Hour Meters Have Stopped Working on Both 4JH4AE Yanmar Displays

[Nesmoht]

Originally Posted by fairbank56

The LCD module is connected to the main circuit board via a flat ribbon cable. The problem is poor contact between the pads of the ribbon cable and the board receptacle. Lever up each end of the receptacle to release pressure on the cable and pull it out. Lightly clean the pads of the end of the ribbon cable with contact cleaner. You may also need to get a little contact cleaner inside the receptacle. Fully dry each with heatgun/hairdryer before reconnecting. Be careful when doing that as you don't want to overheat the ribbon cable. I always use Caig cleaning products. This has worked every time on several different gauges for me.

Eric

That worked for me!

[impi]

Originally Posted by ALLAN WARD

Howzit Impi , my thinking is that depending on the voltage supply from the circuit that is powering your tacho/hourmeter off the engine's electrics, that affects the workings of both . At idle rpm my revcounter needle often jumps from 0 to 750 until l put a little revs and then it is steady. I have noticed that this normally occurs if my batteries are fully charged from my shorepower/battery charger supply . It might be worthwhile now that your unit is working to check the supply voltage and if it stops operating again check and see if possibly the voltage has dropped . As l mentioned previously my supply voltage fluctuates around 6.6volts. Sounds like you are enjoying the good life , take care .

Oh boy .. Allan ... sorry it has been a long time but I had not checked this post again! We are now in the Pacific Ocean and arrived in FIJI.

In the end I just went ahead and fitted 2 electric hour meters by wiring them into the back of the panel ... hr meters are now inside and they tick over as soon as the key is in the 'on position'. I love keeping things original, but in the end I just had enough with these!

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by transmitterdan

I have never seen a single engine with two hour meters. Do you have 2 engines and 2 meters or 1 engine and 2 meters?

Dan

I have two hour meters and a single engine. I have a trawler with dual helms.

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by colemj

The digital Volvo hour meters are notorious for not displaying. They still work fine and continue to count hours correctly, but they just do not display that information. Once in a while ours start to display again for a short period of time and I check their readings against the separate hour meters. The readings have continued to match exactly for the past 5 years.

Mark

If they are notorious for not displaying, do you have any information on a fix? One of mine does not display. I know I should just swap the tachs and see what happens but I haven't gotten around to it. The working one recently started flashing randomly at times.

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by HopCar

My hour meter is turned on by a pressure switch activated by oil pressure. When there are a few pounds of pressure it completes the circuit and when the pressure drops below that it turns off.

I think many are connected that way so the meter only counts if the engine is running. It's certainly better than connecting an hour meter to the ignition switch (of course it's not really an ignition switch on a diesel).

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by rwidman

If they are notorious for not displaying, do you have any information on a fix? One of mine does not display. I know I should just swap the tachs and see what happens but I haven't gotten around to it. The working one recently started flashing randomly at times.

edit: OK, I see Eric's fix and I'm going to try that. Thanks

[transmitterdan]

Originally Posted by rwidman

I have two hour meters and a single engine. I have a trawler with dual helms.

There is an old saying that "man with two watches never know correct time". But I see the benefit because there is a redundant meter in case one fails.

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by transmitterdan

There is an old saying that "man with two watches never know correct time". But I see the benefit because there is a redundant meter in case one fails.

One was dead when I bought the boat in 2008. It was noted on the survey but as long as there's another, it's not important. I don't need to see the hour meter while underway.

I'm going away for a week but I'm going to try Eric's fix when I get back. My laptop keyboard has the same problem, bad connection of the ribbon cable. I have to clean and reseat it from time to time as some of the keys stop working.

BTW: I have nearly thirty antique and reproduction clocks in my house so I never know exactly what time it is unless I look at my phone or the TV.

[feebs]

Just bringing this back to top again....

Yanmar have changed their part number for replacement tachometer/hour meter from 129271-91210 to 129271-91211-01. Does this mean they have owned up to their original design fault & upgraded it ( that's what my dealer is saying) or is this new part number just same crap with different number?

Would be keen to hear from anyone that has installed this new part to find out if it is still working after 'X' hours.... Months....



Thanks Brett

[Journeyman]

Feebs, what is the measured voltage across the power leads when your engine is on?


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[feebs]

Journeyman - is that power leads to instrument panel or power leads to engine?


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[Journeyman]

power right at the yanmar panel. measure voltage between the 12V lead and the ground lead at the panel with engine on and other heavy loads operating (refrigerator, etc.) You want to rule out a bad ground or other high resistance in the supply loop. I have reason to believe that the Yanmar hour meter may be supply voltage sensitive.

[feebs]

OK, will do over next week when I am onboard next.



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[feebs]

Hi Journeyman

Measured voltage as you suggested - it is 13.6 volts. Hour meter was working correctly.

Any other suggestions would be appreciated.






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[boatbod]

The built in electronic hour meters on some Yanmar tachs are known to fail. No way to fix them short of replacing the tach.