Yanmar Hobbs meters “just go bad?”

[LeeV]

I wasn’t sure where to post this, but we’ve looked at several Catamarans for sale, all with Yanmars 54hp mostly (my pref), and many, if not most, have hor meters that don’t function. It can’t be due to longevity as some of these boats are fairly new with @ 500hrs. I’ve heard the same reason from owners and brokers and dealers- they just go bad.

Can someone tell me why?

Thanks!

[a64pilot]

I have heard of several that get dim, hard to read I believe and then just go out, but I think they are still recording time, it’s the display, if we are talking about the same hour meters.
There is a fix, but I don’t know what it is, sorry. I have the old fashioned Hobbs meter that is actually a mechanical clock

[LeeV]

Thanks for the response. I believe I found the fix I’ll pursue; I’ll ost it here if it pans out. And yes it’s the ribbon for the display.

Regards

[MartinR]

Originally Posted by LeeV

I wasn’t sure where to post this, but we’ve looked at several Catamarans for sale, all with Yanmars 54hp mostly (my pref), and many, if not most, have hor meters that don’t function. It can’t be due to longevity as some of these boats are fairly new with @ 500hrs. I’ve heard the same reason from owners and brokers and dealers- they just go bad.

Can someone tell me why?

Thanks!

Can not tell you, but mine is not working. I installed a tinytach instead. Gives exact RPMs also and cheaper than changing the instrument.

[sailormed]

There is (my guess) moisture coming in the LCD display, making it unreliable. Sometimes it shows the hours other times not. The chip is still recording the hours, it is just the display not showing them. If you look at the display at night you can often see the (weak) figures still showing the hours. In broad daylight nothing shows.

[Pelican_38]

Yes, they just go out. They generally record time but the display gets dim - in my case it comes and goes. Here is a video on a repair. I hope the video comes though - I've never linked one before.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eldRUU7qc2Y

I just replaced mine in anticipation of a sale. $270 because it is connected to the Tach.

[LeeV]

Yep, video came through; I'd already seen it, and for the $20 I'll give it a go at replacing the ribbon.

Thx!

[Pelican_38]

Originally Posted by LeeV

for the $20 I'll give it a go at replacing the ribbon.

Thx!

Good choice. I would have gone that route also if I'd had the time. It costs nothing but effort and can save you your accumulated hours on the Hobbs meter.

I'm prepping my boat for sale and having a yard do work for me that I don't have time to accomplish. At their rates, it would have been an expensive experiment.

Good luck. Shame Yanmar's stuff craps out so quickly.

[Sailshabby]

Tried the video method to no avail. Just put in a Hobbs meter and ran it off the battery until it matched my logbook.

[a64pilot]

If you only have 2000 hours, then you need to leave it connected to a battery just short of three months.
In aircraft you just make an entry in the log book, Hobbs meter replaced at xxx hours.
I did the same in my boat and kept the old one for anyone to see if they wanted to. Mine of course is one that you can see the numbers power off.

[toddster8]

I've been through three of the relatively expensive Isspro-brand digital LCD hour meters. They just don't survive winter in the cockpit. Third one installed inside at the chart table and still going.

Meanwhile, the dirt-cheap imported mechanical ones I bought for the water maker and compressor are working with no problem. But we'll see in ten years.

[Sailshabby]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

If you only have 2000 hours, then you need to leave it connected to a battery just short of three months.
In aircraft you just make an entry in the log book, Hobbs meter replaced at xxx hours.
I did the same in my boat and kept the old one for anyone to see if they wanted to. Mine of course is one that you can see the numbers power off.

A-

I neglected to note mine failed after 120 hours, so it didn’t become a life long project.