Digital hour meters on dashboard can be inaccurate

LaRea

(Summary of previous discussion to simplify future searches)

If your helm has a dual tachometer with digital hour meters, be aware that the hour meters might be inaccurate.  I'm talking about the Faria dual tachometer that comes on most twin-engine Rinkers from 2005 and later, but it might apply to other digital hour meters.

Symptom 1:  Meter can accumulate hours when engine is not running.  DIAGNOSIS:  Turn the ignition key to the accessory position WITHOUT starting the engine.  Look at the small hourglass icon next to the hour display.  If the icon is turning, it means the meter is accumulating hours.  This should happen only when the engine is actually running.  WORKAROUND:  Tap on the display with your finger a few times.  In some cases, the icon will stop spinning, and the meter will stop accumulating hours until you actually start the engine.  

Symptom 2:  Meter can fail to accumulate hours when the engine is running.  DIAGNOSIS:  Read the engine hours from the engine computers (using a scan tool or SmartCraft engine monitor).  If the hour meters show fewer hours than the engine computers, it means that at some point in the boat's history, the engines were running but the meters were not accumulating hours. (Or, it could mean that the tachometer was replaced.)  WORKAROUND:  Unknown.

Bottom line:  do not rely on the dashboard hour meters for any situation that requires accurate hours (such as buying or titling a boat).