BF 130A - Tachometer Does Not Work

This past Saturday I spent three hours on the water. For the entire time my tachometer did not work. The engines hours counter worked/works.

I removed the instrument panel. All connectors are in place. I followed the lines from the tach to the engine. Everything checked-out.

The tach may have failed. If it did how do I check it?

If the tach did not fail, what is/has caused it's failure?

Thanks.

Dorsett

the tach works off the regulator..what does the voltmeter read when running?...

Tach works off the regulator in most outboards, but not the Honda 130. It comes from the ECU.

Your tach probably has power to it, since the hour meter works. The hour meter on several of the tachs operate when the key switch is turned on....some from the engine signal. Just turn your key to on and see if the hour meter works. If it does, then the tach could be bad or there is no signal (like you have already surmised.

Here is a link to testing a tach operation put out by Faria. http://faria-instruments.com/site_manuals/IS0100_Tachometers.pdf

Probably the two steps that will apply most to your case is to rotate the setting switch on the back of the tach....back and forth several times (to help clean the contacts)...and ..check the voltage between the ground terminal and signal terminal. If voltage is not above 2 volts then check the grey lead back at the engine for the same voltage to ground. Of course, the engine has to be running at the time.

Mike

thanks mike..i am going to have to stop my entries before coffee kicks in..over looked brand of motor..