Tach stopped working on BP101

[WhitePantera]

Hey guys- My tach went haywire on my BP101. Its shows anywhere between 60-100 while running (no matter what engine speed) and shows 90-100 when I turn off the engine. Im wondering if its something in the motor or the unit. Anybody ever heard of this or know where I can start? Thanks a bunch. My boat is a 99 P3 with a 99 200 Opti.Last edited by WhitePantera on October 9th, 2007, 3:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.1999 Pantera III 1999 200 Opti 25P Tempest Minn Kota Maxxum 70 2 Pinpoint 7520s

[Bass Cat Boats]

Check your voltage in the multi function window. It should be around 13.5 or so running, up to 14.2. We think you have a voltage regulator or stator fried. BCB

[WILDCATBASSCAT]

I just went through the same thing and it was a bad voltage regulator…………good luck on the fix for it

[Bass Cat Boats]

One thing I have seen happen a couple of times recently. Couple of friends had battery issues (cranking) where they did something to discharge the cranking battery below the point where it could not even turn the motor over. They “jumped” the thing off using a troller, and headed out on a long run intending to let the motor recharge the battery. Apparently this is not such a good idea, any more than it is in an automobile. It produces a huge drain on the alternator and regulators and makes them run hot. And can burn either out. One of these was a Verado (out of warranty) where we replaced the alternator. Advice is to not try to use the alternator output to charge a dead or near-dead battery. Use a charger first… it is cheaper.2008 Pantera Classic2014 Mercury Pro XS 200

[Bass Cat Boats]

That is a rare one OT57. We have not seen an incident of that unless the battery was shorted. The fusable link usually goes first with the excess heat. BCB

[Bassmiester51]

I had a similar problem on a 2001 Jag, 225 Yamaha. The tach was reading all over the board, I replaced the Voltage Regulator, No problems after that. Good Luck, Hank

[oldtimer57]

BCB… I have seen this many times in automobiles (my son does that for a living, I do it for a hobby). Most new/rebuilt alternators for autos come with instructions that include “be sure to use a new or freshly charged battery to avoid overheating the alternator and damaging it. I was reading on an auto message board the other night where someone was complaining about the low quality of rebuilt alternators, having gone through 3 in a week. Charging his battery offline first with a normal charger had him up and going without frying yet another. This isnt quite a “dead short” issue which should blow the link. Its just a case of “max output for an extended amount of time causes too much heat”. A nearly dead battery can require 40 amps for 3 hours or so to charge it. A boat produces 40-60 amps depending on motor. An auto produces 90-130 amps depending on the alternator used. In a car you can actually smell the alternator after about 5 mins of running with a dead battery, and you can see the field windings turn purple from the heat. Never even thought about outboard alternators until the recent cases.2008 Pantera Classic2014 Mercury Pro XS 200

[Bass Cat Boats]

Thanks guys. Ill check it out. It seems like I was getting 14.2 Volts when I was running but Ill double check. I bought a new battery in January and have havent had to jump start it. The one thing that concerns me is the fact that tach does not go back to zero when I turn off the motor. Did you guys with bad voltage regulator see that as well?1999 Pantera III 1999 200 Opti 25P Tempest Minn Kota Maxxum 70 2 Pinpoint 7520s

[Bass Cat Boats]

It could be that someone has messed with the actual tachometer settings and that is in the PDF of the Manual also. BCB

[Bassmiester51]

I dont recall the Tach not returning to “0” when the engine was shut down, but the Speedo would register while not moving when engine was running, and that problem also stopped when regulator was replaced. May not be the same as your Problem, But should not be a problem to replace on a Merc vs. Yamaha which I have. Got to start somewhere! Hank

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