Hour meter

[Don50]

I wanted to add an Hour meter so that I could keep up with the hours on my
new Optimax 115 motor. The ProCraft that I bought didn't have one, so I thought this would be a simple add on. Wrong ! I get under the dash with my meter looking for a good 12V supply that will only work when the switch is on, so I go directly to the switch. I am probing around and found 12V, then
I cut the switch on to see if I am on a good contact point. The next thing I know, I don't have anything...I mean nothing...the gauges don't work, the beeper don't beep when I cut the switch on...notta...
This is a new boat but I have no wiring schematic...so I pull every fuse in the fuse block out, and ohm them out...they look good... I go to the back of the boat and find an accessory fuse and check it...its also good.
My question to you good folks here is where to start....I've looked all over for some kind of inline fuse and not found it as of yet... I thought I would throw this out so that someone with alot more experience might have a good suggestion.

Thanks for the help in advance...and also thanks for the generic wiring schematic.

Don

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Hour meter

Don, There may be an inline fuse on your outboard. It should be easy to find, and may be identified in the owners manual. It is likely the two-spade terminal type.

 

[trbass]

Re: Hour meter

look for a fuse on the motor, could be bad switch, did you put the hour meter
in line or just turn the boat on?

 

[Don50]

Re: Hour meter

Thanks guys...I haven't gone into the motor yet...if you think it might be there, I'll figure out how to remove the housing and look for it....
and I haven't even got as far as wiring it... but I was going to try and wire it inline with the switch so when the switch is on the meter will run also....
I will try and find the fuse at the motor end....

Don

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Hour meter

Don, The simplest way to wire it is to hook the power side of the meter to any of the purple wires that run the tach, gas gauge etc. Connect the ground side of the meter to the black wire.

 

[Don50]

Re: Hour meter

Thanks aload Chris...I will do exactly that whenever I find out what is causing my problem. I sure hope it is going to be the fuse that you guys mentioned on the motor.... Is there a fuse block on the motor itself or will it be just an inline type routed with the wiring?

I appreciate your help on this...

Don

 

[jtexas]

Re: Hour meter

....if you have no power at all at the helm (not even electric choke or starter motor), then it probably is the main fuse on the motor...sorry don't know the optimax in particular, but most outboards I know, 12V wire for the helm is on the same starter solenoid post as the pos battery cable...if you can find it there, somewhere between there and the main wiring harness plug should be an inline fuse....

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Hour meter

Don, Normally the fused power wire is red/purple. The non fused power wire is solid red. You should find the origin of the red/purple wire near the starter solenoid.

 

[flavtfan]

Re: Hour meter

I just did one tonight on my boat...at first i hooked it(the pos) to the 12V wire (RED) coming out of my ignition and the negative to the black wire at the back of the ignition....everything worked but it worked too good...it stayed on cause i hooked it directly to the 12V wire...that is what you DON'T want to do....you need to find the wire that is the "on" wire for your ignition..i have a 2007 150 yammy and that is a yellow wire......the easiest way for me to find the "on" wire is to follow out of your ignition unit the wires and look for the one's that go to your battery indicator on your console or your gas indicator...those should give you a hint as to which color is the "on" wire as at least one of the wires on the back of that guage will be coming directly out of your ignition unit. so basically look at all the wires coming out of your ignition...i had a green, blue, red, black, pink, yellow one then i followed that wiring out to my gas and battery guage as those are the two that come on when you turn the key to on....another thing you could do is google your motor and put something like wiring color or wiring diagram behind your motor type

 

[waterinthefuel]

Re: Hour meter

I know this sounds funny, but I'd be quite happy that everything was dead. That is an easy diagnosis, you blew a fuse somewhere. The advice above is great, sounds like the main fuse was blown.

 

[Don50]

Re: Hour meter

OK guys....I found it !!!! I pulled the cover off the motor, and up on the starboard side is a small box labeled..." Fuses" haha what a concept...
removed the cover and bingo...the 15 amp fuse was toast... now get this..also in this fuse holder there are 3 other fuses all 20 amp...and a spare 20 amp fuse. But no spare 15 amp...just my luck..... I'll go get one today though and fix that sucker... I think I am going to do what was mentioned above though, and use the purple wire that powers the gauges and ground it with the black buss. That way it will only run when the switch is on..
I will keep ya posted when I complete the job and let ya know how it works.

Thanks for all the input guys...

Don