Hour Meter runs when battery switch is turned on...HELP

[Pike Preacher]

When I turn the Main switch for my batteries from OFF to 1, 2 or ALL the hour meter starts running how do I wire it so just the meter runs when the engine is running... Is there a way to have it wired to the ignition? or when the key is on and there is power to my gauges... but I would prefer to have it only work when the engine is running....When I slip my boat for a weekend the hour meter really climbs and it is hard to keep track of the hours on the engine for oil changes.

Greg

 

[wifisher]

Re: Hour Meter runs when battery switch is turned on...HELP

Wire the meter to the positive side of the ignition coil. It will run any time the key is in the run position.

 

[Don S]

Re: Hour Meter runs when battery switch is turned on...HELP

If your hour meter is on the dash, hook the + wire of the meter to the + (purple wire) on one of the instruments.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Hour Meter runs when battery switch is turned on...HELP

You just learned the value (or lack of) an hour meter. Even with the key in the RUN position but the engine not running, most hour meters will be clicking off time. Therefore their value is really questionable. One of the simplest, although less sophisticated is a simple Tiny Tach version that has a tach/hour meter comination. These units can be installed in the engine bay or under the cowl of an outboard and they indeed click off time ONLY when the engine is running because they have an internal battery and are triggered by a sensor wire wrapped around a spark plug wire. You could wire a standard hour meter to the oil pressure switch (not an oil pressure sender) on an I/O. Therefore the meter would run only when the engine has oil pressure. Keep in mind the switches may apply a ground so you wire the hot lead on the meter to the "I" terminal on the switch or to the +12 vot terminal on any gauge. The ground gets wired to the oil pressure switch.

 

[Fireman431]

Re: Hour Meter runs when battery switch is turned on...HELP

You car run it off of the 'on' position of the ignition switch. That, or the gauge (as mentioned) will probably be your best/easiest access.

Even if it runs off of the on position of the switch, how much time do you actually spend with the ignition on and the engine off? Maybe a minute or two at the most, occasionally? What would that add to the hour meter over 2-3 years? 15 minutes? Any more than a hour or so with the key on and the engine off and you'll kill your battery, just as you would in a car. So run it off of the ignition switch if you want. Over the course of your engines life, is the 1 extra hour that could possibly be shown on the meter really going to make a difference in the resale of the boat?

 

[Pike Preacher]

Re: Hour Meter runs when battery switch is turned on...HELP

I am new at this and I am little confused...I just went and checked and the gauge starts ticking when the Batteries are turned to the on position... I would like it to only work when the engine is running because when I am working on the boat in the drive way or in the slip for the weekend and I want to turn on my Am/FM radio I have to turn the key to the run position (I also have to make sure I am hooked up to a power source so I can charge my batteries) so maybe it would be easy to take the AM/FM Radio and move it to the battery switch and hour meter to the key ignition I think I need to switch these around? This is all a foreign language to me... I have 23 foot sea ray with a 260 merc with an Alpha 1 out drive.... I have an Oil pressure gauge on my dash along with a temp Tack trim speed and clock. I'm not sure what an oil pressure switch is....can you explain.