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Author Topic: Engine warning beeper  (Read 525 times)

August 08, 2018, 03:07:48 PM
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doug mayer

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  • 1988 Aquasport 200 CC
Engine warning beeper
« on: August 08, 2018, 03:07:48 PM »
1996 Mariner 150, runs well.  Starts hard  and in a cloud of blue smoke worthy of killing all Maine's black flies, but when running works well.  Twice now, the beep  beep beep warning buzzer went off. I motored slowly to moor/dock the boat each time, and that took 3-10 minutes.  A look on line suggests that beep beep beep (vs beeeeeeep) is the oil warning.  Big reservoir is 3/4 full.  Last time I looked, tank at motor was also almost full. Boat is with mechanic now at dock.
Weird thing is that it has had two runs of 40 minutes to an hour with no problem at all.  Comments appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Doug

August 08, 2018, 03:19:41 PM
Reply #1

fitz73222

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Re: Engine warning beeper
« Reply #1 on: August 08, 2018, 03:19:41 PM »
Is your engine carbureted or fuel injected?
1973 Aquasport 22-2, twin 115 Mercs
2000 Baycraft 175 flats boat, 60 Bigfoot Merc
1968 Boston Whaler 13, 25 Yamaha (project)
1966 Orlando Clipper 13, 9.9 Merc

August 08, 2018, 08:02:58 PM
Reply #2

doug mayer

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Re: Engine warning beeper
« Reply #2 on: August 08, 2018, 08:02:58 PM »
carburated
Doug

August 08, 2018, 08:04:48 PM
Reply #3

doug mayer

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Re: Engine warning beeper
« Reply #3 on: August 08, 2018, 08:04:48 PM »
The hoses from the reservoir in the console leak just a little to make a mess.  Would that leak be enough to cause a sensor to record low pressure?
Doug

August 08, 2018, 09:33:30 PM
Reply #4

theFunsmith

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Re: Engine warning beeper
« Reply #4 on: August 08, 2018, 09:33:30 PM »
I had an early 90s mercury 90, that was having an alarm sounding at ramndom intervals. After replacing the temperature sender, the oil reservoir and taking it to a mechanic twice, we found out it was a bad ground that was causing the alarm to sound. Not saying that is what yours is, but it is worth checking.

August 09, 2018, 11:55:36 AM
Reply #5

wingtime

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Re: Engine warning beeper
« Reply #5 on: August 09, 2018, 11:55:36 AM »
There is no oil pressure sensor.  There is a oil level sensor in the cap of the header tank on the motor (don't take that cap off unless you have to).  When that gets like half empty it will sound the low oil alarm.  You have about a half hour or so of run time before that header tank is empty.  The other oil sensor is one on the oil pump that just verifies it is turning via a magnetic pickup.  It has no way of know if oil is actually flowing.  A fault in either one of these sensors or a bad ground or even a mad alarm module can cause the alarm.  The safe thing to do is premix your fuel until you are sure the system is actually injecting oil  It won't hurt anything... the motor will just smoke more and might foul the plugs a bit.
1998 Explorer w/ Etec 250


1987 170 w/ Evinrude 90

August 09, 2018, 01:36:57 PM
Reply #6

fitz73222

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Re: Engine warning beeper
« Reply #6 on: August 09, 2018, 01:36:57 PM »
Typically the cause for random low oil warning is a bad level sensor in the small pony tank or a bad warning module. Your engine also has a sensor that monitors the rotating oil pump driveshaft. As far as the smoke on start up. There is a brass check valve that controls any oil back feeding from your pony tank back through the fuel pump and into your fuel lines. I've actually seen the oil make its way all the way to the water separator or into the bottom cylinders of the engine and start dumping oil on the floor. Anyway, It can give you a super rich load of oil in your fuel lines and when you start it up, it will kill every mosquito around. I've replaced that check valve on every Merc I've owned that had one because they all went bad. 
1973 Aquasport 22-2, twin 115 Mercs
2000 Baycraft 175 flats boat, 60 Bigfoot Merc
1968 Boston Whaler 13, 25 Yamaha (project)
1966 Orlando Clipper 13, 9.9 Merc

August 10, 2018, 05:07:48 PM
Reply #7

doug mayer

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Re: Engine warning beeper
« Reply #7 on: August 10, 2018, 05:07:48 PM »
Update:  Checked the old reservoir to motor system this morning.  Removed cap with sensor level on top front of motor; tank was half full.  Oil from the reservoir soon overflowed.  With warning beeper beeping, checked the sensor in that cap, and moving it made no difference in the beep. (I'm having trouble typing beep--one came out beer, and another boop.)
Closed the cap and started the engine. It ran well, with its initial blue smoke that cleared up visually.  Put engine in gear at dock and throttled up, and it ran just fine--beeper beeping the whole time.
The mechanic with me thought he heard what might be termed valve slap, or a dry snapping sound, and his concern is that one cylinder may not be getting oiled correctly.  But the engine ran well and strong.
I finally added three quarts of 2 stroke oil to the 27 gallons of hi test ethanol free fuel, loaded two grandchildren and daughter-in-law aboard, went at appropriate speed out Belfast harbor and headed south to Northport, Me. at 4K revs and 28-30 mph on the GPS.
Motor ran well--no cause for alarm, except for the bopper beeping all the time.  There was enough breeze and motor noise so you almost couldn't hear it. 
Grandson thought we went too fast and that it was too rough and that the cushion was uncomfortable.  He likely won't go again. The other two thought it was great.  But I really liked the way the boat handled in the seaway and with the breeze which mercifully is now coming in from Canada--so dry and cool.
Thanks for you comments.  I will use them as I talk with a Mariner mechanic next week--but when I can this weekend I think I will enjoy the boat, even with the beeping.
Doug

 

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