Hour meter readings

[russ]

I know the Volvo hour meters have reliability problems. If they were renewed previous to my viewing the boat would they retain the hours from something else its wired through or are they zeroed as being new?
Reason being, a 14 yr old boat with 190hrs and worn outdrive steering fork joints doesn't seem realistic to me.

 

[jwilson]

AFAIK all the Volvo and Yanmar combined tacho/hourmeter instruments (the ones where the little LCD usually goes blank after a few years) read zero again if a new instrument is fitted.

 

[jrudge]

The hours are also stored on the computer. Plug into vodia

 

[[2068]]

The hours are also stored on the computer. Plug into vodia

Depends on the engine.
KAD32 / KAD43 doesn't even have a computer.

 

[volvopaul]

I know the Volvo hour meters have reliability problems. If they were renewed previous to my viewing the boat would they retain the hours from something else its wired through or are they zeroed as being new?
Reason being, a 14 yr old boat with 190hrs and worn outdrive steering fork joints doesn't seem realistic to me.

Doesn’t sound realistic to me .

No hours stored on the 41 engine as no ecu .

 

[jrudge]

Depends on the engine.
KAD32 / KAD43 doesn't even have a computer.

Oh !

 

[oldgit]

There are a number of companies which supply various kits to replace the hours display on older style tachometers if it is digital.
Some are simple to fit and some need a bit more skill.
Also a Youtube video how to do the job.
They seem to suggest the hours are stored elsewhere in the Tacho PCB and the total hours run will be on the display after the repair.

"This screen replaces faulty / blank LCD screens in the Volvo Penta tachometers.
The hours are logged in the instrument, so even if the LCD screen is broken the hours are still recorded. After changing the display, your original engine hours will be displayed."


https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Volvo-Pe...828792&hash=item5b5320c0f1:g:W5gAAOSw0dFcYfUh

https://www.yachtboatparts.com/volv...3992---vp873688-vp873660-or-873998-8003-p.asp

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFkSwD5-mfw

think the steering fork joints are supposed to be replaced every few years. ?

 

[Momac]

Low hours does not equate to few defects.
Lack of use and associated corrosion and lack of annual maintenance may lead to defects despite low hours.

 

[Bbroomlea]

Only recently have the replacement Volvo screens been fairly readily available in the UK that hold the original hours, before that it was direct from Sweden only.

Before this there was a fix but it zero'd the hours and was only useful for season to season servicing.

It was possible with the old screens, if the hours were known, to match the hours leaving the tacho connected to a 12v supply until they caught up - but why would you do that???!!!

 

[Greg2]

The hours are stored in the tacho and the LCD display is just that.....a display. I replaced the LCD displays on our S34 recently (KAD32s) and they display the actual hours run as opposed to starting from zero.

 

[oldgit]

The hours are stored in the tacho and the LCD display is just that.....a display. I replaced the LCD displays on our S34 recently (KAD32s) and they display the actual hours run as opposed to starting from zero.

Which repair kit did you use ?
One of my Tachos needs sorting and trying to summon up the enthusiasm to do it even though have all the tools and equipment at work ready and waiting.

 

[Momac]

The hours are stored in the tacho and the LCD display is just that.....a display. I replaced the LCD displays on our S34 recently (KAD32s) and they display the actual hours run as opposed to starting from zero.

However the displays that retain the hours have only recently become available.

In this case the displays may have been replaced some time ago and not adjusted to reflect the true hours. I suspect this may well apply to many boats as the hour counter issue is very common.

I make a note of the hours from time. If the hour counters should fail completely I will have a very good idea of the true hours.

In this case perhaps the present owner of the boat could be asked whether the hours showin are true.

 

[Greg2]

Which repair kit did you use ?
One of my Tachos needs sorting and trying to summon up the enthusiasm to do it even though have all the tools and equipment at work ready and waiting.

Seabridge do two types - one is cheaper and involves some slight modification and the other is a bit more expensive but is a straight swap. I bought the second one - well I actually bought the cheaper one at first because I didn’t know about the second one until I read about it on the Sealine Forum - Seabridge were very helpful and did a swap https://www.seabridge-marine.com/index.aspx?pageid=2023674&chainID=219000&txtQuickSearch=Hour+meter

It is a very easy job to swap the meter out.

 

[Greg2]

However the displays that retain the hours have only recently become available.

In this case the displays may have been replaced some time ago and not adjusted to reflect the true hours. I suspect this may well apply to many boats as the hour counter issue is very common.

I make a note of the hours from time. If the hour counters should fail completely I will have a very good idea of the true hours.

In this case perhaps the present owner of the boat could be asked whether the hours showin are true.

Not sure I understand - the hours aren’t stored in the LCD display as far as I am aware - it simply displays the information that is stored in the tacho. Both replacements I describe in my reply to oldgit achieve the same thing i.e. they display the original/genuine hours. The one we ended up with is the one that has become available more recently but the other has been around for a while and Motorboat Owner did an article on them a while back.

 

[itspaul]

I fitted Ned new lcd displays to our targa 43 the hours were stored in the instrument and all came back when the lcd screens were fitted, it was an easy job they just plug in on a ribbon connector. I got them from someone who advertised on here his email is.
Rickard@boatstuff.se

 

[jrudge]

Accepting that some don’t have ecu I wonder if for example mine - evc a - pick up the hours from the can bus. The hours on the taco and the plotter are identical and the odds of that over 700 hours tocthe decimal point is nil unless the same value presented twice

 

[oldgit]

There would appear to be 2 different sizes of LED hours display shown in various online pictures.
Assume the "smaller" hours recorder is in the older/earlier Tacho as fitted to my 1991 / 41B and the larger unit to later boats fitted with KAD 42/44/300 engines.
Or just an optical illusion. ?

 

[petem]

I replaced the hour counters on my KAD44 (EDC 1) tachos using the kit from Rickard@boatstuff.se. Hours are correctly shown.

The earlier hour counter replacement kits (see videos referenced above) do not pick up the historic hours from the tacho circuit board or the EDC and therefore start from zero.

 

[Momac]

Not sure I understand - the hours aren’t stored in the LCD display as far as I am aware - it simply displays the information .

For whatever reason the replacement displays used to start at zero.
Perhaps the replacement displays retaining the hours is not as new as I thought.

 

[Bbroomlea]

For whatever reason the replacement displays used to start at zero.
Perhaps the replacement displays retaining the hours is not as new as I thought.

Maplin used to do a replacement LCD screen that would fit with a bit of doctoring which didn't retain the hours. I replaced the screen on my old S24 and I added 300hrs using a 12v battery so they matched.