Engine hour meter installation

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Kramfam
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Joined: Sun Feb 08, 2015 1:09 pm
Location: Castle Rock Lake, WI

Engine hour meter installation

#1 Post by Kramfam » Tue Apr 21, 2015 6:38 am

I took delivery of a 2014 Sylvan 8524 with a 115 Merc 4 stroke yesterday. The engine has no hour meter on and I would like to install one for maintenance reasons. Has anyone installed a meter so that it records only when the key is in the "run" position and not in the "Acc" position? Like everyone, we spend a lot of time fishing or beached with the key in "Acc" position and I don't want it to record those hours.

I have seen hour meters that have a wire that wraps around one of the spark plug wires. How does that work on an outboard motor? I really don't care where the meter is, so maybe I go that route and install the gauge by the battery?
2014 Sylvan Mirage Cruise 8524
27" RPT tubes w/underskinning
2014 115hp Mercury 4 stroke
Previous: 2004 Four Winns 22' Horizon, 270hp

crookedlaker
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Location: angola IN

Re: Engine hour meter installation

#2 Post by crookedlaker » Tue Apr 21, 2015 7:14 am

i installed on last year on my new harris. i connected to one of the gauges that had power only when the key is in the on
position. my key does not have an acc position, only on, off and start. get a cheap test light and find a terminal that is hot only on the run position. I would not wrap a wire around a spark plug on a new merc motor with the high voltage ignition system no telling what problems that may cause, or if you would void the warranty.

Mike
2017 Harris Sunliner 200
Tri-toon P+ Package
2017 Mercury 150 4 stroke

2014 Harris Cruiser 200 Sold!!
2014 Mercury 90 four stroke (120 HP via Simon Motorsports) Sold!!

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teecro
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Re: Engine hour meter installation

#3 Post by teecro » Tue Apr 21, 2015 7:20 am

crookedlaker wrote:i installed on last year on my new harris. i connected to one of the gauges that had power only when the key is in the on position....
This is all I bothered with...
T CRO
2017 Berkshire CTS 24 RFX with Yamaha F150/Simomized 200
2015 Caravelle 16 EBo with Mercury 90

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rob28
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Location: Dryden, Ontario. In the wilderness.

Re: Engine hour meter installation

#4 Post by rob28 » Tue Apr 21, 2015 9:21 pm

That's all we did on our 2013 Sylvan. Found a wire under the console that is only live when in key is in the On/Run position and used that for the live feed to an hour meter.
Simple and effective.
Used to be a 2013 Sylvan Mirage Cruise 8520 LE powered by a Merc 50 Bigfoot.
Now we have a 2019 Sylvan Mirage 8522 DLZ LE powered by a Yamaha VF150..
2010 F-150 4.6L to haul it around.
You'll find us enjoying life on the Wabigoon.

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Tully
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Re: Engine hour meter installation

#5 Post by Tully » Wed Apr 22, 2015 7:37 am

Or you could install an oil pressure switch so it only runs when engine has oil pressure.
2008 Tracker 24' Party Barge
Mercury 60 hp Big Foot 4 stroke
2011 Ford F150 Ecoboost
Point 25
Owl Creek Cove
Table Rock Lake
Southwest Missouri

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RobZ71LM7
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Location: Louisville, KY

Re: Engine hour meter installation

#6 Post by RobZ71LM7 » Sat Apr 25, 2015 11:54 am

For reference the standard is for purple wires to be hot in the run position on a boat. You may get lucky and find you have extra purple wires unused in your harness for other gauges like I did. I installed my hour gauge to an unused purple wire behind the gauge cluster.
2013 Premier Sunsation 220 SL PTX Evinrude 200 HO, 44 mph GPS
2014 Silverado LT Crew Cab 5.3
2009 Yamaha Waverunner 13 psi, 82 mph GPS

Spend time at Nolin Lake, KY

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teecro
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Re: Engine hour meter installation

#7 Post by teecro » Sat Apr 25, 2015 4:43 pm

RobZ71LM7 wrote:For reference the standard is for purple wires to be hot in the run position on a boat. You may get lucky and find you have extra purple wires unused in your harness for other gauges like I did. I installed my hour gauge to an unused purple wire behind the gauge cluster.
Did not know this.... Will have to cross check this one day... Thanks
T CRO
2017 Berkshire CTS 24 RFX with Yamaha F150/Simomized 200
2015 Caravelle 16 EBo with Mercury 90

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RobZ71LM7
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Location: Louisville, KY

Re: Engine hour meter installation

#8 Post by RobZ71LM7 » Sat Apr 25, 2015 4:54 pm

Take a look here:

http://boatwiringadvice.com/boat-wiring-colors/

Not all follow, but most do.
2013 Premier Sunsation 220 SL PTX Evinrude 200 HO, 44 mph GPS
2014 Silverado LT Crew Cab 5.3
2009 Yamaha Waverunner 13 psi, 82 mph GPS

Spend time at Nolin Lake, KY

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Strake
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Location: Smith Mountain Lake, VA

Re: Engine hour meter installation

#9 Post by Strake » Sat Apr 25, 2015 5:30 pm

RobZ71LM7 wrote:Take a look here:

http://boatwiringadvice.com/boat-wiring-colors/

Not all follow, but most do.
Great reference material !!!!!!! Thanks for posting this. I've bookmarked it for future questions I'm likely to find.
"Strake"
Richard and Angie
Smith Mountain Lake, VA
2015 Berkshire 233 RFX STS
Yamaha F200 LB

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Kramfam
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Location: Castle Rock Lake, WI

Re: Engine hour meter installation

#10 Post by Kramfam » Sun Apr 26, 2015 4:00 pm

Perfect...exactly what I need. I was looking at it the other night and couldn't make sense of much,
2014 Sylvan Mirage Cruise 8524
27" RPT tubes w/underskinning
2014 115hp Mercury 4 stroke
Previous: 2004 Four Winns 22' Horizon, 270hp

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litgrep
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Location: mid-Michigan

Re: Engine hour meter installation

#11 Post by litgrep » Sun Apr 26, 2015 6:17 pm

I have one integrated with my tach (Honda outboard). It only runs when the engine runs. My entertainment and GPS/fishfinder also have their own 12volt feed that don't run from ignition switch.

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