Does anyone have an hour meter installed?

[briborg]

I am just wondering why Tahoe doesn't install hour meters on their boats. I bought my 2010 used and had to take it on faith that the boat only had 25 hours on the engine. I want to put a meter on mine just for my own accounting of hours. That way I get a good yardstick on how much I use the boat. Is this a good Idea? and where would I connect it to?

Thanks for any responses

 

[colossus0706]

Re: Does anyone have an hour meter installed?

My 2007 didn't come with one either, I'm thinking of buying the battery operated kind with a cord that wraps around a spark plug wire. They can be found on Amazon / ebay for about $15. I've heard to get a nice, mechanical gauge style one is more difficult to install and will cost about $45.

 

[mccownk]

Re: Does anyone have an hour meter installed?

My 2006 Q6 has the 4.3L MPI motor. It has the connection where you can plug in a diagnostics tool, which can give you the hours on the engine. I have installed the electronic sytem monitor from Smartcraft and now have hours, fuel consumpton, battery volts etc. all in one guage. I installed this in place of the tachometer since it also gives engine rpm. You have to have the electroninc ignition models such as the MPI motor to use this system. When I hooked it up I found out my boat had 84 hours on it. I am now just over 100 hours and am due for an impeller change and the other maintenance that is recommended at the 100 hour point.

 

[begbie]

Re: Does anyone have an hour meter installed?

mccownk -

That's really cool. Can you talk about how you installed it?

-B

 

[jrampey]

Re: Does anyone have an hour meter installed?

I replaced the original tach on my Q6 last month because it was becoming erratic... bought this one from iboats. It has an hour meter embedded in it.

http://www.iboats.com/Tach-Hourmeter-7K-Outboard-Alt-4-Cycle-Gas-Teleflex-Marine/dm/view_id.391903

I wish I knew how many hours it had on it when I added the meter.

 

[briborg]

Re: Does anyone have an hour meter installed?

jrampey-


I like that tach. Was it plug-n-play? Do you have the MPI 4.3 or the carb? I am going to get this one if it is an easy instal.

thanks for the info.

 

[TahoeQ4Pilot]

Re: Does anyone have an hour meter installed?

My 06 Q4 has one and it registers all of 1 hr. I dont know if it was factory or after market, but I rate it as useless junk

 

[jrampey]

Re: Does anyone have an hour meter installed?

Briborg,

It is a simple install... no additional wiring needed! The hour meter takes its que from the tachometer... whenever the engine is running the clock's a tickin.

and it matched the other gauges - looks like it came from the factory.

Oh! I have the 190 HP carb engine

 

[briborg]

Re: Does anyone have an hour meter installed?

Thanks alot jrampey! Now I have one on my wish list going to buy one just as soon as I have the money.

 

[mccownk]

Re: Does anyone have an hour meter installed?

Here is the install of the Mercury Smartcraft System Monitor.

The data cable resistor end plugs into the CAN LINE connector on the back of the engine.

The non resistor end (I used a 15ft cale) plugs into a 4 way junction box for future expansion under the dash. Another resistor, a cap and a connector cable plug into the ports on the box.

Here is the guage installed behind the dash view and dash view

And the users manual. Next I will install digital trim sending unit on the outdrive and digital fuel sending unit for MPG and range monitoring. This guage will read all those parameters and more. Currently it reads hours, rpms, fuel used, voltsengine temp, oil pressureand temp, water pressure and fuel flow

 

[DBCooper]

Re: Does anyone have an hour meter installed?

I replaced the original tach on my Q6 last month because it was becoming erratic... bought this one from iboats. It has an hour meter embedded in it.

http://www.iboats.com/Tach-Hourmeter-7K-Outboard-Alt-4-Cycle-Gas-Teleflex-Marine/dm/view_id.391903

I wish I knew how many hours it had on it when I added the meter.

jrampey, did that tach/hourmeter fit directly into the existing dash mounting spot (w/o modding the dash)??? if so that is sweet and I will be ordering one up

thanks
DB

 

[jrampey]

Re: Does anyone have an hour meter installed?

Yep, the replacement is the same size as the original tach...

 

[KBD431]

Re: Does anyone have an hour meter installed?

Yep, the replacement is the same size as the original tach...

To get to the back of the dash, do you just remove the screws that surround the dash insert? Also, can you set the hour meter foward (ie take a reading of what I have on the motor before I do the install) to match what is already on the boat?

 

[mcgyver210]

Re: Does anyone have an hour meter installed?

I also wanted an Hour Meter so I just matched my Tach Gauge to same style accept with an embedded hour meter.

I did think about the cheaper route of using an addon hour meter but decided I would prefer a more factory look.

 

[bellhop]

Re: Does anyone have an hour meter installed?

I also installed my own hour meter on my Q7i.
Bought one, generic for $50, made a bracket from scrap aluminum and epoxied under the main console so I didn't drill any holes. Tapped into the purple wire from the ignition switch and grounded the other to a ground on another gage under the dash. (Black wire to a post connected with a nut.) It's that simple. If I can do it anyone can. Best piece of mind if you want to maintain your engine properly. All you need is the gage, some proper wire, insulated female connectors, and wire snips. YOU CAN DO IT

By the way, since the Tahoe has a master switch the hour meter does not run unless the ignition switch is on. Very simple.

 

[yourboatmyboat]

Re: Does anyone have an hour meter installed?

only on the MPI motor has the diagnostic port.

 

[stevtech]

Re: Does anyone have an hour meter installed?

Hi, I put an hour meter on my boat Lowe FM175 Optimax 75. It was a cheapy from Ebay. It runs from the On switch. I put a latching relay on the start switch that stays on when the engine turns on. It stays on when the switch is in the run mode and drops out when the engine is off. It will not run if the switch is on just to run the lights, radio, or something. I also checked it for accuracy. The funny thing is I just took my boat in for a check up, they said I had 37 hours on my motor according to the motor. My hour meter says 26. I think they are looking at when the switch is on but the motor has not been turned on. Seems like that Mercury wouldn't do that so I am trying to explain the descripancy.

 

[Q4 Stan]

Re: Does anyone have an hour meter installed?

I added a Hardline hour meter that i picked up at a local store. Its a very quick install, just wrap the supplied cable around one of your spark plug wires. A few zip ties to tidy up the job and a piece of 3m adhesive to mount the unit and you're in business. It only counts when your engine is firing, is digital, and has a lifetime battery. For $39 its a pretty good solution.