How to fix Volvo Penta hour meter LCD screen

Weak control panel bulbs and a defective hour meter is a normal thing for most Volvo Penta owners.
This time I have bought some new LED bulbs for my controlpanel I'll like to try and at the same time I have bought a new lcd display in china, the good thing about things from china is they are dirt cheap and a good quality if you buy the right part at the right place.
The lcd display only had a price with shipping on around 22 USD so pretty cheap compared to the "nordic price" at around 98 USD.
The VDO tachometer is easy to take apart and the lcd screen is just held on by a small amount of tape, the hard part is to keep the instrument number disk clean from greasy fingers.
Also remember to power on the instrument before you install the rpm needle so you are sure it sits the right place.
You can buy the LCD display at ebay, search for : LCD Screen for Kenworth trucks/VDO cockpit vision/Jcb tractor/Volvo penta boats

[@budgie003]

Changed mine too thanks to your video, followed your instruction and happy to say its working nicely, Thanks from sunny Swansea in South Wales

[@raybelcher]

Many thanks for this video. Now I understand the problems around the panel. I have the same problems and will fix them all in spring next year. Today I ordered the little sreen which tells the hours of Motor running.

[@rn8933]

Hi Tino, yesterday in fairly good weather here in Zeeland I changed the LCD ion my 32 and it works... 8000h on the clock. I thought it would be less looking at the engine. I wish you would be in my Marina, that would be great!!! best regards Jobst

[@cismoll7977]

Last Weekend Follower the Instruktion in your Video to replace the LED Panel and it worked…thanks a lot

[@PittwaterMowingAustralia]

Thanks for making all of these videos Tino Im enjoying watching them all my friend :)

[@haydenbrett125]

instablaster...

[@janmatalamaki4598]

Thanks again Tino. Your videos are very intresting to follow. Br Jan from Finland / Bavaria 32 Cruiser 2005

[@andki234]

Thanx, great video! Just ordered the display. On my old boat, the lamp was also used to trigger the generator circuit. So a LED will probably not work...

[@hanssvanstrom12]

where did you find the display?

[@yvesrouzieres7543]

Good video. Thank's. It's a pity than all the hour meters are uneficient after 500/1000 hours of run. I have the same problem.

[@twiper]

Yes, but I have also seen the problem on other than Volvo's VDO tachos. Maybe it's in general those LCD's just can't handle the outdoor life.

[@hakonbe]

The resistance in the bulb of the charge indicator is usually part of the charging circuit in "older" engines, and can therfore not be replaced by LED.

[@chanochrillesen4346]

That is correct, the generator draw power from the battery at start, thru the charge bulb circuit.When the generator is turning is generates power, so there becomes a equal voltage on both sides of the bulb and no current = no light With the led bulb the generator is unable to draw power, becourse the led works as a blocking diode. You can change the other 3bulbs to led and leave the charge bulb as normal.

[@allans8083]

Dejligt med en informativ video 👍👍👍 god sommer til dig .

[@twiper]

Tak og i lige måde :)

[@philgray1023]

Gosh Tino, I paid A$260 to fix my hour meter. I wish I had seen this before. I had to take the tachometer out myself and take it to the repairer.

[@twiper]

Yes sometimes you can pay to much for a simple thing, also why I make these videos to help fixing the most common problems. On Bavaria boats almost the same faults is on every boat eg. leaky hatches, rusty keel, black water tank censor stop working, refrigerator thermostat stop working and so on. The point is you can buy a Bavaria yacht and fix the whole boat easy and cheap and then have a trouble free boat for many years.

[@juanenriquezmartinez6864]

Hi Tino, many many thanks for your videos! , very interesting your 6 videos regarding the cooling system cleaning the heat exchanger.I have also a MD2020 the LCD display is not working, please could you provide the link for the new LCD screen? Many thanks ,Kind regards

[@twiper]

Thanks :) - I don't know if a link will work but search Ebay for "LCD DISPLAY Fit for Volvo Penta Boats Kenworth Trucks VDO Cockpit JCB Tractor"

[@patricrehnqvist2442]

Hi Gino. Great videos. Keep up the good work. Do you have a link to where you bought the LED bulbs?

[@annadondana8286]

Ciao tino, thanks for your tutorial! You are good and brave. From what i can see you have a first 31.7. Could you please suggest a windlass for it. thanks paolo

[@rn8933]

Hi Tino, I am trying to change the LCD meter as you did. I am not getting the wheel off. Have you got an idea . Many thanks...JObst

[@mduv6594]

If you have a newer version of Tachometer with a silver ring its not made for open up and replacement of LCD is rather hard as example the grade is glued and not screwed in (I did it on my KAD300 from 2003)

[@rslinnings]

Great video. It would be great if you can eplain how you open the instrument. I have bought the LCD, but I dont understand how to open the instrument. I have undone the 3 screws. What more do I have to do?

[@twiper]

Here is a video regarding taking the instrument apart : kzbin.info/www/bejne/f2Wqm4xog92LqtE

[@bettycamacho7084]

With the led bulbs your alternator will not work either as the bulb connection gives the signal for the alternator to work. At least on my model engine and boat. (2003 Benetaeu First 31.7)

[@PhilipWinckle]

Great video as usual. I would like to change the hour meter too. Could you put a link to where you bought it please?

[@twiper]

www.ebay.com/itm/LCD-Screen-for-Kenworth-trucks-VDO-cockpit-vision-Jcb-tractor-Volvo-penta-boats/113187269878?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649

[@PhilipWinckle]

@@twiper thanks. I have now ordered it. Great leadership!

[@franz-josefhermanns3659]

Many thanks fort all the intresting movies about your Bavaria. I've a question about your ship. Is an anchor winch mounted. If yes, have you pictures about the mounting and the winch podium in the anchor box. Greetings from the Liberty in Netherlands

[@twiper]

Yes I have an electric anchor winch mounted on my boat. I can make a "tour" in my anchor locker in the next video :)

[@sedatdemir3340]

@@twiper hi Tino! Have you taken that video about anchor winch (windlass) and its mounting? I should dismount my windlass for overhauling and maintanance.

[@glenntaylor5638]

Hi Tino, I wonder how you got the new lcd to display the old engine hours... did this happen automatically? And which model of screen replacement did you get, and from which supplier? Hope you can help... thanks for the video.

[@twiper]

The engine hours is stored in the instrument itself, the display just show the numbers. You can get a new display on ebay, search for : LCD Screen for Kenworth trucks/VDO cockpit vision/Jcb tractor/Volvo penta boats

[@glenntaylor5638]

dankeschon! @@twiper

[@glenntaylor5638]

can you share with me your supplier in China?

[@sedatdemir3340]

Hi Tino, In my autopilot (Raymarine ST4000+) there is the same display problem (hard to read). I wonder whether it works to clean display pins with contact spray etc.? Or is it useless and I have to buy new autopilot display? In your comments you mention about some chronic malfuctions of Bavaria 32 (2002), is Raymarine ST4000+ faint display in those chronic group in your boat?

[@jule9070]

Hello, I would also like to convert mine to LED where does this fit or what is the name of the lamp. Greetings Günter

[@philipgreen6332]

hi which pins do you put power to test the new lcd strip, just about to do this to our unit

[@georgerogers2681]

Great video! What was the cause of the no charge alarm that sounded after the engine start up?

[@twiper]

Thanks. It was due to too low resistance in the LED bulb

[@georgerogers2681]

Thanks for the response. I've done some research since posting the question and now appreciate that the purpose of the battery light being connected to the alternator is to provide an initial voltage to the alternator to make the voltage regulator work and thus "excite" the alternator to produce current as it spins. I also now know that led lights do not have a linear relationship between voltage drop across them and the current passing through them which makes their use as a voltage supply to the alternator inappropriate.

[@marcov.b851]

Tino, Thanks a lot for let us know where to buy the LCD. Last Year I have already replaced it but at higher cost. Can You pls let ke know where I can buy the LCD Bulbs as well?

[@twiper]

www.ebay.com/itm/2pcs-White-BA7S-LED-DASH-GAUGE-WARNING-SWITCH-BULB-CLASSIC-CAR-GLB281-LLB281-12V/302730538579?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649

[@marcov.b851]

@@twiper Thanks again I will order them !

[@juliogaitan3146]

good morning Thank you very much for your videos you learn a lot, a question in my bavaria tachometer is very old and the LCD screen does not reflect the hours. I decided to change it for one bought in China that is much cheaper than I return but it does not pick up the signal, could you help me?

[@twiper]

The LCD you have bought in china can be defective, if not the tachometer hour meter chip can be defective. Look for any damage in the soldering around the chip board. If the tachometer is very old the LCD type can also be different from the one I show in the video. Try to search for a LCD for your tachometer type, I know there is different amount of pins on different LCD's.

[@juliogaitan3146]

@@twiper Thank you very much for answering, I have bought the complete tachometer and I don't know if the signal is different

[@twiper]

@@juliogaitan3146 If you have bought a complete new tachometer you must program the tachometer to your system, you can find info about how on the web. You access the "menu" in the tachometer by holding down some buttons and you can then calibrate or match the tachometer to your boat. The tachometer stores the hours inside so if it is new the hours is at zero.

[@juliogaitan3146]

@@twiper Ok thanks, if you want to sail through the Mediterranean, tell me and I'll leave you my boat

[@Adam-tn8yh]

Great video Tino. My hour meter has not worked for some years. Do you know if the hours will still have counted up when my display was not working? Will it display the correct total hours when I mount the new display?

[@twiper]

Yes the hours will count up in the background so when you mount the new display the correct hours will show up.

[@Adam-tn8yh]

That’s great, thanks Tino

[@escapetospain]

Where can I find the led bolbs Nice Video

[@twiper]

Search for this on ebay : 2pcs White BA7S LED DASH GAUGE WARNING SWITCH BULB CLASSIC CAR GLB281 LLB281 12V

[@escapetospain]

@@twiper thanks

[@MrWanderer2525]

How can i buy a replacement LCD for the engine hours?

[@twiper]

You can get the one you need on ebay - search for : LCD Screen for Kenworth trucks/VDO cockpit vision/Jcb tractor/Volvo penta boats

[@jussiraittila8521]

Hi Tino, I tried to watch closely but I did not see any light bulb/back light in the tachometer. Was there any, and if there was, do you know the bulb type ?

[@twiper]

Yes there is a bulb in the tacometer, the bulb hole is located at the top on the back. If you see at 7.19 in the video you can see the black thing in the right corner, and also at 7.51 you can see the hole for the light from the bulb. I can't remember what type of bulb there is used but I think it is a T05 12V 1,2W, if not it's a T10 12V 1,7W

[@juliogaitan3146]

you have pictures of how to remove the steering wheel

[@twiper]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/oWeXn5-HeLSFsNE

[@matbailey7730]

Any tests that I could try for a faulty tach? My hours meter and the actual rpm gauge doesn’t work on our Bav36. I have checked voltage at both ends, engine and pedestal and it appears to be the same. Would you know what this reading would be and if it’s ac or dc?

[@twiper]

According to my little test before I mounted the tachometer there is 4 pins on the back where I connected the two lower ones with 12V DC and the hour meter then turned on. I think the two other pins is for the tachometer needle and I think one pin is connected from the W point on the alternator and the other to ground or maybe +12V DC. For fault finding I think you should try to turn on the system and then take a reading on the tachometer connection to see if 12V is reaching the tachometer or not.

[@Wertyfiedz]

Hej Tino, har din motor kun kørt 807 timer?

[@twiper]

Ja

[@thomasrandlv4844]

@@twiper Okay, på vores display står der 618 timer, og vores Bavaria er fra 2003. Det har jeg lidt svært ved at tro på, hvad tænker du? Og tak for en masse gode videoer :)

[@twiper]

@@thomasrandlv4844 Hvis motoren er flot og velholdt kan 618 timer godt passe. Omdrejningstælleren kan selvfølgeligt have været udskiftet i bådens liv men de fleste lever med at timetælleren er kaput. I de 5 år jeg havde min Bavaria 32 brugte jeg 200 timer på tælleren.

[@frankhiggins2295]

No link to buy

[@twiper]

You can buy it different places, but here is the direct link where I bought mine : www.ebay.com/itm/LCD-Screen-for-Kenworth-trucks-VDO-cockpit-vision-Jcb-tractor-Volvo-penta-boats/113187269878?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649

[@khaledboughenim7002]

Please translate your vidéo THANK YOU

[@Wertyfiedz]

Hej Tino, kan man skrive til dig på en mail eller Facebook? Jeg har en boks i min bavaria som ingen ved hvad er, måske du kan svare på det, du virker som om du har styr på det 😊

[@twiper]

Du kan skrive til mig via messenger - Tino Gardum Andersen

[@Wertyfiedz]

@@twiper Tak 👍