'99 Vmax 150 won't oil automatically, but manual switch works

KDMatt

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Aug 8, 2009
Messages
33
Hey guys, I'm going through my Seloc manual and growing kind of stumped with the oiling system on my '99 P150TRLX

I keep getting the low oil alarm after a few hours of run time -- the manual switch at the back of outboard works, but I can't seem to get it to pump automatically.

Both float switches (in the main tank and in the reserve tank) are testing OK. I know the trim sender is busted at the moment, but my understanding is that post '96 the trim sender doesn't amount to anything as far as the automatic oiler is concerned.

Does the motor need to actually be running in order for me to properly test for voltage at the pump as per float switches? Is there a way to bypass that?

This motor was rebuilt last year and I'm wondering if maybe the tech that did it missed some wires somewhere when it was done.

Any insight would be helpful. Thanks!!
 

KDMatt

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Aug 8, 2009
Messages
33
Thanks for the reply.

I'm a bit confused on a couple of things rodbolt wrote there, and I'm wondering if you can enlighten me a bit:

What is the reason you shouldn't remove the filter/screen on the engine oil tank without fully draining it first -- is there a concern at that the little seal will fall into the inlet and clog it?

There's nothing else there that is particularly illuminating to me. I've already tested the SW1, SW2, and SW3 positions on the float sensor, and it's all working just fine.
 

99yam40

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Sep 7, 2008
Messages
8,851
I would think that anything in that tank can get by the filter if you pull it with oil in the tank.

There is more to the system than switches like the wiring that still has to make connection even if switches function as they should

I am sure he posted something about the remote tank needing to have oil in it before automatic transfer will happen. even it switch is saying it has oil , is that signal getting were it should through the wiring
And then is the oil module processing it
 
Last edited:

KDMatt

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Aug 8, 2009
Messages
33
Hmm... well, now I'm a bit concerned. I pulled the whole thing out, and now it doesn't seem like it's using a whole lot of oil... I was out cruising around for about an hour or two without a ton of oil usage. I didn't get any alarms or anything and it seemed to run ok, but then again I'm putting the last couple of hours on my rebuild break-in so I'm "double-oiled" (i.e. there's some oil in the gas) so who's to say. How would I know if there's some crap that went in there?

How quickly should that main tank deplete itself?

I can pull the sender again tomorrow and suck out all the oil to make sure there's no sediment at the bottom... It's not the first time the whole thing has come out.

Both senders (in the main tank and in the remote tank) are working fine. Remote tank is about 3/4 full.

I'll have to track down the wires on the powerhead to see if the signal from the remote tank is making its way up there. Tell me more about the oil module. I'm not seeing a lot about it in the Seloc book. (and I'm sorry if this has been covered in the past -- I'm not finding the search function on this forum too intuitive.)
 

KDMatt

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Aug 8, 2009
Messages
33
Okay, so I did a bit more investigating, and I found a lack of continuity on the black wire w/ red stripe (i.e. the signal wire coming from the remote switch) -- I bypassed the wiring so now there's continuity, but still no dice.

My tach is showing a flashing oil bar on the LCD (which I'm assuming is the warning for the low remote tank) ... and this hasn't changed.

Can you guys help me demystify the tach signal a bit? Flashing oil light, continuously lit bar under the circle?
 
Top