Help with Tach problem on '94 200 Vindicator

[luckyinkentucky]

Update: See Bottom of Post!


'94 200 Vindicator model E200STLERK

I went out a little while ago to start up my boat on muffs to make sure she cranked alright before leaving for a fishing trip tomorrow afternoon. I looked at my gauges, and my tach wasn't working. It worked fine last time I went out, but for some reason the tach wasn't picking up anything for my engine idle.

Can someone give me somewhere to start looking? I need to fix this before tomorrow afternoon, and I can work on it later tonight and tomorrow if I need to.

Please give me from start to finish what you would check so that I can make the best of my time there. Thanks

 

[HighTrim]

Re: Help with Tach problem on '94 200 Vindicator

Have you recently re hooked up your battery, possibly switching the leads in any way? Possible your rectifier is toast.

If your tach doesnt work test the rectifier.

To test the rectifier.....

Place meter in Hi ohms position, disconnect battery

1. Disconnect rectifier lead from terminal block. Connect one ohmmeter lead to either yellow or yellow grey rectifier lead, and other meter lead to ground. Note reading

2. Reverse leads, and note reading. Infinite or very high reading in both checks indicates diode open. zero reading in both checks indicates diode is shorted. Normal diode will show a reading in one direction and no reading in other.

3. Repeat with other rectifier yellow lead.

4. Repeat test, connect meter between rectifier yellow lead and rect red/purple lead. Between yellow/gray stripe rectifier lead and rect red/purple lead.

 

[HighTrim]

Re: Help with Tach problem on '94 200 Vindicator

Also, while you are at it, do a resistance test across the two yellow wires from the stator that were connected to the rectifier. Should be a low resistance continuity. Then check from one of those wires to ground. Should be no continuity to ground.

Don't go putting a new rectifier in without cleaning your battery cable terminals at both ends. Don't just look at them and assume--CLEAN them shiny bright!! Dirty or corroded or LOOSE terminals is what blows rectifiers. That and installing the battery backwards, even for a brief instant.

 

[luckyinkentucky]

Re: Help with Tach problem on '94 200 Vindicator

Sorry, but you're speaking 'Greek' to me. Where can I find the rectifier? Is it near the power pack?

I've never switched the battery leads since I know what that can do.

The only thing I can think of is the other day I was testing my trolling motor plug to install a new trolling motor, and I accidentally bridged the neg. and pos. terminals on the plug with the meter prong. The trolling motor isn't connected to the rectifier as far as I know. Although, it could be since they are re-charged by the engine running some how.

 

[HighTrim]

Re: Help with Tach problem on '94 200 Vindicator

Do you have an ohmmeter first of all or get a hold of one?? I do believe your rectifier is on you port side, just below and to the left of your power pack, although someone may be able to verify this for me, as Im not 100 percent. Look for the colour coded wires.

 

[luckyinkentucky]

Re: Help with Tach problem on '94 200 Vindicator

Yeah, I have a Greenlee Multimeter. It tests everything from Temperature to Ohms, DC Volts, and AC Volts to Amps.

 

[luckyinkentucky]

Re: Help with Tach problem on '94 200 Vindicator

What else can I check when I go out there? I have to go a couple of miles to where the boat is located.

Can I check the tach in any way to make sure it is working?

 

[HighTrim]

Re: Help with Tach problem on '94 200 Vindicator

I could explain it , but I found a very similar thread to yours which has an excellent explanation of the tach by Joe Reeves, pay special attention to his post. He explains alternate testing procedures in pretty good detail. Good Luck

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=88628&highlight=testing+tach

 

[luckyinkentucky]

Re: Help with Tach problem on '94 200 Vindicator

In order to get to my rectifier I have to take off my power pack. I looked into that tonight after removing my power pack, and there are way too many wires in there.

So, I was talking it over with my wife, and she reminded me that a couple of trips ago I had my Tach set on 3p/6c and it was very eratic. When I switched it back to 6p it didn't work on the next trip. Now that she mentioned it I remember tapping on the tach and saying, "It's not working!"

So, let me ask you this. Would me switching the tach from 6p, where it was originally, to 3p/6c cause the tach to short out? I remember the reason why I switched it. The tach was topping out a 6700 rpms around 3 trips ago. I switched it to 3p/6c thinking it was set wrong by looking at the slot in the adjustment knob. When I got a 'redline' on my tach and it buried the needle past 8k RPMs and wouldn't let up with the 3p/6c setting I realized that wasn't right so I went home and switched it back to 6p after seeing the correct setting for the adjustment knob. After setting it BACK to 6p the tach no longer worked.

Could this have caused a short in the tach?

 

[luckyinkentucky]

Re: Help with Tach problem on '94 200 Vindicator

**bump**

 

[luckyinkentucky]

Re: Help with Tach problem on '94 200 Vindicator

I ended up just switching out the rectifier, and the tach today. A long day, but it worked out okay. The rectifier was the issue. I had to drive an hour to get one, because no one around here had one. I got it done, and am ready for the lake tomorrow.

 

[HighTrim]

Re: Help with Tach problem on '94 200 Vindicator

Good Job! Glad we could help...