Running wire thru cowling...?

[1980Galaxy]

So I am trying to hook up a tach on my 2011 Lowe Skorpion with a Mercury Jet Outboard. I believe that I have found the wires to hook up but they are on the engine and I will need to run them up to the console. How would I run one or two wires thru the cowling to get into the boat? I don't want these wires binding or rubbing when the motor turns.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Running wire thru cowling...?

Connections for the tach should be on the controller. No need to get into the engine cowl.

 

[1980Galaxy]

Re: Running wire thru cowling...?

My boat didn't come with a tach, so I didn't think the wire would be up there... especially when I saw a gray wire from the regulator capped off.

The wire looks almost white in the picture but it's gray. And it isn't connected to anything as if they knew at the factory that they wouldn't be installing a tach.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Running wire thru cowling...?

My boat didn't come with a tach, so I didn't think the wire would be up there... especially when I saw a gray wire from the regulator capped off.

Ayuh,.... I think it's still goes through the cowling plug, 'n to the controller...

 

[1980Galaxy]

Re: Running wire thru cowling...?

is there anyway to know for sure? why would that gray wire be there and not connected to anything?

I did find a harness behind the controller that has a gray wire in it but I don't want to cut it if it won't do anything.

 

[1980Galaxy]

Re: Running wire thru cowling...?

So I cut the gray wire from the harness behind the control box... when the switch is in the 'ON' position, there are 12V going thru that wire. Is that normal for the sender on the tach? I tested the ignition wire(purple) and got 12.6V.

I kind of figured that I wouldn't get a reading from the wire unless the engine was running but tested it anyway to be sure... Am I right or wrong here?

Thanks

 

[Bondo]

Re: Running wire thru cowling...?

Ayuh,.... This might play out better in the Merc outboard forum,.... I'll move it for ya...

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: Running wire thru cowling...?

Hi Galaxy. Is this all new equipment? 2011 boat and 2011 Merc? If it is the tach ought to be almost plug n play. No wire cutting or splicing needed. Check with the dealer.

 

[1980Galaxy]

Re: Running wire thru cowling...?

I went and picked up a tach with the 3 prongs on the back (GRND, IGN, SEND). I later found a harness that seemed to be for hooking up gauges but all I need is the SEND wire. This harness has about 12 wires going to it and most are not needed.

I have been doing some research and according to a Teleflex PDF on gauge installation: the sender wire may be green or yellow, and should have 5 VAC when the engine is running. Anyway to pinpoint this wire without the engine running?

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Running wire thru cowling...?

What year Motor and what HP? You can look in the on-line parts list to see if it has a rectifier or a regulator, and where it is located. Then find the grey wire on the rectifier or regulator and trace it back to the control box.

 

[1980Galaxy]

Re: Running wire thru cowling...?

It's a 2011 Mercury 60/40 Jet. The picture above is from the regulator and the gray wire is capped off. Bond-o suggested that the wire I need is probably in the control box anyway.

I was reading online about a yellow or green wire that may be the sender for the tach (info came from a PDF file from Teleflex on installing gauges).


I don't mind cutting the wires to check and see if they are the one I need, but I don't know what I am looking for.... should I have voltage without the engine running?

 

[JWH0420]

Re: Running wire thru cowling...?

i would start with a DMM and see what is on that wire that is capped off in the engine compartment... a DMM wont cause damage even when set wrong(atleast highly unlikely) would make sense that a tach would be from stater output and not from ignition system being DIS and on a outboard (not familiar with new outboard technology but) im guessing they kept the controller as simple as they could and a tach from the controller would be additional hardware and programming. a stator tach would need to be AC signal to work so wires post regulator if it didnt come from the regulator highly unlikely cant see the bottom right connector or where it goes but rest seems simple red is DC 12v output yellow in are stator yellow out to rectifier/regulator i agree grey looks to have high probability

 

[Laddies]

Re: Running wire thru cowling...?

End

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Running wire thru cowling...?

Galaxy, Tachs run off the stator AC pulses. The stator normally has yellow wires, which is why you saw that in the Teleflex PDF. Most OEMs connect the yellow stator wire to a grey tach sender wire, inside the voltage regulator. You clearly need to trace the path of the grey wire from the control to the motor, and see what it is being used for.

I am surprized the grey wire is capped at the regulator. Merc will cap one grey wire on larger motors that have dual voltage regulators, as they only need one tach signal.

 

[1980Galaxy]

Re: Running wire thru cowling...?

UPDATE: I just took the boat down to the launch and tested it out and it worked! Sure enough, it was the gray wire. Don't know why I was so nervous about using that one, but oh well... it's all good.

Thanks a bunch for all the input!