Tachometer troubleshooting help please

biscayne

Cadet
Joined
Jun 1, 2008
Messages
14
1999 Proline 17' center console. Original Faria gages (0-7000 rpm). Mercury 100-125 Hp 2 stroke outboard. My tachometer is frozen at 500 rpm. All my other gages work and I have checked all connections in the back of the gage cluster for tightness and connection. I removed the cowl on the engine and all wires appear to be attached with no obvious signs of loose wires or bad connections. What would be the next thing you guys would look at. I am at a loss. I bought the no joke Mercury engine repair manual hoping it would give some wire diagrams that would help. No such luck. Are there any "idiot checks" that I might do that might save me a lot of time and money? Any ideas are greatly appreciated. I've been lurking here a while and really appreciate all the priceless info I have gathered up to now. Maybe one day I will have valuable input to put in, right now, I barely know the difference between my butt and a hole in the ground.
 

hkeiner

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Oct 17, 2006
Messages
1,055
Re: Tachometer troubleshooting help please

Based upon your description of the symptoms, my guess would be that you gauge is bad. The below linked guide from the Teleflex website is good for testing gauges. This guide would apply even if your gauge is a different brand.

http://www.downloadingfiles.co.uk/teleflexfiles/gauges/A Basic Gauge Test.pdf

If your gauge checks out OK, you can next test the "send" wire coming from the motor. The Teleflex site has a separate troubleshooting guide for this test.

http://www.downloadingfiles.co.uk/teleflexfiles/gauges/Tachometers Outboards.pdf
 

biscayne

Cadet
Joined
Jun 1, 2008
Messages
14
Re: Tachometer troubleshooting help please

Thanks, that will help a bunch. Now if I can find someplace that sells 10 year old Tachs.
 

marty53

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Aug 10, 2006
Messages
121
Re: Tachometer troubleshooting help please

I never had a tach until a month ago. I got a used Faria 0-7000rpm tach on ebay for like $8.99--seriously. Works perfectly with my 91 75HP mariner. If you get a Faria or teleflex you'll be good to go.. Tachs are very universal--just make sure you set the pole selector thing correctly--info for that will be on the Faria or teleflex website.
 
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