so it can escape. OMG I feel like I'm in science class after rereading this.LOL
 
It happens on our boat as well, although only after a strong rain on a hot day. The combination of humidity and strong heat source does that, although it never stays for long. I don't think changing gauges is the answer. They aren't "hermetically sealed", so that is normal unfortunately. 


I'll leave the good will with my dealer in tact for more significant problems.
 
Mine does this as well on the exact same gauge cluster (Fuel, Trim, Voltage).  All other gauges are not a problem.  The dealer is replacing the foggy gauge this coming Friday.   I won't be happy if that doesn't take care of the issue.  I've had many other boats over the past 35 years and none have had a fogging problem.


BTW, this boat is garage kept and trailered to the lake when used.  It has about 50 hours on it and has never had a drop of rain on it.  Like said above, the fogging occurs when out on hot sunny days and clears up after about 1 to 2 hours.
 
It appears that this is a very common problem. What surprises me the most is that about 50% of the owners that replied appear to accept this problem.  If this was a car there would be a recall on the issue, so why isn’t Bennington doing something about the moisture?  Waiting over an hour for the gauges to clear up is not the solution.  I need visible gauges at all times as I have shallow areas leading out to open waters.   I owned many boats and this is the only manufacturer that has this issue, so there is a solution available.  How do we put pressure on Bennington to fix this issue? 
 
1. Cars fall under completely different parameters than boats.


2. I'm sure if my car sat or drove on water, was rained on in the interior, splashed, etc ... the gauges would fog up.


3. I'm wondering what the gauge shown has to do with shallow water? It's not a depth gauge?


4. Contact your dealer if you are unhappy. You can request them to escalate your concern. DO NOT escalate it here, or this thread will be locked. We can have open discussion, but "threats" will not be tolerated. 
 
Sorry if my comment came off as a "threat" as this was not the intention.  I'm just trying to solve an ongoing issue that appears to affecting many owners. 


Responses to your items -


1 & 2. The reason I feel this can be corrected by Bennington is that my motorcycle sees a lot of water as it is rained on and splashed, etc. and the gauges never fog up.  So there a solution out there. 


3. I need to trim up to avoid hitting the bottom of the lake and I need the trim gauge to indicate the position of my engine.  I cannot see the trim gauge when it is full of moisture.


4.  I contacted my dealer multiple times, but I feel that I am not getting results to fix the problem.  So I was asking how we can get this issue corrected. 
 
As was previously mentioned, BM is not routinely replacing foggy gauges as a warranty item. If your dealer is unresponsive, maybe you need to find another dealer.


Sorry you are having this dealer problem, but this site is provided by Bennington for the sole purpose connecting Bennington owners (or prospective owners) to further the enjoyment of Bennington ownership.


Feel free to pm me or another mod for further discussion.
 
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We had a this discussion in 2013. I had a gauge fog up on my 2012 2275GCW and called my dealer and he immediately got a replacement for me.  When I posed the question back then the comments were mostly the same as now and most agreed there wasn't a cure and Bennington was not going to continue to replace them.  Sure enough it wasn't long before the new one fogged up as well as one of the others.


Before I sent the old I took this picture the picture is small, but if you there are small 2 holes in the case at the 9 and 3 position.  Sorry about the size, but I was excited just to move it from my attachments page to here.


 it just seems to be a characteristic of the gauges.
 

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I have had other boats and snowmobiles that do the same thing.  It is the environment we operate in, it really is not a big deal to me.  It is the seal on the gauge that is the problem, seals fail on many things for many different reasons.  This is not just a Bennington issue.
 
Happens to me but not to the point that I can't read them. Clears up pretty quick in the sun
 
Scott1 said:
I have had other boats and snowmobiles that do the same thing.  It is the environment we operate in, it really is not a big deal to me.  It is the seal on the gauge that is the problem, seals fail on many things for many different reasons.  This is not just a Bennington issue.
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If you don't want to wait for a cure, and can get the gauge out pretty easily, you could loosen the bolts slightly, then use a hair dryer on low heat to create enough heat to rid the gauze of the moisture inside. After that, tighten the bolts back and use some silicone sealant around all of the joints as well as dielectric grease at the power connections. Might solve your problem. I hate sitting and waiting on someone else to fix issues that bother me. Just a thought.
 
Just a general comment.  I was out yesterday and noticed the fuel and trim gauges fogged - not the tach. Still readable. First time in 4 summers of use. Not sure what was different now. Cleared up after about 15 minutes in the sun. 
 
Same gauge on mine fogs fuel, trim, volts. The others do not. Can take up to two hours to clear up.  It is being replaced in a few weeks. 


 
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