Manufacturers of boat motors usually do not offer consumers any measuring instruments in the kit. This is due to the special simplicity of the engines for this purpose. However, in some cases there is still a need to determine such an important parameter as the number of revolutions. For this purpose, most often, a tachometer is installed for the boat engine.


Tachometers for outboard motors allow you to cope with the following tasks:

  • fine-tuning the engine;
  • selection of a suitable propeller on the basis of the instrument's indicators;
  • preventing premature outage of the boat engine;
  • selection of the optimal, fuel-efficient, operating mode of the engine;
  • detection of drive malfunctions.

Principle of operation

How to choose and install a tachometer for a boat engine?Connection of the tachometer to the boat engine is via spark plugs, the power wire of which actually acts as a conductor, which transmits electrical impulses to the device. The received information is displayed on the device display.

Data relating to engine speed are generated in real time. If we talk about the rolling hours, the figure is displayed only after the drive has stopped working.

If necessary, the tachometer for the boat engine can be reset. In other words - reset the data for a certain period.

Setting the tachometer to the boat engine

The installation procedure of the device does not imply performing complex operations, which the owner of the boat can not independently handle. To connect a tachometer for a boat engine, it is enough to connect it with spark plugs by a power wire. To do this, you need to make several turns of the cable, fixing the last insulation tape.

It is worth noting that the connecting wire must be removed from the ignition coil. Otherwise will significantly increase the likelihood of so-called spurious pulses which will negatively affect the formation of accurate device readings.

In conclusion, it is necessary to fix the measuring device on the instrument panel of the motorized boat. To do this, it will be enough to use the simplest fasteners in the form of bolts, screws or screws.

Securing the tachometer for the boat motor, you have to take care of the power supply. This will require wiring to connect the device to a high voltage cable.

In order to properly rebuild the measuring device, it is necessary to compare the number of engine revolutions during idling (the indicator can be found from the technical documentation) with data when switching the tachometer to the same mode. In case of inconsistency of the received information, you will have to configure the device using the instruction.

If you have to deal with a universal tachometer, you need to select the operating mode, aimed at fixing the number of pulses during one revolution of the engine's crankshaft. In this case, the setting is made when the motor is off.

Today, boat tachometers available on the market in all its diversity. Domestic consumers are represented as models of well-known manufacturers and production of virtually unknown brands. To acquire a reliable, functional device and avoid experience with the fakes is to ask the opinion of friends, experienced users, to communicate with experts.

Preferring the maximum functional tachometer, it is necessary to understand that most of the opportunities here will be useless without the purchase of sensors, the installation of which will ensure the receipt of appropriate measurements. This will entail additional material costs, leading to the need to find solutions for performing complex editing.

According to the majority of owners of motorized water crafts, the best option is to buy a tachometer with a single function of counting the operating hours. This solution will allow you to run a new engine and determine the remaining life of the old motor.