1996 175 FastStrike GLEDBJ175 - intermittant tach

[ddakota]

strange intermittant problem. Tach not working at startup. Run about 5 minutes till warm, works fine. I checked grey wire at startup, no signal. Check again after warm up, signal and tach works. Checked motor voltage at startup, 12v. Check after tach starts working, 13v, charging system working.

Rectifier is new, replaced about a year ago. Checked continuity across the 2 yellow wires of rectifier, its good. Think there is supposed to be 3 wires you check for 3 legs, not sure which is the 3rd wire to check. Rectifier has 2 big yellow wires going to a plug, red wire going to starter (I think), then another plug with grey wire and another color going to small plug. grey is for tach, is the other one a ground?

Yesterday on the water, same thing, starts working fine all day till Late in thevday, started acting up. While running back to dock - 25 miles, a couple of times tach went wild. Bouncing between off and working, then stopped for 5 minutes, then started working fine rest of way home.

Does a rectifier act up like this?

 

[Joe Reeves]

Re: 1996 175 FastStrike GLEDBJ175 - intermittant tach

Remove the GRAY wire that leads to the tachometer from its regulator/rectifier GRAY wire connector.

Temporarily attach the tachometer GRAY wire to one of the YELLOW wires leading from the stator. You'll probbaly need to splice it in.

If the tachometer now functions properly, the regulator/rectifier is failing/malfunctioning.

 

[boobie]

Re: 1996 175 FastStrike GLEDBJ175 - intermittant tach

Is this just a plain tach or is it system check ??

 

[ddakota]

Re: 1996 175 FastStrike GLEDBJ175 - intermittant tach

plain BRP tach, not a system tach.I hooked up a known working tach, same thing. This model engine was just before the system tach. The grey tach wire out of the rectifier is paired with a purple wire into a double prong grey plug. To splice into one of the yellow wires from stator, I will need to do 2 splices. Im assuming I need to unplg that plug, jump splice a wire from the grey wire running to tach a yellow. It generally only does it from cold start. Once engine runs, most of the rest ofvthe day, its fine. Works just fine from start, if engine is still warm. Its rhe intermittant aspect that is driving me crazy. Would. tectifier do that or just go out and not work?

 

[Joe Reeves]

Re: 1996 175 FastStrike GLEDBJ175 - intermittant tach

The intermittient action of a known good tachometer is a dead giveaway sign of a failing regulator/rectifier assy. The test I mentioned is simply a easy verification test.

Whatever color you have connected to the "S" (sensor) of the tachometer would be the one to splice into one of the yellow stator wires (normally GRAY).

You should be able to locate that wire leading out of the engine's wiring harness to avoid getting into a complex dual splicing scenario.

 

[ddakota]

Re: 1996 175 FastStrike GLEDBJ175 - intermittant tach

Than you for your help.

The grey wire out of the rectifier goes through a plug into a grey wire that runs into the main wire harness big red plug, from there it comes out as a grey wire to my tach. I disconnected the grey wire plug out of the rectifier, spliced into the grey wire going to the big red plug from the rectifier plug with one end of a small jumper wire. I spliced the other end into the yellow/grey wire from the stator. Started engine - no signal to tach, it still sits on zero. Checked voltage to battery from engine, 12v, indicating its not charging. So if there is no signal from stator direct to tach, stator problem?

Removed jumper wire, pugged it back up, ran it up to operating temp, tach started working, checked voltage to battery from engine, 13v at idle indicating its charging, voltage climbs a little with throttle advance. Can the charging part of this 35 amp stator be intermittant?

I had an intermittant problem this summer - no spark when hot. We traced it to a bad optical sesnsor. Replaced that, no problems since. Visual inspection of stator then as we suspected that could be the culprit and it seemed to be fine.

 

[metriccrescentwrench]

Re: 1996 175 FastStrike GLEDBJ175 - intermittant tach

Have you checked all connections between the stator, rectifier, and tach, as well as all grounds associated with the charging system?

 

[Joe Reeves]

Re: 1996 175 FastStrike GLEDBJ175 - intermittant tach

The gray wire out of the rectifier goes through a plug into a gray wire that runs into the main wire harness big red plug, from there it comes out as a gray wire to my tach. I disconnected the grey wire plug out of the rectifier, spliced into the grey wire going to the big red plug from the rectifier plug with one end of a small jumper wire. I spliced the other end into the yellow/grey wire from the stator. Started engine - no signal to tach, it still sits on zero. Checked voltage to battery from engine, 12v, indicating its not charging. So if there is no signal from stator direct to tach, stator problem?

I'm having a little trouble following your temporary testing wiring route.

If in effect you're running the tachometer's gray sensor lead directly to the Yellow/Gray stator wire... that would be the proper test route. That is... absolutely no tachometer connection wired into the regulator/rectifier assy.

If this is what you've done and the tachometer still acts intermittent, run the gray jumper wire to the stator's plain Yellow wire instead.

 

[ddakota]

Re: 1996 175 FastStrike GLEDBJ175 - intermittant tach

Thanks for the help

I have double checked all grounds and connections. Everything seems clean and tight. I connected grey sensor wire from tach to yellow/grey from stator. There was no other tach sensor wire connected to anything. Nothing. I did not let it run long enough to warm up to see if it would start working. Also, I did not try the other yellow wire from stator. Guess I can try that next. I stumbled across a used rectifier from a "friend of a friend" that is supposed to be good. Once I get my hands on it, I will bench test it, install it and see what happens. If it works, I"ll give him $20 bucks and call it a good deal. While the existing one is out, we will bench test it to see if it works. If I still have problems, to the shop it goes.