Thread subject: Whaler Central - Boston Whaler Boat Information and Photos :: Mercury Tach Question

Posted by Finnegan on 02/04/09 - 1:08 PM
#2

Tachs are easy to wire, and any will work. I would recommend either a domed Teleflex, or a Mercury Flagship domed. Some people like the Faria line also. Follow instructions furnished.

Tachs are wired from factory leads in the ignition circuits. Depending on how your control or key switch is set up, there will be a black wire (ground), a purple wire (Ignition) and a grey wire (sender) that go to the tach terminals marked the same. These are universal color conventions. The ignition harness may have a 5 pin plug, which requires a plug-in "tachometer harness" pigtail, about $40, which in turn has the ring terminal to the gauge. Or you can just cut off the plug, and spice on your own wires to the tach. The side mount control box may also have a 5-pin plug, depending on it's age, or simply loose wires tied off.

The other two leads in the harness, incidentally, are for the temp gauge and trim gauge.