tri39
Well-Known Member
The revcounter/hour meters do not last long. Annoying on an otherwise quality engine. Is it an unrepairable internal fault? Or can they be brought back to life by cleaning all the contacts at panel and engine ends?!
Yanmar instrument panels.
- Thread starter tri39
- Start date
RichardS
N/A
The hours meter LCD display is a well-known issue for both Yanmar and Volvo. There are many threads about this and I think a walk-through from Nigel Mercier on how to replace the display.
The revcounter is not such a common problem. It could be a connection at the panel but I would look at the alternator first as that is the most likely place for a poor connection as it's a thin wire and there's a lot of vibration down there.
Richard
The revcounter is not such a common problem. It could be a connection at the panel but I would look at the alternator first as that is the most likely place for a poor connection as it's a thin wire and there's a lot of vibration down there.
Richard
laika
Well-Known Member
I have recently added further investigation of this possible cause/solution (found on the sailboatowners forum) to my long and ever-growing task list:
http://forums.sbo.sailboatowners.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=59966&d=1357622123
http://forums.sbo.sailboatowners.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=59966&d=1357622123
RichardS
N/A
That is really helpful Laika. Thank you.
I had a similar problem with a Humax TV recorder a couple of years ago where the wisdom from the internet said that some preservative applied to one of the PCBs eventually started to conduct a tiny current which caused the display to fail. I gently cleaned up the problem area of the display PCB with a cotton bud and some meths
expecting it to be a waste of time ....... and here we are, several years later, with the display still working perfectly!
You have inspired me to remove my hour meters (two engines and both failed at around 2000 hours) and have a go at cleaning the circuit board.
The worst that can happen is that they still don't work.
Richard
RichardS
N/A
That is really helpful Laika. Thank you.
I had a similar problem with a Humax TV recorder a couple of years ago where the wisdom from the internet said that some preservative applied to one of the PCBs eventually started to conduct a tiny current which caused the display to fail. I gently cleaned up the problem area of the display PCB with a cotton bud and some meths
expecting it to be a waste of time ....... and here we are, several years later, with the display still working perfectly!
You have inspired me to remove my hour meters (two engines and both failed at around 2000 hours) and have a go at cleaning the circuit board.
The worst that can happen is that they still don't work.
Richard
Several threads are around about the disappearing LCD hours meter in Yanmar and Volvo control panels. Anyway, today I had ago at repairing one of my Yanmar non-displays as suggested in the file provided by Laika above. I took my tacho / hours meter apart (it is exactly as shown in the photos in the file) which was quite fiddly but not too bad as long as you have a sharp blade to prise off part of the rev counter dial to get to the display chip.
Once I got to the chip and it's accompanying circuit board, which is totally see-through and not a normal PCB, I could see that there was none of the residue or debris shown in the help file. It all looked very clean. Anyway, I gave it a gentle wipe with a cotton bud and some meths just to remove any deposit that might have been affecting the display. I put it all back together and nothing. It still doesn't work. I then tried using a hair dryer to dry out all the innards, although everything looks to be dry and in perfect condition, but this made no difference either. I've put it all back together and fixed in back in the panel. I'll see what happens tomorrow but I'm not holding my breath.
I won't attempt the same process with the second display unless someone comes up with another suggestion.
A pity it didn't work for me.
Richard
RichardS
N/A
Well I'll be buggered!
Started the engine today and the hours display has returned from beyond the grave! It must be 4 years since I last saw any figures on that display and now it looks like new again. I can't believe it but I've just flicked on the ignition and there it is 3218.1 hours. Clear as daylight. Amazing!
So the solution is almost the same as in the post by Laika except that rather than scraping away at some non-existent crud all you have to do is wipe the LCD chip and the area around it with a cotton bud soaked in meths. Then wait 48 hours or so and bingo!
Now I will do the starboard engine as well which also disappeared about 4 years ago before making a one day re-appearance earlier this year before vanishing again.
Richard
PurpleKate
Well-Known Member
Ive got a couple of problems with my Yanmar 3YM30 Panel, One is the engine hours display for which I plan on trying the Laika repair suggestion. The other is the "Beep" when you have the ignition on but before the engine is started or after its stopped. Its mostly silent though now and again the beep comes back. Anyone know how to fix the beep? Cheers
RichardS
N/A
It might be just a bad connection. When you remove the panel for the Laika fix you have access to all the connections at the back of the panel. The tacho/hour meter is a molded multi-contact plug but the connections to the ignition switch and the beeper are just screw terminals so you can easily unscrew them and clean them up a bit.
Richard
alan
Well-Known Member
Could be just a bad connection. After cleaning all the connectors with some spray (for switches etc, not WD40) mine sprang back to life, also fixed an intermittent non-functioning rev counter!!
Alan.
Alan.
dslittle
Well-Known Member
Good on you. Wish it had been last year and you could have done mine!!!