engine hours
- Thread starter NCBrew
- Start date
Is it integrate with yout tachometer? In the event you do not have one might find these threads discussing adding one to a Hunter 35.5 Adding Hour Meter to Yanmar 30GM | Sailboat Owners Forums AND What year did Hunter start making Engine hour meters standard equipment. | Sailboat Owners Forums
On our 2007 41DS there is an LCD below the needle pivot on the tachometer. It wasn't working when we bought the boat and a previous owner had added an electromechanical hour meter to the engine control panel. I bought an LCD repair kit on eBay (search using the words Volvo, Yanmar, Hour, LCD) for $22. I did have to wait a few weeks because it shipped from China but it was easy to install.
It turns out that the hours were still being logged on the tachometer even though the display was not working. After the repair, the LCD was displaying an hour value about 75 hours ahead of the other hour meter so I took the other one out, took it home and hooked it up to a battery until the hours indicated matched the LCD. So now I have two hour meters.
There are several YouTube videos showing how to replace the LCD. One is by contributor Sailing Ruby Rose:
Replacing Hour Meter LCD
It turns out that the hours were still being logged on the tachometer even though the display was not working. After the repair, the LCD was displaying an hour value about 75 hours ahead of the other hour meter so I took the other one out, took it home and hooked it up to a battery until the hours indicated matched the LCD. So now I have two hour meters.
There are several YouTube videos showing how to replace the LCD. One is by contributor Sailing Ruby Rose:
Replacing Hour Meter LCD
jssailem
SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
- Oct 22, 2014
- 22,874
My boat, similar size, likely more mature (older), also did not have an hour meter. Got a Hobbs meter and attached it to the ignition switch. When the key goes on the counter clicks away. Simple install and reliable.
I thought these were typically enabled by the oil pressure switch? I don't think it matters in this case, though, you don't spend much time with the key on and engine not turning.
Hello, I have also replaced my hour meter LCD as well but am having no luck with seeing the engine hours or the lights lighting up. Can you tell me which pins you connected your battery to? I've found a VDO schematic on the web and it indicates #4 for positive, #3 for negative, and #5 for ignition. Thanks.
I don't remember if I bench tested my tachometer or not. I probably just re-installed it in the engine panel and tested it there. If you continue to have an issue, pull out the flex connection from the LCD (the one that looks like tape) and re-seat it. Be sure you have it inserted into the connector the correct way.
Thanks for your quick reply. Unfortunately my boat is a 2-hour drive away plus winterized w/ battery cables off. I can get the little T5 bulbs to light up w/ 12v directly on their terminals but no luck w/ power on the connector pins. Perhaps there is inter-lock logic in the circuitry that prevents my cobbled bench test. BTW, two free LED T5s (I replaced them when I had the tach apart) for the right answer!!
After much searching via Dr. Google, I found a link to the installation manual for the VDO tachometer/hour meter commonly used on Hunters w/ Yanmars. I connected a 12v source as shown in the circuit diagram and was able to confirm my newly-installed LCD hour meter works, as well as the new LED bulbs I installed to replace the burnt incandescents. See page 11 of this doc.
