EI CGR-30 config error. Tach reading low

[Don Gates]

Picked up the M20C from avionics shop today.  Amazingly almost everything worked!  Only squawk was CGR30 tach was reading low.  Checked RPM with iPhone app, was normal rpm so I took it airborne.  Logistics of picking up the plane was a factor in this decision, which in retrospect was maybe not the right call, but I survived.  I should have aborted and taken it back to the shop, I’m dumb. Doh!

Called EI after landing, described problem as max indicated RPM was 1900 but tach app showed 2650RPM.  Bryan asked if it was stable or fluctuations, it was stable, just wrong.  He immediately identified the problem: a wiring error.  There is a jumper that tells the engine monitor if it is a 4 cyl engine or 6 cyl engine.  Sent schematics, and suggested clipping a jumper between a couple of pins that tell the brain box how many cylinders the engine has.  Simple fix! He apologized profusely for the factory error. Great support though!

I will dive into it in the next day or two and clip the jumper and see if it fixes it, I betcha it will.  

First flights after a major panel upgrade event have risk.  In this case it was an instrumentation issue.  I should have aborted, sigh.

[carusoam]

Let’s invite our EI to stop by the conversation… @oregon87

EI has such good customer service…

I’m glad you were able to get a quick response.

 

All instrument builders have challenges… it’s how they respond that counts…

Best regards,

-a-

[oregon87]

I can't really add too much more other than I reviewed the original drawings for Don's bottom EDC connector and the jumper does appear to have been included.  As such, simply snipping the wire between pins 27 and 28 should solve the issue.  Apologies for the oversight.  

Don,  if you would like me to PM you a copy of the wiring schematic, please let me know.  I will be happy to do so. 

Edited September 15, 2022 by oregon87

[kris_adams]

12 hours ago, carusoam said:

EI has such good customer service…

Not experienced by everyone...

I for one am very happy to have removed the last EI gear in my plane.  We replaced EI EGT probes during annual so now I'm a finally 100% EI free (gave up on a dual CGR-30 setup after so many problems)...quite a costly adventure to end up throwing it away.

Hopefully OP has better luck.

[oregon87]

22 minutes ago, Kris_Adams said:

Not experienced by everyone...

I for one am very happy to have removed the last EI gear in my plane.  We replaced EI EGT probes during annual so now I'm a finally 100% EI free (gave up on a dual CGR-30 setup after so many problems)...quite a costly adventure to end up throwing it away.

Hopefully OP has better luck.

HI Kris-

I wish you would've contacted us directly before throwing away your dual CGR system.  I would've like to have attempted to help as much as possible to try to regain your confidence in our products.  However, as you were obviously very unhappy with the system, we would have been happy to have offered you a full refund on the purchase price of your system in an effort to alleviate some frustration.

[MB65E]

One also needs to have the resistors installed off of the Mags. 
The P leads should have a resistance value on them and not be zero ohm.

Careful switching from Electronic ignition back to the mags. Most Electronic ignitions don’t require the resistors. Resistors are often wired to the back shell of the module. 
 

-Matt

[kris_adams]

21 hours ago, oregon87 said:

HI Kris-

I wish you would've contacted us directly before throwing away your dual CGR system.  I would've like to have attempted to help as much as possible to try to regain your confidence in our products.  However, as you were obviously very unhappy with the system, we would have been happy to have offered you a full refund on the purchase price of your system in an effort to alleviate some frustration.

Well it was already sent back to your shop and I was grounded for over a month while it was there...replaced probably 10 probes or more not including the last 4 I finally took out last month (2 of which were intermittently failing)...both units C&P continued to reboot in flight even after being upgraded to the "latest software."  At some point you just can't deal with it any more.  This was supposed to be an upgrade and it turned into a nightmare.  So thankful it is completely gone.  Unfortunately I'm out the $$$ so I will continue to share my story.

I'm not trying to take over this thread...my point to Carusoam is simply that wonderful customer service is not universal with EI.  It was a nightmare for me.

[carusoam]

Kris,

Thanks for sharing your details.

 

My comment about engine monitor support is related to the support we get on MS…

1) EI monitors MS continuously, easy to find, and easy to get technical answers….

2) Big G, easy to find, but over at BT… if you know who and where…

3) JPI, can’t find on a good day….

4) There is a fourth brand… we never see any complaints, haven’t seen their service guys… and there are a lot of them around here…

 

PP thoughts only, not an instrument guru…

Best regards,

-a-