Faria Analog Hour Meter wiring for 2024 250SS

[doug@5rivers]

My new Excel Bay Pro 230 Elite with 250SS will be ready the first week of January. I have purchased a Faria analog hour meter gauge for the dash. First of all the gauge came with no instructions (not happy about this) but it just has a positive and negative spade terminal on the rear of the gauge. I have owned/ran 4 previous Suzuki outboards and I'm well aware of the tach showing engine hours. I have checked for wiring instructions but most tutorials are just for hours recorded when the key is turned on. I want this gauge showing ENGINE RUN hours. I ran across a post somewhere saying pick up the positive wire off the kill switch circuit. I assume this circuit is an engine running circuit rather than just powered engine? I'm gun-shy because the only time any of my Suzuki engines has been to a dealer for service, the key was left on long enough to kill the battery and when I asked for an engine computer read-out to verify those hours weren't going to show up as engine run hours, I got a cussing from a desk jockey that didn't end well.

I'm an Excel Boats Pro-Staffer so I deal directly with the factory on most everything. They are a little touchy about somebody tying up their technicians explaining such. They also don't offer this gauge as a factory option. Any help on factory wiring harness color codes for a hot engine running circuit is most welcome.
Happy Holidays!

[Moonlighter]

Why not just get them to install the Suzuki SMG4 digital gauge and avoid all those issues?

It shows everything, tacho, speed, fuel flow, fuel used, mpg as well as engine hours (actual running hours from the ecu) and is far more reliable than the C-10 ever was. Rock solid. Can even connect fuel tank senders directly to it.

SMG4 has been the standard digital gauge worldwide since 2015 everywhere except USA.

[Moonlighter]

Also, whatever gauge/s you get, its VERY important to have one that can show the Suzuki fault codes. You are probably aware of that having owned them before.

The SMG4 gauge of course does. As do the Suzuki tachos that have the 4 warning lights at the bottom. And there are other options.

Without these you have no way of knowing what fault has arisen and therefore how it might be fixed, if its critical or not. Suzuki dealers are actually required to sign off on the installation including that there is an approved gauge or system to monitor faults. Without having that, you put your new engine’s warranty at risk.

[doug@5rivers]

I bought a Suzuki tach that has all the warning lights in it and it has been installed. I would have been money ahead to have had the SMG4 installed , no doubt. I still need info on a wire in the Suzuki wiring to the dash that is only hot when the engine is running. Would it possibly be red/green stripe?