Hours Meter on VR5-gctid804274

[wakeman84]

I just took out my new VR5 for the first time last night and loved it - other than the 10 your break in period for a new boat. For the life of me I can not locate the hours meter on this boat and the owners manual was not helpful. I suspect it is right in front of my face but I am a new boater. Please help.

[Download_Complete]

There is none. Bayliner traditionally does not equip their boats with hour meters. You will need to install one.

Thankfully, the engine hours are also stored in the engine computer, and the dealer can read that with an ECU reader.

[wakeman84]

Wow a $35,000 boat and it does not come with an hours meter! Being a first time boat owner I never thought to ask about that but live and learn. Love the boat after taking it out just once and I guess I will have to track the break in hours manually and check in to what is involved in installing one. Thanks for the information.

[6104696]

Sendec makes single wire inductive hour meters that take about 5 minutes to install, and seem pretty accurate. The one I had was battery operated with a non-replaceable battery. I had mine for 10 years and the meter was still working when I sold the boat.

I paid about $25 when I bought mine in 2007.

[Download_Complete]

"wakeman84" post=804317 wrote:
Wow a $35,000 boat and it does not come with an hours meter! Being a first time boat owner I never thought to ask about that but live and learn. Love the boat after taking it out just once and I guess I will have to track the break in hours manually and check in to what is involved in installing one. Thanks for the information.

The engine computer tracks it automatically. You can buy the Mercury VesselView Mobile unit and port it all into your smart phone.

[RobMick]

"Download_Complete" post=804401 wrote:

"wakeman84" post=804317 wrote:
Wow a $35,000 boat and it does not come with an hours meter! Being a first time boat owner I never thought to ask about that but live and learn. Love the boat after taking it out just once and I guess I will have to track the break in hours manually and check in to what is involved in installing one. Thanks for the information.

The engine computer tracks it automatically. You can buy the Mercury VesselView Mobile unit and port it all into your smart phone.

I'm with you....a 35k boat should have a $25 hour meter if nothing else...but dont feel slighted or special.....no one that has a Bayliner bowrider on is site had an hour meter from the factory...I got lucky and found a matching tach with and hour meter that matched my gauges

[attachment]35400 wrote:
IMG_2096.JPG[/attachment]

[Waterdowg]

I felt the same way when I bought my 215 DB. Not only does it not have an hour meter, it does not come standard with a Automatic Bilge pump. I plan to install a the Vessel View Mobile Module.

[green650]

I use this style on all my toys that don't have odometers.

https://www.ebay.com/p/?iid=11195032...-117182-37290-

0%2526rvr_id%253D1203395299806&ul_noapp=true&chn=p s

It's self powered and all you do is wrap the wire a bunch of times around a spark plug wire. So it tracks actual running time, not time the ignition is on. If it's wired to the ignition the clock keeps ticking when you are sitting anchored listening to the stereo.

[rhythmpoetdonut]

You might have the dealer install it. That's what I did, because I want them to document the number of hours on the meter when installing. The meter is both for knowledge and resale. Yes, spent similar, no meter. But, remember you'll pay 300 for it to be already included, or 100 as an add on later.

[Waterdowg]

"rhythmpoetdonut" post=804484 wrote:
You might have the dealer install it. That's what I did, because I want them to document the number of hours on the meter when installing. The meter is both for knowledge and resale. Yes, spent similar, no meter. But, remember you'll pay 300 for it to be already included, or 100 as an add on later.

The Automatic Bilge pump installed by the Factory has an MRSP of $40 and an Invoice of $30. To have a dealer install it would be much more. Bayliner installs an Attwood Sahara pump.For us to purchase and have installed from the Dealer is $80 for the pump and about 2 hours labor. So at my Dealer at $100hr, is $280... For the $30/$40 Bayliner should install it.

Now for the hour meter, that presents a different challenge for Bayliner depending on the Helm design and gauge selection. But now that Mercury has the Vessel View Mobile module that should be offered as an extra and worked into a Standard in the next year or two. Again this is just my opinion

[rhythmpoetdonut]

Well, I guess it's case by case. I think I paid more than $30 for mine and I didn't see it as an option at all (so dealer install or I do it). Funny, I believe a standard portapotty is a 250$ addition for my boat. You can buy one at WalMart for 80 bucks. It likely just depends, and like you imply, good to do the research.

The hour meter I had installed went on a bulkhead next to the engine. That way I don't need to find a place on the dash (although that's a nice option). I find I don't need to look at it all the time. That Vessel View sounds really cool.

I do wish mine would have come with a float switch for the bilge pump, too! Hopefully someone is taking note

[Download_Complete]

Quick note here on things like auto bilge pumps, hour meters, etc...

Let us not forget Bayliner is a low price point boat. I had this conversation with a marine journalist at the Element XL intro who complained that the cockpit was not self-bailing. My response was "You DID notice the price, right?"

All these "little things" add up. If you start putting hour meters, auto bilge pumps, and self bailing cockpits on these boats, you will end up with Sea Rays.

Bayliner is very much a "everything ya need, nuthin ya don't" boat company...and to that end, the boats are blank canvases ready for your customization. In many ways they are the '57 Chevys, Honda Civics, and full size pickups of the boat world.....cheap, easy, and fun to modify.

[Banana_Slug]

"Download_Complete" post=804708 wrote:
Quick note here on things like auto bilge pumps, hour meters, etc...

Let us not forget Bayliner is a low price point boat. I had this conversation with a marine journalist at the Element XL intro who complained that the cockpit was not self-bailing. My response was "You DID notice the price, right?"

All these "little things" add up. If you start putting hour meters, auto bilge pumps, and self bailing cockpits on these boats, you will end up with Sea Rays.

Bayliner is very much a "everything ya need, nuthin ya don't" boat company...and to that end, the boats are blank canvases ready for your customization. In many ways they are the '57 Chevys, Honda Civics, and full size pickups of the boat world.....cheap, easy, and fun to modify.

When Bayliner states in their literature that the Elements have automatic bilge pumps, they better start installing them. I contacted Bayliner directly and told them that if the literature said it has an automatic bilge pump, then it better be there when I took delivery. I got an email within 24 hours stating that hey contacted my dealer and authorized an automatic bilge installed at no charge.

[Guest]

It's OK, Wakeman. Our $170,000 boat diden't get hour meters either. It's that the Bayliner is the Chevrolet of boats. Good driveline, but money saving on trim. We are getting along just fine without hour meters. Wishing you the best, Griff.

[Download_Complete]

"Banana Slug" post=804718 wrote:

"Download_Complete" post=804708 wrote:
Quick note here on things like auto bilge pumps, hour meters, etc...

Let us not forget Bayliner is a low price point boat. I had this conversation with a marine journalist at the Element XL intro who complained that the cockpit was not self-bailing. My response was "You DID notice the price, right?"

All these "little things" add up. If you start putting hour meters, auto bilge pumps, and self bailing cockpits on these boats, you will end up with Sea Rays.

Bayliner is very much a "everything ya need, nuthin ya don't" boat company...and to that end, the boats are blank canvases ready for your customization. In many ways they are the '57 Chevys, Honda Civics, and full size pickups of the boat world.....cheap, easy, and fun to modify.

When Bayliner states in their literature that the Elements have automatic bilge pumps, they better start installing them. I contacted Bayliner directly and told them that if the literature said it has an automatic bilge pump, then it better be there when I took delivery. I got an email within 24 hours stating that hey contacted my dealer and authorized an automatic bilge installed at no charge.

On this, I agree with you. If the literature says it should be there, it's pretty black and white to me....it needs to be there.

But hour meters are one of those things that aren't strictly necessary, especially now that the ECUs track it internally and can be read with a scan tool.