Ignition key left on..argg

mnm99

mnm99

Well-Known Member
Oct 2, 2015
2,447
Long Island
Boat Info
2004 340 SeaRay Sundancer
Engines
Twin 8.1 Merc
Well I did it..It sucks, but I added 20 hrs on my boat. Mercruiser or Searay..Whoever designed the wiring setup was stupid. Engine hours should be clocked by noticing RPM. Now I added another winter project on. I was thinking..Is there a way to set up a LED of some sort on the dash to show the key is left on? The problem I see is that it would be annoying looking at them all the time. Ideas?
 
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Think about that "stupid"comment…………the tachs are electronic, how else are you going to power them and get them the run time signal that is better than the ignition switch. Since you have both an ignition switch and a master on the main distribution panel, Sea Ray has kind of given you a fail safe. Besides, how did you turn off your engines but left the ignition switch on?

I guess you could add a backup alarm off a garbage truck to the circuit to let you know when the switch is left on………….
 
mnm99 said:
Well I did it..It sucks, but I added 20 hrs on my boat. Mercruiser or Searay..Whoever designed the wiring setup was stupid. Engine hours should be clocked by noticing RPM. Now I added another winter project on. I was thinking..Is there a way to set up a LED of some sort on the dash to show the key is left on? The problem I see is that it would be annoying looking at them all the time. Ideas?
Click to expand...

it should be simple enough to wire some sort of light to the ignition switch..it would need to be connected to the 'Accessory' terminal on the ignition switch......

cliff
 
mnm99 said:
Well I did it..It sucks, but I added 20 hrs on my boat. Mercruiser or Searay..Whoever designed the wiring setup was stupid. Engine hours should be clocked by noticing RPM. Now I added another winter project on. I was thinking..Is there a way to set up a LED of some sort on the dash to show the key is left on? The problem I see is that it would be annoying looking at them all the time. Ideas?
Click to expand...

In the scheme of things does 20 hours matter? My boat is similar age to yours and I had 737 hours at the start of the year. would it really matter if I had 737 or 757?

Why was the key in the on position when the engine wasn't running?
 
fwebster said:
Think about that "stupid"comment…………the tachs are electronic, how else are you going to power them and get them the run time signal that is better than the ignition switch. Since you have both an ignition switch and a master on the main distribution panel, Sea Ray has kind of given you a fail safe. Besides, how did you turn off your engines but left the ignition switch on?

I guess you could add a backup alarm off a garbage truck to the circuit to let you know when the switch is left on………….
Click to expand...

I didn't think it was a stupid comment. Yes I have 2 keys in the panel, turn them on and start the engines with a toggle on the dash. What master? I have battery switches that I leave on when I'm on the boat, The ignition switched are turned on and off only when I want to run the engines. Fail safe? " how did you turn off your engines but left the ignition switch on?" Just push down the engine off toggle on the dash.... If I don't go down to the panel and turn off the keys, i'm still clocking hours. A car puts on miles when it's moving, why not engines put on hours when there running? Maybe your setup is different.
 
CliffA said:
it should be simple enough to wire some sort of light to the ignition switch..it would need to be connected to the 'Accessory' terminal on the ignition switch......

cliff
Click to expand...

That's what I was thinking. If I pull the panel and test the switch for power once turned on. Should be simple.
 
mnm99 said:
I didn't think it was a stupid comment. Yes I have 2 keys in the panel, turn them on and start the engines with a toggle on the dash. What master? I have battery switches that I leave on when I'm on the boat, The ignition switched are turned on and off only when I want to run the engines. Fail safe? " how did you turn off your engines but left the ignition switch on?" Just push down the engine off toggle on the dash.... If I don't go down to the panel and turn off the keys, i'm still clocking hours. A car puts on miles when it's moving, why not engines put on hours when there running? Maybe your setup is different.
Click to expand...

Mine doesnt accumulate hours with the ignition breakers and keys on...only with the helm switches turned on or running>
 
mnm99 said:
That's what I was thinking. If I pull the panel and test the switch for power once turned on. Should be simple.
Click to expand...

if you do want to add a light I think it would be easier on the ignition set up we have to just wire in the light to the proper terminal on the rocker switch on the dash instead of the ignition switch....same difference........

If you don't need to leave the battery master switches turned on while you are away from the boat the easiest thing to do is flip the DC master rockers on the control panel off before you leave the boat....if you accidentally leave something on this will kill the power including the ignition switches....that is what I do.....just make it part of your procedure for securing the boat before you leave.....

cliff
 
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My old boat is wired like that too...
I've left the keys ON downstairs in the panel but, no hours accumulate unless the the helm start/run/off switches are in the run position.


Anyways, the original poster shouldn't worry about it.
Log the discrepancy in your maintenance logbook and forget it....kind of like replacing with brand new gauges and starting at zero hours, no big deal.

Thinking....a MX reading the engine ECM maybe able to prove the true hours during a survey when a buyer is interested.
 
Air O'Nautical said:
Thinking....a MX reading the engine ECM maybe able to prove the true hours during a survey when a buyer is interested.
Click to expand...

The construction equipment made by Caterpillar now has the ability to provide the owner with the number or 'idle' hours and the number of 'load' hours the engine is accumulating...i have been told this is accomplished by monitoring the engine RPM's and fuel injector pulses.....so evidently there are some electrical systems that can read actual hours of engine operation instead of just 'power on and power off' hours......

cliff
 
Mine does not accumulate hours when the keys are turned on, even with the batteries on... I surprised yours does... I leave my keys on all the time, even during winter storage...
 
It's easy to wire a 12 volt LED light to a "keyed" power source for each ignition switch. There are 1/8" diameter LED's out there. Red would be the color to get for when you run at night so it doesn't adversely impact your night vision. Putting a stainless finish washer behind the head of each LED light will give them a nice finished look.
Real cheap and easy job!
 
My port hour meter surged ahead 42 hours. I thought maybe it was b/c I left the ignition switch on for a weekend so to test it, I flipped it on, noted the hours and came back in an hour or so. It didn't budge. I have the LCD hourmeter inside the tach.

This boat was repowered so the hourmeters are all F'd up. True hours come from the ECM and display on my plotter. I just ignore those LCDs.
 
My previous boat was a 2002 Wellcraft Martinique with twin Volvo Penta I/Os. Once I went to the boat and found that a mechanic had left one of the ignition keys in the 'on' position. By the time I turned it off it had accumulated about 60 hours! I wanted to strangle that idiot!
 
? my old boat will sound an alarm if there's no oil pressure after 20 seconds with the key on, yours doesn't? I also wired up a strip of LED's under my dash for less than $5. Hook them right to ignition switch.
 
SloBurn said:
? my old boat will sound an alarm if there's no oil pressure after 20 seconds with the key on, yours doesn't? I also wired up a strip of LED's under my dash for less than $5. Hook them right to ignition switch.
Click to expand...
mine does the same but without delay. if the key is on and ignition switch downstairs is on, nothing happens until i hit the carling switch at the helm but the "low oil scream" is instant, also if an engine stalls it is instant. thats the only position that the hourmeter is powered
 
As the good Doctor Ron says.....in the marine world, engines and tachometers are changed out on a much more frequency than the automotive world, which we accidently compare our machines against in mental reference.

Any motor which now possess an ECM will retain actual run hours on the motor. When selling, buying or even negotiating a product like a vessel, the true hours are never assumed from a dash gauge but instead are taken from the actual engine.

I have seen repowers and replacement tachs that really do not mean much to me compared to the actual integrity of the motor, and that data is obtained from the source, again not from the dash. All of us have grown up in the era of the use-car-salesman stigma and want to protect ourselves from shysters.....that's why we hire professional surveyors and authorized OEM engine reps before putting our hard earned money on the table.......even better is that we can come to a site like CSR and ascertain a wealth of knowledge on a particular Sea Ray which has us approaching each considered purchased with ton of intel and a place to ask follow up questions.

sum up- if it runs great now, then take care of her and go boating, life is short!.....besides, I've never seen a running engine rust.

Capt. R
 
mnm99 said:
Well I did it..It sucks, but I added 20 hrs on my boat. Mercruiser or Searay..Whoever designed the wiring setup was stupid. Engine hours should be clocked by noticing RPM. Now I added another winter project on. I was thinking..Is there a way to set up a LED of some sort on the dash to show the key is left on? The problem I see is that it would be annoying looking at them all the time. Ideas?
Click to expand...



solution is to while tied up at dock run engines in reverse for 20 hours.
 
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