How important is the engine hours counter?

[jonnybuoy]

My engine hours counter is donald ducked. It's one of those ones that is in the tachometer (which works fine). Tried the hair dryer tip that was suggested somewhere else on this forum to no effect. So time for a replacement. But £200-300 which is a pain.
The guy who services the boat said don't bother. If you fit a new one the hours get re-set to zero anyway and no-one is ever going to decide to buy or not to buy a boat on the basis of this counter.

I found this point of view a bit surprising. I am going to replace it anyway (I find it quite helpful as double check on the fuel gauge when refuelling needed if nothing else) but wondered whether you experienced boat buyers and sellers agreed that this counter was really not that important. I guess a log is the best measure of a boats use but I have to confess about not being very disciplined about writing one.

Jon.

 

[FullCircle]

well if the tacho is still working, you can get a much smaller replacement, about 52mm I think which is just a counter. Available on ebay for around 15 quid.
I would have have one, as it indicates next service is coming up too.....

 

[mjf]

Seems to me that these are as important as odometer is in motor cars where there iare no hours recorded.


I would agree to replace as one thing I find about boats is that many people seem to let the little failures go unfixed and you can end up with a boat where nothing works as it should.

So if it breaks fix it asap IMHO

 

[Mike_S]

My boat doesn't have one, the original owner specified a depth gauge in it's place. Now the service records have been lost somewhere between the last owner and the brokerage, I can only make a log of the hours she's run since we bought it /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[davesimmons]

I think the simplest answer is to ask yourself what you would think if you were buying a boat with a broken engine counter – how many £££’s would you take off the buying price?

 

[Alrob]

the mercruiser service people at my first service told me how many hours my engine had done by plugging something into something
they also told me how many hours my engine had done at certain RPM's

 

[Chris_d]

About 200-300 quid for a new hour meter I guess /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[hlb]

I wish my engine hour counter would break!!

On the other hand, I spend half my life getting mended stuff that broke. As like others have said, it's a hell of a job when nearly everythings broke, it dont feel nice and the boats not worth alot.

till, I wish mine had just come unatached for a few years. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[gjgm]

seems you have two main choices..
-Just leave it bust. I think that will make it harder to sell. Here you then appear as someone who took the cheap route-so what else has he skimped on? Servicing? Cheap oil>Etc etc.
- have a replacement, and a note from Volvo or service records of the old reading at the time of changing. OK, maybe its £300, but thats inconsequential in terms of the value of the boat when you sell it. I think most people will accept a new engine hours reading if you can show- and even volunteer- the old reading, and have a dated receipt.
And its better to do it now.. I d be a bit suspicious in buying a boat where the seller said, oh, had to replace this last week..
So, its an investment!

 

[omega2]

Why not just keep a log?, and any prospective buyer could read it if they wished. Anyway no ones going to beleive either way, too many hours? oh no!! not enough hours maybe the thing is glazed and needs a rebore!! either way you cannot win, and if you have to consider the resale cost of your hobby you may as well give it up now.

 

[gjgm]

"if you have to consider the resale cost of your hobby you may as well give it up now. "

lucky you dont seem to need to then...

 

[jonnybuoy]

As I said in my post I fully intend to replace it. I was just surprised about the view expressed to me that it was not particularly relevant when selling or buying a boat.

 

[Garryt]

Although somepeople depend on the hours run meter, it doesn't really tell you how good the engines are! Those hours could have been executed at constant low revs, tickover, heavy load, WOT or anything!

If they've been mistreated or neglected it won't tell you that. If someone is really intent on "defrauding" the next owner, they could spend a couple of hundred pounds on new meters and set them to any value they like.

You can't beat a proper survey where the engines are thouroughly tested and examined by a skilled engineer. Oil samples are also very useful in giving an idea of the engine condition.

 

[Chris_d]

I'd agree with that, depends on the age of the boat I suppose, but engine hours don't really tell you much, usualy only that it hasn't been used much. Too many hours is rarely an issue, most boats engines die through neglect than being worn out.

 

[goochie]

Surely the service record will place the hours to within 50 or so. Should be close enough for a buyer I would have thought!

 

[AdeOlly]

Just been through the same exercise. After the drying them out ploy didn't work I decided to phone VDO service as they make em for Volvo. They said they made them under licence for Volvo and weren't allowed to service them, but here's the name of a company that may be able to. Contacted said company who said "we can't fix them as VDO won't supply the parts". Grrrrrrrrr

I'm of the opinion that everything on my boat should work as I won't max £££ when I sell on, so am bracing myself to spend £400 on a pair of new tachos. Flipping rip off /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

They weren't working when I bought the boat, and I went on engine condition and survey, but yes I did use it as one of the reasons to support my miserly offers.

 

[DoubleVision]

I just bought 2 new tachs for my volvo Kad42s from coastal rides in kent <a href="www.coastalrides.co.uk" target="_blank">here</a> for £110 each. They cleaned out Sealine`s parts department of obsolete volvo parts just after Christmas and stuff tends to go for just above half retail price.

 

[oldgit]

What would you do if the boat was never fitted with one in the first place.Many Fairline Corniches did not have them fitted from new?
Its the boats overall condition that counts.Suspect those electronic VDO counters are doddle to fiddle.My old boat is fitted an analogue unit reading around 2700 at the moment,about 30 mins after posting this it could be reading the 700 hours everybody wants to see.

 

[AdeOlly]

Thanks - I'll ring them in the morning.

 

[nonitoo]

My boat was not fitted with an hour counter from new but I bought one from Fource 4 Chandlery for £29 and fitted it in a neat holder bought from a car accessory shop.

It is not on the dash but fitted out of the way by the c/breakers.

I have no idea if it will have any effect on the boat's resale value but it is a helpful guide for me for maintenance purposes.