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Honda bf150---help! Lost all instruments (tach/hour meter/voltmeter/tilt indicator

marketic

Contributing Member
good afternoon Gents

I just put 100 hours on a BF150 up the central Coast of British Columbia (flawless performance)

However, throughout this trip I had zero engine instruments for the run time. No tach, no voltmeter, no tilt indicator, no hour meter) I checked all fuses (according to manual, Fuse No. 3 = 10 A = all these instruments)
Fuse was fine, but I switched it out anyway---still no functions.

What should i be looking at next??? Are these instruments receiving power through the wire harness to the main engine or do they receive power from a Bus Bar? i have so many wires behind the instrument panel it's hard to do a trace

ALSO, if I get them operating again, can I advance the hour meter to reflect the additional 100 hours run time I just put on the motor????

Thanks!
 
The gauges should be powered off of the keyswitch. I have see some installations where the gauges are powered by a switch on the dash, but that is not normal. The power and ground to the gauges generally loop from one gauge to another. Check this owner's manual...the last couple of pages have a wiring diagram. It should help. http://marine.honda.com/pdf/manuals/31ZY6602.pdf

The lead that provides the power from the key switch is a black/yellow lead. Depending on the gauge harness used, there may also be a fuse in the harness behind the dash.

A lead may have come loose....you just have to trace it down.

Be sure to also check the ground lead (black). Make sure it is actually grounded.

Generally, a 12v test light is all you need to check this out.

As for advancing the hour meter...

If you have Faria tachometer with an hour meter, then most likely, you can just leave the key switch on for 100 hours. If you have a Teleflex gauge, the motor has to run to advance the hour meter. Your battery will probably run down. Since it is 100 hours off, I would just make note of it and leave it alone. Since you have put 100 hours on it, it is due for a 100 hour service.

Mike
 
hi Mike

Thanks for that. based on your recommendations, I just spent two hours trying to trace wires---couldn't find any fuses between the instruments and the ignition panel. Crimped wires, tightened all connections on tach, trim and volt meter, re-checked all fuses---I'm dead in the water.

In my Honda manual, there is a brief blurb about the fuse box in the engine---it indicates fuse No. 3 is for the instruments---it was fine but i swapped it out any way

Their second comment was to trace continuity between one of the terminals on the alternator box and the No. 1 terminal of the "C"
connector---not sure what they mean by "C" connector--could the problem be back in the BF150?
 
Try a different approach...

I am assuming you have a key switch with lights and not a side mount control box (with key).

If you hear your warning horn beep when you turn the key switch to on, the the black/yellow lead from the key switch has 12 v ....then you do not have to worry about anything on the motor.

The black/yellow lead has to somehow get to the all of the gauges to power them up. There is a place on the key switch harness that has about 5 or 6 bullet connectors. One in grey (tach signal), one is yellow/blue (trim signal), black (ground), black/yellow (switched 12v) and maybe a couple more, depending on the age of the harness.

Make sure you are getting the 12v there (between black/yellow and black leads) (when the key switch is on), then follow the wires (both 12v and ground) to the gauges. Just follow the wires and test as you get to each connection. It is possible for all connections to be good and a wire broken inside the insulation.

As long as the harness is loose, it should take no more than 10 minutes to trace. Just follow the two wires (black/yellow and black).

This basically is just checking to follow the voltage to power the gauges up. If you finally have 12v and ground at the voltmeter and the voltmeter does not work, then you have a bad gauge. Unless the gauges went under water, it is improbable that all the gauges went out at the same time.

Mike
 
Thanks for that, Mike

yes, I have a key control switch with lights and yes, it beeps when I turn the key. I pulled the ignition assembly last night and all the connections looked sound. As all the instruments puked at the same time (tach/trim/volt) , it has to be a power issue from the key switch to the instruments (or a ground)

I'll trace that black and yellow wire tonight ---checking voltage directly at the key switch will be tough---all the connections are dipped in melted rubber

I'll report back--in the meantime, I just found out today that the ONLY Honda dealer in my neighborhood just filed Chapt 7---they were going to be my last resort but now, it's going to be all about self-reliance and trouble-shooting my own problems!
 
Do not worry about checking at the switch. Find the black/yellow lead with the connector further down the keyswitch wiring harness. The other two lead colors normally in that area are typically yellow and red. They are not connected to anything...but should help you find the location I am talking about.

Mike
 
Hi Mike

put a couple more hours trouble-shooting the instruments on the BF150

I pulled out the ignition box and found the yellow/black wire you referred to. I pulled the coupler apart and checked for corrosion--looked clean, re-coupled it back up. Pulled the other two couples apart and re-attached

I then checked for continuity on the same yellow/black wire coming off the tach and the voltmeter---no power/no continuity. So I hot wired the instruments to another power source---they lit up like a Christmas tree so now I must presume it's a power/ground issue to the instruments from the ignition switch

I clipped lots of zip-ties to loosen up wire bundles and did a trace---I can confirm---there are ZERO additional couplers between the instruments and the key ignition---just straight wire runs going from the instruments to the one coupler that sits behind the ignition switch

So that leads me to the following question----do you think I have a faulty key ignition? Everything else works (I get the beep, check engine light + oil pressure lights comes on, then go off, engine fires up just like it should, but no working instruments (unless I hot wire them to a different power source as mentioned)

Is there any way to check the functionality of the ignition switch short of installing a new one?

I'm stumped---I'm missing out on some good salmon fishing, but I'm not comfortable running without any instruments---not excited about booking more hours that aren't accounted for on the tach

thanks again for all your comments and help

marketic
 
If your warning horn works, then the key switch is feeding it 12v.

Turn your key switch to on and just check for 12v at the bullet connector of the yellow/black on the key switch harness. If you have voltage and ground there, then just run a lead directly to your gauges and be done with it.

Here is a picture of what I am talking about. If you do not have something that looks like this, then someone did not use stand Honda equipment in rigging.
 

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Hi Mike

I ended up calling the shop in Coos Bay Oregon that wired the boat and asked them if they had any ideas. They said there's an in-line fuse that probably burned out. I said I couldn't find an in-line anything. They said go and look again.

I hacked more zip-ties apart, pried out huge bundles of coiled-up Furuno cable (radar, GPS, depth-sounder and everything else,) and indeed, there was the in-line fuse with a burned-out fuse just like I was told.

Swapped out the fuse and the instruments lit up just like magic.

In the picture you attached, the fuse was place just past those bullet connectors. The problem was there was way more wire then needed for the run to the panel so it was folded over on itself 3 or 4 times, then zip-tied into an impenetrable bundle.

Each time I do one of these exercises, I learn a bit more.

A big thanks to you steering me in the right direction. If that fuse burns again, I guess I'll have more trouble-shooting ahead of me to find out why---my guess, with all the screwing around I've been doing back there (just installed GPS) I probably caused a short. At least that's what I'm hoping....

thanks again!
 
Glad you found it.... for everyone else who may be viewing this.....when tracing wiring that is bundled up, it will save time in the long run to cut all the wire ties so everything is out in the open and you can see where things are going.

You are probably right...you most likely caused a short when you were doing your wiring behind the dash. If the key switch was on at the time, it only takes a brief second of a ground wire hitting the 12v lead to blow the fuse.

Go get those fish!!!

Mike
 
Thanks again for all the help, Mike. I hope all my posts and your valuable answers help someone else who runs into this problem

have you're having a good summer in the meantime

marketic
 
Hello, I'm having a similar problem. I have 2 BF 150s with the double ignition switches - all original Honda equipment. I recently removed the ignition switches to correct a corrosion issue on the metal plate they were installed on and when I put back together. I lost the diagnostic instruments for the port engine only.

Trying to test, I have cross connected the diagnostic light cables with the stbd engine and they light up just fine when using either the port or stbd ignition switch. I'm thinking there might be a fuse out just like Michael had but going thru the cabling I don't see an inline fuse anywhere. I have not checked the fuses in the engine just yet because I don't have a wiring diagram.

Any help or suggestions for troubleshooting would be great.

Thanks

excido
 
Fantastic chawk_man! This is exactly the set up I have. It also helps explain a few of the "not used" connectors that hare hanging around. Unfortunately its not showing an in-line fuses that could be the cause of loss of power to the #3 connector on the main engine harness. I'll be testing for continuity for those lines. You don't happen to have the engine fuse and wiring diagram also? Thank you.

I'll report back if/when I figure it out.

Best

Excido





See attached diagram. That should help.

You may need to open, copy, paste and blow it up for a better view.

View attachment 18942
 
Sorry, that link was not complete. Go to that link above, and scroll down to the "Meter" parts diagram. Item #24 is the fuse, and it shows approximately where it is located.
 
The gauges should be powered off of the keyswitch. I have see some installations where the gauges are powered by a switch on the dash, but that is not normal. The power and ground to the gauges generally loop from one gauge to another. Check this owner's manual...the last couple of pages have a wiring diagram. It should help. http://marine.honda.com/pdf/manuals/31ZY6602.pdf

The lead that provides the power from the key switch is a black/yellow lead. Depending on the gauge harness used, there may also be a fuse in the harness behind the dash.

A lead may have come loose....you just have to trace it down.

Be sure to also check the ground lead (black). Make sure it is actually grounded.

Generally, a 12v test light is all you need to check this out.

As for advancing the hour meter...

If you have Faria tachometer with an hour meter, then most likely, you can just leave the key switch on for 100 hours. If you have a Teleflex gauge, the motor has to run to advance the hour meter. Your battery will probably run down. Since it is 100 hours off, I would just make note of it and leave it alone. Since you have put 100 hours on it, it is due for a 100 hour service.

Mike
Sorry to come late to the party but my 2004 BF150 tach stopped working. It's getting power, and all connections are in protected areas with no corrosion. The yellow-black wire is hot when the ignition is switched on. I can see an hour readout when I power up, but the tach is stuck at 1000 RPM and doesn't budge. Do I need a new gauge? If so, what's the best route? Can I replace it with OEM from Honda Marine at peparts? Thoughts? Thanks in advance for your time and attention. Best, SJH
 
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