Engine hour meter RPM meter

[Gad]

Hi

My boat, Beneteau Oceanis 393 2001 with Engine 50 HP VOLVO PENTA.
Engine hour meter which is part of the meter rpm, shut down completely. Rpm meter working properly.
1) How do I recognize the wires belonging to an engine-hour meter?
2) Where the wires are connected?
3) What VOLT engine hour meter should receive when the engine is running?
4) Is there a fuse protection for engine-hour meter?

Thank for attention and help to fix the problem.

Gad

 

[rafiki_]

Your problem might be temperature and humidity related. My hour meters only display in the height of summer. Apparently this is not uncommon.

 

[Bosun Higgs]

The hours meter is an integral; part of the tacho and is fed with the normal 12v. There is no specific fuse and the hours meter is notorious for failing. Do a search on this forum for volvo engine hours meter if you dont believe me.

If the tacho works, best thing you can do is to buy a 12v hours meter off ebay and wire it in seperately. Failing that buy a new tacho which will fail again in a year or two.

 

[LadyInBed]

The hour meter is effectively just a start / stop timer.
Ignition on - voltage to hour meter - dials turn.
Ignition off - it all stops.

Voltage is applied internally, the tacho unit will have 12v supplied to it somewhere.

Mine packed in several years ago, so I replaced it with an hour merer from Radio Spares ( http://uk.rs-online.com/web/ ) which has the advantage of including a trip meter which I reset when I fill up with fuel.

This one

 

[Playtime]

There have been previous threads on this subject where it has been suggested that putting the whole shebang in the airing cupboard or a similar warm, dry place for a few days can miraculously bring the hours meter back to life.

Not tried it myself but I have it on good authority . . .

 

[gjgm]

Hi

My boat, Beneteau Oceanis 393 2001 with Engine 50 HP VOLVO PENTA.
Engine hour meter which is part of the meter rpm, shut down completely. Rpm meter working properly.
1) How do I recognize the wires belonging to an engine-hour meter?
2) Where the wires are connected?
3) What VOLT engine hour meter should receive when the engine is running?
4) Is there a fuse protection for engine-hour meter?

Thank for attention and help to fix the problem.

Gad

Unless I need to know mid season for some specific servicing, I just try to get a reading beginning and end of season, and then just to glimpse the number. I can usually manage that by gently heating the dial with a hairdryer.
Last about 15 seconds !
Otherwise, I dont think there is any resolution, but inter season, its not a very interesting number anyway.
If you are dead keen there is a thread how to dismantle the rev counter, remould an hour meter and custom fit it back into the dial. Of course, you just might break the tacho in the process, but it doesnt look that tricky.
BTW, the meter is still reading, its just the lcd isnt displaying.

 

[SHUG]

There's a WATERPROOF hours meter on e-bay at the moment.
See http://tinyurl.com/6f95y6a

 

[mcanderson]

For what its worth

I have just sent mine away to Tinley Electronics to see if they can replace my hour meter from my Beneteau 323 which has done the very same thing. Once I know of anything I intend on posting on here to let people know how I get on as it's a very common problem.

 

[VicS]

I know there's an article in the Benny owners magazine on replacing the hour meter ... skipper_ stu told us about that but wasn't there an informative thread on here recently as well ?

Can anyone remember?

Surely could not have been in PBO magazine ?

 

[mcanderson]

Correct on both accounts

VicS,

Again you are right. Its both in the latest Beneteau owners magazine and has been posted on here. It looked too much for me hence sending the unit off.

 

[VicS]

And I have now found the instructions that were posted on here.

Just replacing the LCD display.

http://www.dolcetto.org.uk/downloads/Replace Volvo Penta Hours LCD.pdf

 

[Heckler]

And I have now found the instructions that were posted on here.

Just replacing the LCD display.

http://www.dolcetto.org.uk/downloads/Replace Volvo Penta Hours LCD.pdf

That was exactly what was printed in the mag, I think he sent it to the ed.
I did it, pretty easy, just needed a bit of delicate care. I fired the engine up this weekend, all working correctly.
Stu

 

[iainbluk]

Engine Hour meter

I fixed mine by removing it from the boat and leaving it in the airing cupboard for a few days. Worked straight away after that..its the humidity in winter that makes it go blank.

I've got a Volvo penta D4 2004. Standard control panel, no key.

 

[bonny]

Humidity problem

I can confirm the airing cupboard treatment works.
I had the same problem some years ago with a Volvo 2030 panel. Initially the reading disappeared occasionally and gradually became worse - finally completely disappeared after about 3 years. Removing it and drying it out over winter cured the problem. Have had the same problem with a Yanmar panel (4JH4E).
The problem is down to the oem part which in both cases is VDO (Siemens). Moisture gradually seeps into the display which prevents it from working. The electronics which counts the hours is not affected so when it is dried out the reading will be correct.

Replacing the whole meter with a new one will still have the same problem in a few years! - Waste of money.

 

[Heckler]

VicS,

Again you are right. Its both in the latest Beneteau owners magazine and has been posted on here. It looked too much for me hence sending the unit off.

Ive done it on mine, cost me £20 ish for the bits, not for the faint hearted, requires a bit of dexterity and familiarity with hand tools.
I may be shooting myself in the foot here but I will do it as a job in my computer shop for £80 inc plus post
Stu

 

[Bosun Higgs]

Stu
when I recently had this problem, a bit of googling quickly found me a chap who was selling the complete volvo tacho, new stock, for £50.