Engine Hours Meter?

VT Fitz

VT Fitz

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Oct 19, 2006
337
Hunter 27-3 Brownsville, VT/Mystic, CT
Getting to know our new-to-us '07 Hunter 27-3, Skaði, and when I purchased her, I thought there was a broken engine hour meter, so the PO couldn’t indicate that info on the listing. I put it on the list of tasks. I looked two weekends ago (had a wedding last weekend – drat!) and – doh! – there is NO meter.

There is room on the engine dashboard for such a display. I can get a simple analog meter for about $40. According to the installation instructions, it just wires into the ignition switch and logs time whenever the switch is on. So it shouldn’t be a horrible process. I’m planning on replacing the fogged plexi splash protector for the dash anyway.

Should I install one? My gut tells me I should do so, though – being rather OCD – I do keep a log of engine/under sail hours anyway.

She has a 15 hp Yanmar (2YM15).

Any thoughts are appreciated.

The PO also had told me the engine neutral détente switch was broken. He couldn’t increase the throttle without also turning the prop. (He would just let the docklines keep her from moving.) I had put exploring a DIY fix for that on the list too, but after I changed the oil and checked she was running ok, the détente switch worked fine.
 
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Roland5048

Roland5048

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May 12, 2004
1,505
Hunter Cherubini 30 New Port Richey
This has been an ongoing problem with the hour meter on the panels of the YM models. Mine comes on intermittently for a few seconds once in a while. It does, however, record the correct hours.
 
VT Fitz

VT Fitz

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Oct 19, 2006
337
Hunter 27-3 Brownsville, VT/Mystic, CT
Roland5048 said:
This has been an ongoing problem with the hour meter on the panels of the YM models. Mine comes on intermittently for a few seconds once in a while. It does, however, record the correct hours.
Click to expand
Roland, is it wired through the ignition switch or is there wire going back to the engine for any reason? Being able just to break in to the ignition switch seems easy and fairly foolproof.

When you say it comes on intermittently, do you mean when the engine isn't running?
 
Roland5048

Roland5048

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May 12, 2004
1,505
Hunter Cherubini 30 New Port Richey
I'm not sure but do believe there is a connection to the engine. The display will come on sometimes when I start or just turn the key to on. It'll stay on for a few seconds or will flash for a few seconds and then...nothing. Just enough time to get a look and write it down.
 
nightowle

nightowle

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Aug 28, 2006
564
Bavaria 35E seattle
The digital hour meters seems to be a perennial problem on several brand boats. I have a Volvo Penta and it doesn't work well. Either it's entirely invisible or only the bottom half of the numbers are displayed. My friend with a Beneteau 42 has the same issue. I'm ready to install an analog one bought on eBay. It's a good idea to have accurate hours when you sell the boat.
 
B

Benny17441

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May 24, 2004
7,131
CC 30 South Florida
It is an invaluable gauge. Besides keeping track for maintenance schedule it provides for the best method of calculating fuel availability and consumption in gallons per hour (GPH). A 2GM20F will have an average burn rate of a tad under 0.5 GPH. If the tank holds 18 gallons you will have approximately 16 gallons of usable fuel or 32 hours of motoring. Working the formula backwards if your hour meter indicates you have motored 10 hours since the last fill then you can deduce you have 11 gallons of fuel left in the tank for approximately 22 hours. narrowing down the average burn rate for your engine through subsequent refueling cycles will render better results than any fuel gauge.
 
VT Fitz

VT Fitz

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Oct 19, 2006
337
Hunter 27-3 Brownsville, VT/Mystic, CT
Benny, I agree. On our prior gal with an outboard, I made the same calculations by keeping a detailed manual log which included engine vs under sail hours/distance. Adding the meter obviously would be helpful in this regard. (I'll still keep the log the same way, though!) ;)
 
jssailem

jssailem

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Oct 22, 2014
21,085
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Is there a right or wrong way to install a Hobbs meter to measure engine run time? Why not stick the meter in the cabin where you keep your boat/cruising log? you want it to run when you turn the ignition on and stop when you turn it off (stop the engine). This is not an engine issue it is an electrical issue. Think you can wire it in series on the positive side of the ignition switch. Log the time showing on the meter when you board... Log the time when you shut down the engine. Easy peasy.
 
I

ice breaker

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Sep 11, 2011
392
Hunter 41AC Bayfield WI, Lake Superior
jssailem said:
Is there a right or wrong way to install a Hobbs meter to measure engine run time? Why not stick the meter in the cabin where you keep your boat/cruising log? you want it to run when you turn the ignition on and stop when you turn it off (stop the engine). This is not an engine issue it is an electrical issue. Think you can wire it in series on the positive side of the ignition switch. Log the time showing on the meter when you board... Log the time when you shut down the engine. Easy peasy.
Click to expand
If you feel you need a hobbs meter....just wire it into the oil pressure switch. Thats what they do on airplanes.
 
Ken Cross

Ken Cross

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Oct 24, 2010
2,405
Hunter 30 Everett, WA
I put ours where the buzzer belongs and just left the buzzer behind the panel. It's plenty loud.

Funny, our previous boat had it wired to the DC bus. It was failed at over 55,000 hours. I fixed it when I installed the new one.

Ken
 
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