- Joined
- Oct 29, 2019
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Hi Cherokee aficionados! I have a 1984 Piper Dakota that I've owned for many years (since 1986), and I last upgraded some of the avionics in the late Spring of this year. I was up in the clouds yesterday (practicing and keeping current) when the "Engine Group" five-amp breaker popped and my (original) fuel gauges (and at least one or two other electrical engine instruments ) went offline. I noticed it during my scan right after breaking out "on top" and ran my finger across the breaker panel to feel for "popped" breakers. Sure enough, the "Engine Group" breaker was sticking out. I tried to reset it right then, but it came right back out. I waited about 30 seconds more and reset it and it remained "in" for the rest of the flight (an hour or so.) I watched the ammeter when I pushed the breaker in for the final time, and didn't see any spikes or significant current draw. The only thing I changed was to turn off my electric fuel pump (which I'd left on through the climb to 5,000') before my second - and successful - attempt to reset the breaker. I was later able to turn on the fuel pump for a T&G and a later landing at my home airport without incident. I'm not sure why the breaker popped, and could not reproduce it. I know breakers can get weaker with age, but I'm not sure how to tell when it's time to replace one. Alternatively, there could be some kind of transient short that wasn't reproducible in flight or on the ground. What would you do?
(p.s. Does anyone know whether the electric fuel pump operates off of the "Engine Group" breaker?
(p.s. Does anyone know whether the electric fuel pump operates off of the "Engine Group" breaker?
