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Hour Meter


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My key got left on after I fired up the boat after getting it out of storage a couple of weeks ago. Now instead of reading 497 hours it reads 833 hours. Is there any way to get it back to the original hours?

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My key got left on after I fired up the boat after getting it out of storage a couple of weeks ago. Now instead of reading 497 hours it reads 833 hours. Is there any way to get it back to the original hours?

GM block EFI? If so it may be possible to read the running hours out of the ECU. If not you could buy a new hour meter and let it run for 497 hours. Dontknow.gif AFAIK they cannot be rolled back, but I could be wrong.

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My key got left on after I fired up the boat after getting it out of storage a couple of weeks ago. Now instead of reading 497 hours it reads 833 hours. Is there any way to get it back to the original hours?

GM block EFI? If so it may be possible to read the running hours out of the ECU. If not you could buy a new hour meter and let it run for 497 hours. Dontknow.gif AFAIK they cannot be rolled back, but I could be wrong.

I thought the hour meter did not start ticking unless a certain RPM threshhold was met, no?

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I didn't thank it would tick the time away unless the engine was actually running. Dontknow.gif I would call the factory and see what they say or I'm sure someone will know the answer on the site, just give it acouple days.

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I didn't thank it would tick the time away unless the engine was actually running. Dontknow.gif I would call the factory and see what they say or I'm sure someone will know the answer on the site, just give it acouple days.

I didn't think that it would run if the engine wasn't running. So, if you are sitting out somewhere with the ignition on accessary listening to the radio the meter is running?

Doesn't make much sense. When I put the boat back into the garage the check engine light was on (that's what caught my attention) I noticed the key was in the accessary position and there were way more hours on the meter. I am going to call the dealer in the morning.

Can you just take off the face plate of the dash to get at the hour meter? Boat is A 1999 Sportster LX with a 310 hp motor.

Thanks,

Scott

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I thought the hour meter did not start ticking unless a certain RPM threshhold was met, no?

I'm not sure when they started implementing this kind of hour meter to be honest. Can anyone else with a '99 chime in?

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I thought the hour meter did not start ticking unless a certain RPM threshhold was met, no?
I'm not sure when they started implementing this kind of hour meter to be honest. Can anyone else with a '99 chime in?
My 2000 doesn't add hours unless the motor is running. One of my buddies has a 99 Sporty LX I can call him tomorrow and ask him but I am almost certain it's the same as mine. :unsure:
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I thought the hour meter did not start ticking unless a certain RPM threshhold was met, no?
I'm not sure when they started implementing this kind of hour meter to be honest. Can anyone else with a '99 chime in?
My 2000 doesn't add hours unless the motor is running. One of my buddies has a 99 Sporty LX I can call him tomorrow and ask him but I am almost certain it's the same as mine. :unsure:

For what it's worth, my 2003 Mastercraft 205V (sold, 2007 LXI purchased) hourmeter DID run when the key was turned to the right aux position (motor running position), but not the left aux position (radio only).

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Do many people have to turn the key to listen to the stereo? Doesn't everyone have a radio accessory switch?

I don't think I've ever been on a boat that needed the key turned, to listen to the radio.

I thought all boats start ticking (hours) when the key is turned (at all).

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I have an '06 iRide. I've never tried it but the dealer was pretty clear when the told me that when the key is in the "on" position (as if the engine was running) that the hours are clicking.

There is a different key position (accesory only) for listening to the radio.

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My '97 Echelon, and my '99 SLxi would both run the hour meter if the key was in the ON or ACC position. They implemented the "min RPM" fix later than '99. Both of these boat had the stereo wired to a switch that could be turned on regardless of Key position. I found this all out the hard way when my SIL left the key on the ACC position of my Echelon and ran up my hours. No, there is not a way of "backing up the hours", it's a sealed box.

BTW - Does anyone know how many hours are between 1:00 pm Saturday , and 6:30 am Tuesday?? I DO! Mad.gif

Edited by mrothwell
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They implemented the "min RPM" fix later than '99.

My '02 SLXi absolutely does not spin the meter without the engine running. I checked myself in the driveway by leaving the key on for several hours.

I did this because the salesman (no longer at my current dealership, but works for another big ski boat place here in town...I'm fighting the urge to give his name and the boat he now sells) told me the 25 hours on my meter when I bought my (what I was told was a "New") boat was because someone left the key on. After finding a few Bud Light cans as well as some other junk around the boat, I had the engine scanned and the ECM hours matched the hour meter hours.

The boat was a Demo.

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This may sound silly, but here goes anyway...

Since it's a DC device, can't you simply switch the polarity of the power to the meter for a while. Won't it run backwards then?

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My meter does not work untill I exceed 300 rpm - which is to prevent hours from building with just the key on. Not sure when they implemented that, but certainly did for the 2004 models.

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How high does it go before it resets ? Sounds like you should just leave the key on again, with a battery charger of course. Dontknow.gif

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How high does it go before it resets ? Sounds like you should just leave the key on again, with a battery charger of course. Dontknow.gif

I don't recall for sure, but I think it was a 4 digit, that 9999 hours, it would take 416 days to run a full cycle.

As far as running backwards with the polarity reversed, Dontknow.gif - it may just work.

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How hard would it be to pull off the dash face and put in a new hour meter with it ran to the correct hours (497) if running it backwards doesn't work? Is it a special hour meter that I need to get from a dealer since it just shows the numbers?

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I had that happen to one of my boats years ago. The solution was to fry out the LCD display by throughing 120 volt to the Whole Gauge, then claim it through warranty and when you recieve the NEW one, hook it up to your battery charger for days until you reach the hours you had on it ! DON'T TRY THIS TO FOOL A CUSTOMER TO KNOCK OFF HOURS SINCE THE TRUE HOURS ARE KEEPED IN THE COMPUTER ON THE ENGINE.

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Can you launch the boat and then drive in reverse for a few hundred hours?

haha. i am not so sure that would work to well. Crazy.gif

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I'm not sure I'll ever know the exact reason why, but one year after getting the boat back from winter storage, the hour meter had gone from 1100 to like 6800. I never really cared too much, until it was time to sell, and no one believed the story..

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MalibuNation
I have an '06 iRide. I've never tried it but the dealer was pretty clear when the told me that when the key is in the "on" position (as if the engine was running) that the hours are clicking.

There is a different key position (accesory only) for listening to the radio.

Same dealer told me if my key was on the hour meter would run - even if the motor wasn't running. 2003 Sunscape LSV.

I'm in the process of getting a stereo and trying to decide whether I want to have to key turn on before the stereo works. I can imagine trying turning the stereo way down to hear someone and forget it's on. I never forget my boat keys. I hate to have the extra hours rack up on my boat, but would rather be safe than sorry.

Edited by jchooper
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Most hour meters are hooked up to the alternator, they are designed to measure hours of the motor not how long your key is on. If it is counting the hours when the key is on then, they (who ever did it) attached it to the wrong connector on the alt. I had this same thing happen to one of my boats when I left the battery on and that is how I found out. I bought a new meter and did the same thing, hooked it up to a battery charger and ran it in the garage until I had 370hrs. it took me 15.4 days to do it. I then hooked it up right so that wouldn't happen again.

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Most hour meters are hooked up to the alternator, they are designed to measure hours of the motor not how long your key is on. If it is counting the hours when the key is on then, they (who ever did it) attached it to the wrong connector on the alt. I had this same thing happen to one of my boats when I left the battery on and that is how I found out. I bought a new meter and did the same thing, hooked it up to a battery charger and ran it in the garage until I had 370hrs. it took me 15.4 days to do it. I then hooked it up right so that wouldn't happen again.

In a perfect world, this would be true. But this has been an issue with some Malibus for a long time. Supposedly sometime around 2000 they were supposed to change this to where it wouldn't run with the key in the on position unless the engine was running, but it's spotty at best. Malibu doesn't have a wiring loom that is comparable to the auto industry & things like this make me think that they should seriously consider that.

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