Tach Problem - New Boat

[Joe Kern]

2005 Hull # 1717 - about 75 hours on the engine.  Last time we were out the tach seemed to be reading about 500 rpm too high.  It was responsive just off.  Up to now seemed to work fine.  Anyone had any similar problems and/or suggestions?   Sure hate to make a warranty claim if it is something simple.

Joe

[sail4dale]

Yep, my #1582 is the same.  I calibrated it and found a 1.25 multiplier gives me the real engine rpm.  I haven't taken the trouble to open up the pod and get to the back of the tach to recalibrate.  Just so I know wnat the rpm is I am happy.

[Joe Kern]

Any idea why it would suddenly happen?

How did you determine your actual RPM to know how far you were off?

[willie]

This is what I did:

http://www.pc-land.com/simplelife/simple_life_dbase/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=37&posts=1

[Ron Hill]

Joe : I'd let the dealer solve the problem.  After your boat is out of warranty you'll have plenty of time to solve problems by yourself or with the help of this message board.   

[Ken Juul]

There is a thread somewhere in the archives that talks about using a florescient light tube to do the same thing.  It has a consistent flicker rate that will allow determination of a certain rpm near idle and multiples of higher rpms.  The author of that thread my reply or do a search.  Sure alot cheaper than buying a one time use tool.  But as Ron said, if it's still under warrenty let the dealer solve it.

[sail4dale]

I got a mechanical tach and with the help of another boater we ran up the engine in idle while at the dock.  I made a curve and found it was a straight line function that amounted to a 1.25 correction.  That is multiplying the tach read our by 1.25 to get the true engine RPM.

I have heard that the tach readout comes for the alternator and if you change alternators and their pulley the toutput to the tach changes also.

[Stu Jackson]

Try the Teleflex website.  They have instructions on how to adjust the settings.  We've discussed it here, too.  Try a search on teleflex. 

Or, continue to do the "proportional" approach - there's really nothing wrong with that.

I believe it could be just another case of "broken fuel gauge syndrome," so we recognize that the rpm numbers on the tach aren't absolute.

What you'll also find is that some RPMs, whatever they show on the tach, "feel" more comfortable than others - the engine doesn't shake or the boat doesn't either!  Probably less of that occurring on your four cylinder than our older M25 3 cylinder engine, but it does happen.

[Ron Hill]

Why anybody would screw around with a Tac problem on a boat that is still in Warrentee --- is beyond me????
The dealer has or has access to an electronic/mechanical tac and can call Teleflex, Catalina and or Universal/Westerbeake.  It's HIS problem and I'd make him fix it. 
Screw around with it and you could VOID your warrentee!!!!!!!!!!!!   

[Joe Kern]

I agree re calling the dealer.  Unfortunatelty mine is 3 hours away so I thought if it was a common problem or something simple I could just deal with it. 

I have never had a new boat before.  This one was used for about 45 hours by the dealer for demo sails so he deprciated it but it still is new for warranty purposes.  I intend to make sure everything that goes wrong this first year gets fixed by someone other than me.  In month 11 I will be looking for things for them to fix, replace, adjust.