Gr2120 Hour Meter

Pete6114 · Sep 23, 2013

Got a new GR2120 with 26 hours on it and left the ignition on for 2 days after cutting grass. It's now showing 70+ hours. I know hour meter tampering is normally not supported by anyone, including myself, but this sucks......Only option is to buy a new meter, but that would be the same as resetting the one i have now to where it should be, except it'll start at zero. Either way, I'm showing false hours. Can anyone help with this?
This mower is counting hours with the engine off. Is not right to start with....

PHILIP8N · Sep 23, 2013

Option 1. Unhook hour meter, operate for 50 hours, re-attached hour meter. Option 2. Buy new hour meter, hook to battery for 26 hours, install in tractor. Both options require removing ignition key when engine is off, standard proceedure. Option 3. Wire hour meter to auxillary engine oil pressure switch and battery so hour meter will only accumulate hours if you have oil pressure and voltage across. Sucks. Lesson learned. Philip.

Pete6114 · Sep 23, 2013

Thanks philip. Think i'll do option 1 and keep track. Then do Option 3 when the hours match.
Just want to add, that i called Kubota and talked with them about my dilemma. They seemed receptive and will get back to me.

Pete6114 · Sep 24, 2013

They got back to me and said, to buy a new hour meter......Not impressed, and i let them know it.

murphy1244 · Sep 24, 2013

What did you want them to do?

PHILIP8N · Sep 24, 2013

Understand, but remember, you are the one that left the key on. Philip.

Pete6114 · Sep 24, 2013

murphy1244 said:
What did you want them to do?

A few things come to mind.
We know this is not the best way to wire the hour meter up and it causes this particular problem. We are considering a change.
Send us the meter and we'll fix the hours.
We are willing to sell you a new meter at a reduced price.
Not really sure what to expect and was hoping they have some kind of help

PHILIP8N said:
Understand, but remember, you are the one that left the key on. Philip.

I understand that part and it wont happen again. But it's still not right to design equipment to count hours without the engine running. Must be to save a buck or two.

I was just hoping, they have a way to get my hours to where it should be again, instead of having to count hours for a year, before plugging the meter up again.

Dealers should be able to change the hours. Being told by Both dealer and Kubota to just buy a new meter, kind of surprises me.
Replacing it with a new one is no different then tampering with a old one, that some folks probably do, to show lower then actual hours before selling. Tampering with car/truck odometers is illegal. Apparently that's not the case with farm equipment/lawnmowers and is encouraged.

PHILIP8N · Sep 24, 2013

In my mind, it is only tampering if you are being dishonest. I had a meter quit working on a Deere at the 365 or so hour mark. I bought a new meter, ran it up to 365 hours off a battery in the garage, and installed in tractor. No tampering here, just making things right, and keeps me on my service intervals. No compaining, just got the job done.

The GR2120 is just a simple hour meter. Put power to it, and it accumulates time. It is not ecm driven, so I do not see houw it would be changed or reprogrammed by dealer or manufacturer.

Is this the cheap way to do it, yes. Is there a better way working off a running engine or oil pressure, yes. But this is how it was done and approved. I wish it was different too, but this is how it is, we live with it, or change it.

Sorry, but what is done is done, and I am sure you will not leave the ignition switch on again. Why was that done in the 1st place? Make plan so it cannot happen again. Get a new hour meter and move on with peace of mind (worth more than you think). How much is a new hour meter anyway?

Good luck, Philip.

Pete6114 · Sep 24, 2013

How did i mange to leave the key on, since it has to be turned off to kill the engine?
Well....when i'm done mowing, i like to keep it idling for a couple of minutes, so i put the brake on and got off the mower. I then released the brake by hand and walked away from it without turning the key to Off. Totally my own fault...not arguing that. Just wishing it wouldn't count hours with engine off.
I wasn't suggesting that everybody that buys a new meter is up to no good, just makes it easy to cheat. All i want is actual hours showing...no more, no less. No clue what a new meter costs.....think i will take Option 1 as you suggested. Thanks

PHILIP8N · Sep 24, 2013

I see. I disabled my seat switch, so I do not have to set my parking brake to warm up or cool down. Also disabled the reverse mow switch to make life more simple. Philip.

jinman · Sep 24, 2013

I just can't understand why this is a big problem. 50 hours is no big whoops. You know what you did and those hours are tiny compared to what you'll eventually get on that tractor. 50 hours would not change the value even if you were putting it up for sale today. Just chalk it up to experience and move on. Kubota is not the only one who does hour meters like this. They just can't figure every bonehead mistake we are gonna make. I'd suggest that you may be likely to mess up more by disconnecting and reconnecting the meter. If I was a buyer and you told me this story, I'd just smile and believe you. If I find the hour-meter messed with, I'm always gonna be skeptical. Then again, you could wire the hour-meter backwards and leave the key on for 50 more hours.

Just kiddin'.

Do NOT try this.

locknut · Sep 24, 2013

Well,you're not the only dummy to do this.I left the key on als

nly difference a friend of mine had a few so I swapped him mine and took it home and run the hours up to where they were before.I also did it on the Simplicity but it has some fancy electronics that times everything out if you leave the key on.

jinman · Sep 25, 2013

Here's a little anecdote. Years ago, I rented a B16 Kubota (I think that's the model) with loader and boxblade for the weekend. While I was using it, I discovered that if you turn the key off, the hour meter stopped, but the engine kept running until you pulled the fuel lever to off. I used that tractor for two days and took it back with 8 additional hours on the clock. Of course, I paid for two days, but I wanted to be sure I did not exceed 16 total hours.

Pete6114 · Sep 26, 2013

jinman said:
I just can't understand why this is a big problem. 50 hours is no big whoops. You know what you did and those hours are tiny compared to what you'll eventually get on that tractor. 50 hours would not change the value even if you were putting it up for sale today. Just chalk it up to experience and move on. Kubota is not the only one who does hour meters like this. They just can't figure every bonehead mistake we are gonna make. I'd suggest that you may be likely to mess up more by disconnecting and reconnecting the meter. If I was a buyer and you told me this story, I'd just smile and believe you. If I find the hour-meter messed with, I'm always gonna be skeptical. Then again, you could wire the hour-meter backwards and leave the key on for 50 more hours. Just kiddin'. Do NOT try this.

Now you got me curious....what's gonna happen be reversing the wires.....screw up the meter maybe. Or go twice as fast...

jinman · Sep 27, 2013

Oh boy! Don't get me tellin' sea stories.

Truth is, I'm not sure how your timer is mechanized. If it's a simple DC motor, wiring it backwards would probably cause it to run backwards. However, if it is a circuit using a timer to create a pulse to a little solenoid that clicks the odometer style readout, wiring that backwards will surely make all the smoke escape. No electronics works after the smoke leaks out.

BTW: I have an operator manual and workshop manual for the G1800/G1900/G2000. The Op Man'l shows the hourmeter and says it operates when the key is ON. No other mention of that hourmeter is in the manual. In the WSM, they don't even show it on the electrical schematic diagrams. They show all the instruments and the lighting for the dash, but conveniently skip over the hourmeter. Obviously, they don't want us messin' with it.

Pete6114 · Sep 28, 2013

I reversed the wires till it jumped 1/10, then pulled the wires off it again. No smoke....but it did count up. Back to paper and pencil for a year. Thanks for the ideas

balernbud · Sep 28, 2013

Once you get the hours corrected , get your test light out and hook your hour meter to a power source that comes on when the unit is running, you will do this again, I know I've been there.

Pete6114 · Oct 14, 2013

Just went to bypass reverse mowing switch. Found 4 wires in there and dont have a shop-manual just yet. Would you mind sharing how you did it? And the seat switch too. Did you cut the pins off and solder them together?
If you have the shop-manual, what you pay for them?
Thanks

balernbud · Oct 14, 2013

As for the seat safety switch make a jumper wire or (2) if needed and unplug from seat the use the jumpers on the plug to complete the circuit as if it were plugged in to the seat
For the meter you need to find a wire that has power to it only when the engine is running, use a testlight and check wires until you find one that only lights the testlight when the engine is running then hook you power side of your hourmeter to that with a jumper wire.