Annunciator lights in a 79 m20j

[Thedude]

A couple months back I was having issues with my gear warning breaker popping during actuation and I started fiddling around with my annunciator panel out of curiosity. I didn't disconnect anything, but I took the face plate off and moved it around before putting it back together. Somehow that fixed the gear warning C/B popping (so something was shorting out before) and the test button fell off because the solder was apparently worn out at this point. 

I can pull it out and get it serviced, but I'm wondering if there's something simpler I can replace it with. Is it just a panel of lights? It seems like a big box just to do that, but ideally I could put something with LEDs in there and never have to worry about bulbs.

It's an IAI panel, model number A8/1000H.

[Aerodon]

So the annunciator panel for the most part are just lights that come on with a +ve voltage signal.  But some of the circuits have some 'smarts' to them - the annunciator panel is calibrated to the fuel level to give a low fuel warning.  And the alternator either comes on for OV or flashes for under voltage.  And the vacuum does something similar.

I have a JPI that generates the same or similar 'warnings' and have replaced the rest with Eaton annunciators (not cheap).

 

Aerodon

 

 

[Thedude]

The only thing I use mine for are the gear related annunciators. I have a g500txi with eis and so vaccuum, so I don't think there's anything on there that matters too much other than the gear related ones. 

 

What are the Eaton annunciators?

[Aerodon]

Here's one I had made.  But for a Mooney I had another one made with red 'unsafe' and green 'down' in a horizontal split.  Also Alt 1 and Alt 2 in a vertical split.

About $180 for each lens made up, and if you shop around you can find useable bodies for under $200.

 

Don

 

 

 

[1980Mooney]

3 hours ago, Thedude said:

A couple months back I was having issues with my gear warning breaker popping during actuation and I started fiddling around with my annunciator panel out of curiosity. I didn't disconnect anything, but I took the face plate off and moved it around before putting it back together. Somehow that fixed the gear warning C/B popping (so something was shorting out before) and the test button fell off because the solder was apparently worn out at this point. 

I can pull it out and get it serviced, but I'm wondering if there's something simpler I can replace it with. Is it just a panel of lights? It seems like a big box just to do that, but ideally I could put something with LEDs in there and never have to worry about bulbs.

It's an IAI panel, model number A8/1000H.

Probably the simplest thing to do is get it serviced.  @Ludwig  Ludwig& Associates in Addison, TX. took over the servicing of all International Avionics Inc. (IAI) products earlier this year. 

The old IAI website is still up but the phones don't seem to work any more.  International Avionics Inc. | Manufacture, Sell, Repair

Contact info for Ludwig is in the post below and  phone is 972-616-0101

 

Edited September 28 by 1980Mooney

[blaine beaven]

When I did my panel upgrade I removed the annunciator panel. I no longer have vacuum, so that light is gone. The G3X can provide a number of other alerts. I had warning lights installed for the other needed alerts - see photo: 

[MikeOH]

@blaine beaven

54 ppm CO seems a bit high for an in flight number.  Have you looked into that?

[ArtVandelay]

[mention=12569]blaine beaven[/mention]
54 ppm CO seems a bit high for an in flight number.  Have you looked into that?

Looks like the red annunciator light below the gear down light is on as well, can’t read the label of what it is.

[blaine beaven]

On 9/30/2025 at 9:35 AM, MikeOH said:

@blaine beaven

54 ppm CO seems a bit high for an in flight number.  Have you looked into that?

That was actually the reason for the photo, because my CO Warn light (the bottom in the row) was not on despite the CO detector beeping. This was in the climb. It will creep up like if I don’t have fresh air coming in. As soon as I get into cruise and close the cowl flaps it drops to >5ppm. 

 

On 9/30/2025 at 11:44 AM, ArtVandelay said:

Looks like the red annunciator light below the gear down light is on as well, can’t read the label of what it is.

Thats just a trick of the light, it was not illuminated. That light is a voltage annunciator. 

[LANCECASPER]

6 hours ago, blaine beaven said:

That was actually the reason for the photo, because my CO Warn light (the bottom in the row) was not on despite the CO detector beeping. This was in the climb. It will creep up like if I don’t have fresh air coming in. As soon as I get into cruise and close the cowl flaps it drops to >5ppm. 

 

Thats just a trick of the light, it was not illuminated. That light is a voltage annunciator. 

That’s not “normal”. Even though OSHA standards say that in a work environment so many PPM of CO is acceptable I wouldn’t accept any in the airplane except in taxi with the door ajar and the side window open. Adding fresh air to dilute it is just masking the leak.

If you are getting any in climb or cruise it is getting in through a leak somehow. Two questions would be: Where is it coming from? How is it getting in?  Usually if everything is good in the engine compartment it gets in through the cabin door seal or if there are screws or camlocks missing on the belly.  But if there’s a leak in the engine compartment it could also be coming in through the firewall. This is something I would chase down in case it’s.the exhaust system showing signs of wearing through. I had a the back side of a tailpipe joint coming apart on a Bravo which was not picked up on a visual inspection but was discovered with a CO detector.

[Thedude]

Ya I think I only see any reading on my CO monitor when I'm on the ground with the door open, and that I think maxes out around 5-8.

[Thedude]

On 9/28/2025 at 2:18 PM, 1980Mooney said:

Probably the simplest thing to do is get it serviced.  @Ludwig  Ludwig& Associates in Addison, TX. took over the servicing of all International Avionics Inc. (IAI) products earlier this year. 

The old IAI website is still up but the phones don't seem to work any more.  International Avionics Inc. | Manufacture, Sell, Repair

Contact info for Ludwig is in the post below and  phone is 972-616-0101

 

I'm pretty sure that's who I contacted, it's $250 to bench test it and that's waved if I accept the repairs, but honestly I just don't want the downtime to deal with this thing more than I have to because I don't have a good mechanic at my field atm, that's why I was wondering if there was just something dead simple I could replace it with to avoid any future issues with it. Does anyone know if it's necessary for flight? Can I pull it out and rely on the floor indicator while it's being serviced -- I don't like that idea, just curious.

[ArtVandelay]

I did the same thing and removed the annunciator. You’ll need engine monitoring to substitute for the fuel low and voltage lights not to mention the engine instruments, get rid of the vacuum pump, and then it’s just gear lights. Be aware the nav lights dimming circuit for gear down light.

[Thedude]

I have a g500txi with Garmin eis and no vacuum pump, so I think I have everything covered except gear.

[N201MKTurbo]

I have an annunciator panel in my junk pile. Send me a pic and/or part number and I will see if it will work for you.

[Thedude]

I appreciate that, those are the photos I was able to take by squeezing my camera between the glare shield and the panel. 

[N201MKTurbo]

1 hour ago, Thedude said:

I appreciate that, those are the photos I was able to take by squeezing my camera between the glare shield and the panel. 

I will try to get out to the hangar and take a look at what I have.

[blaine beaven]

16 hours ago, LANCECASPER said:

That’s not “normal”. Even though OSHA standards say that in a work environment so many PPM of CO is acceptable I wouldn’t accept any in the airplane except in taxi with the door ajar and the side window open. Adding fresh air to dilute it is just masking the leak.

If you are getting any in climb or cruise it is getting in through a leak somehow. Two questions would be: Where is it coming from? How is it getting in?  Usually if everything is good in the engine compartment it gets in through the cabin door seal or if there are screws or camlocks missing on the belly.  But if there’s a leak in the engine compartment it could also be coming in through the firewall. This is something I would chase down in case it’s.the exhaust system showing signs of wearing through. I had a the back side of a tailpipe joint coming apart on a Bravo which was not picked up on a visual inspection but was discovered with a CO detector.

Thanks. I’m in the process of chasing it down. As you note, it’s a process of elimination to try to figure out the root cause. 

[N201MKTurbo]

This is what I have:

 

[Thedude]

I think that would work perfect, but my system is a 12v. Thank you for the offer though