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115 60 degree looper Tach not working has me stumped!

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Daveparm

Member
Hello everyone this is my first thread here, although past threads have helped me countless times-- Thank you!

I have a 96 evinrude 115 and can't get the tachometer to work.

Here is what I tried so far.

1. v4 should have the 20 amp charging so checked resist of the stator and was a little off spec at .25 ohms all other stator tests per manual passed
2. Tach circuit tests all passed. Ground grounded, purple has ignition switch voltage. Grey wire is 4.5 volts engine running at idle. tach disconnected it's at 5 volts ( not a full volt as per the manual)
3. swapped out regulator rectifier with another
4. used a spare tach with and without the existing one (existing has system check lights that work as supposed to) neither tach works.

Am I right to assume that it is a stator issue? I am getting charge to the battery. I just want to be sure before I replace it as it is a chore as I would have to remove all those bolts/ flywheel and link sync and reset the optical sensor timing.

Also, could I do damage to anything by running without a tach until I get around to fixing it? I purchased this motor not running a few months ago (no spark) replacing the power pack put it back in service. Tach never worked. I have taken it out a handful of times without the tach. What worries me is it appears that when I acquired the motor it appears that the stator AND power pack were bad. Just coincidence? Would hate to fry the powerpack again.

Thanks for reading - sorry for the length of this.
 
Missing tachometer signal has never damaged a pack.

The following test may be a waste of time seeing as how you've already replaced the regulator and rectifier assembly but it's all I have to offer. However... if the portion of the stator that charges the battery is okay, the below test should cause the tachometer to operate.

Is 12v being applied to the tachometer via the proper wire/terminal?

********************
(Testing Tachometer With Water Cooled Regulator/Rectifier)
(J. Reeves)

A quick check is to simply plug in a another new tachometer as a piece of test equipment. If the new tach works properly and the old tach didn't, obviously the old tach is faulty.... but usually boaters don't carry around a spare tach (see below).

A faulty rectifier wouldn't damage the tachometer, the tachometer simply wouldn't work. This is due to the fact that the tachometer operates off of the charging system and the rectifier converts AC voltage to DC voltage, enabling the charging system. A faulty rectifier disables the charging system, and the tachometer simply doesn't register.

However.... those water cooled regulator/rectifiers that are used on the 35 ampere charging systems (and some others) bring into play a different type problem, and as you've probably found out, they are really a pain to troubleshoot via the proper procedure. There's an easier way.

The tachometer sending/receiving setup operates off of the gray wire at the tachometer. That same gray wire exists at the engine wiring harness which is connected to the engine electrical terminal strip. You'll see that there is a gray wire leading from the regulator/rectifier to that terminal strip, and that there is another gray wire attached to it. That other gray wire is the wire leading to the tachometer which is the one you're looking for.

NOTE: For the later models that DO NOT incorporate a wiring terminal strip, splicing into the "Yellow Wire" mentioned will be necessary.

Normally the Gray wire leading from the tachometer is attached at the terminal strip to another Gray wire which leads from the water cooled voltage regulator/rectifier...... remove the gray wire that leads to the tachometer. Now, find the two (2) yellow wires leading from the stator to that terminal strip. Hopefully one of them is either yellow/gray or is connected to a yellow/gray wire at the terminal strip. If so, connect the gray wire you removed previously to that yellow/gray terminal. Start the engine and check the tachometers operation, and if the tachometer operates as it should, then the regulator/rectifier is faulty and will require replacing. If the tachometer is still faulty, replace the tachometer.

If neither of the yellow wires from the stator is yellow/gray, and neither is attached to a yellow/gray wire, then attach that gray tachometer wire to either yellow stator wire, then the other yellow wire, checking the tachometer operation on both connections.

I've found this method to be a quick and efficient way of finding out which component is faulty.... the tachometer or the regulator/rectifier. It sounds drawn out but really only takes a very short time to run through. If the water cooled regulator/rectifier proves to be faulty, don't put off replacing it as they have been known to catch on fire with disastrous consequences.
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Joe,

I'll give it a try. unfortunately I don't have the electrical strip (60 degree motor), but I will try to pigtail the yellow grey or something (not at home now so can't visualize the connections). To make sure I understand you though. Basically you are saying connect the yellow/grey wire from the stator directly to the signal wire at the tach, right? Bypassing the regulator.

Thanks,
 
So I had a chance to look at the connectors 2 yellow wires from the stator (one yellow/grey)are connected by a round connector to the rect/reg. I think I will run a wire from this wire to the tach to test. Can I leave the reg/rect connector disconnected and jump off the one from the stator side while it is running without dammaging stator or reg?
 
Daveparm said:
So I had a chance to look at the connectors 2 yellow wires from the stator (one yellow/grey)are connected by a round connector to the rect/reg. I think I will run a wire from this wire to the tach to test. Can I leave the reg/rect connector disconnected and jump off the one from the stator side while it is running without dammaging stator or reg?
Click to expand...

For that short test... that'll be okay. It's just not good to make a days outing with the wiring like that.
 
Never got around to testing last night as the motor wouldn't crank. Ended up being that the gear selector neutral switch decided to go out. Once I bypassed it for testing it was late enough I didn't want to disturb the neighbors. Oh well at least it didn't happen on the water. I plan to always have a voltmeter with me when on the water from now on.

In the troubleshoot to find this I did notice a few odd things. For some reason my purple wire was showing 2 volts with the ignition off. I disconnected it at the regulator, and it went back down to zero. I think I may have water logged this replacement one as I had a slight water leak after replacement at the front center of the sealing surface and water would pool on top of it during testing. I connected the wires of the other one and it worked as it should (back to zero V.)

As far as the leak, when I pulled it off to put the original back on I noticed a v eroded into the case casting. This motor has zero signs of corrosion anywhere inside the cavity (looks new) so I figured it is a poor casting from the factory. I looked at my parts powerhead and noticed it had a similar (but not as severe) issue in the exactly same spot. Is this a common thing? I built it up with JB weld, but hardly think that it will be a lasting solution. I may have to 5200 the thing on.lol (kidding of course). Any better ideas? Should I ditch the new rubber gasket I bought and just use gasket sealant?

Note on the above that the parts I used were off of my seized parts motor. I can't 100% verify that they are good. The motor had running electrics as this motor seized by a failed powerhead gasket letting water into the cylinders/crankcase.
 
Both tachs are not zeroed when off, when I turn the ignition on there is a slight movement (don't remember if it's up or down), but they are still far from zeroed. This is from memory, when I get home tonight I will take better note. What should they do?
 
Will check. I have a third tach that I was getting ready to check yesterday (before the switch issue). It was from a suzuki. Should it be set on the 6p setting. This tach had a pole setting the Fraria backup one I tried first had pulses. ( I could have that backwards) and was set on 12.
 
My crankcase seal fix finally cured and the original regulator is back on. No leaks.

The next part is strange as It was the tach. For some weird reason when I reconnected the replacement tach and turned on the ignition it zeroed out!! Maybe a poor connection the first time? Started her up and the replacement tach works now! The original with the system check was (is) faulty.

Anyone have a response to the crankase casting issue I spoke of in my post a few up. Have any of you veterans noticed a leak front middle regulator area?

Thanks
 
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