Warning horn sounds like chirping crickets

jimhopp · May 19, 2005

I was wondering if anyone might have an idea what would account for a noise coming from my omc remote warning horn. I have a 1992(?) 50hp Evinrude 2 cycle engine. It sounds like a very rapid chirping noise, like rabid crickets. They are very fast (several chirps per second), they get faster and louder as I speed up rpm's, and they slow down or stop momentarily if use something such as my 12 volt cigarette lighter, docking lights, etc. I have also noticed that my voltmeter creep up towards 14.5v to 15v as the chirping grows louder. The tones don't seem to fit any of the horn signals that I know of. I need some help. Counter guy said it may be a bad warning horn

Dhadley · May 20, 2005

Re: Warning horn sounds like chirping crickets

Welcome!! You probably have the early version of the horn. The one without the self test feature. But anyway most likely its going bad. Replace it with the newer self teat horn. It probably superceeds to that one anyway.

Joe Reeves · May 20, 2005

Re: Warning horn sounds like chirping crickets

If you have the 3 wire horn, having 2 push on terminals and 1 internal black ground lead, the TAN wire should be installed closest to the black wire position. Having it installed to the other terminal will result in weird happenings. If wired properly, with the key on and the horn sounding as you described, remove the TAN wire. If the sound continues, the horn is faulty and will require replacing. If the sound stops when you remove that TAN wire, reconnect it, then start disconnecting the TAN warning wires at the engine until the sound stops. In this case, when it stops, you've found the faulty component. The TAN sensor wires at the engine would be connected to the heat senders in each cylinder head, a fuel vacuum switch which can be found branching off of the fuel line, the leads leading to the oil tank, and the VRO itself.

jimhopp · May 20, 2005

Re: Warning horn sounds like chirping crickets

Dhadley and Joe, Thank you for the info. I will be trying to put the boat back in the water tomorrow, after which I will try out the diagnostic procedures that you both had suggested. Dhadley, the model I have does have the self test feature, if it is the chirp when I turn the key over that you were thinking of. Joe, on the mis-wiring topic I thought that I should mention that it did work fine for the first couple of months that I used it. All of a sudden it started up, without me changing any wiring, but now that I think about it, I do seem to remember a very slight purring/chirping noise (very faint, almost inaudible unless you put your ear against the remote)for the first month or two, very sporadic almost unperceivable. Does this offer any clues? Thank you both

rodbolt · May 20, 2005

Re: Warning horn sounds like chirping crickets

a bad connection for the horn ground can cause problems like that as well. dont know why just know it can. but I did have one a few years back that ended up being a fault in the tach circuits in the VRO pump. that one drove 3 other techs nuts and almost got me.

seahorse5 · May 20, 2005

Re: Warning horn sounds like chirping crickets

IF it still "chirps", disconnect the oil tank to engine wire at the motor and see if the sound goes away. Many times the electronics in the oil pickup assy. get flakey and give all kinds of weird sounds.

jimhopp · May 22, 2005

Re: Warning horn sounds like chirping crickets

Ok guys, Got my boat back in the water (after my brother put it on its side in the middle of the road) and guess what, no chirping. Over the winter I had re-wired the power from the battery to the power bar using 10 gauge wire because the factory wire(14 gauge I think)was melting at the in line fuse. I think that it may have been drawing too many amps (aftermarket docking lights, stereo etc?)so the lights and such would have a habit of going out whenever they wanted to. Could that problem have been the source of my erratic chirping last season? And I now have another problem, the horn is sounding when I idle for a few minutes with a tone every 5 seconds or so. I went to check the bulbs and the vro oilier bulb was very firm, but the fuel bulb was squishy, pumped it several times and the horn magically stopped. I believe that there might be some cracked fuel hoses somewhere in-line.

Diver Dave · May 24, 2005

Re: Warning horn sounds like chirping crickets

> Bin the VRO before it costs you big bucks mine did !

Diver Dave · May 24, 2005

Re: Warning horn sounds like chirping crickets

jimhopp · May 27, 2005

Re: Warning horn sounds like chirping crickets

bump

jimhopp · Apr 5, 2006

Re: Warning horn sounds like chirping crickets

Getting ready to put the boat in the water again, a serviceman at the local boat show said that I shold split open the remote and check for signs of moisture that may have entered inside of it. Any ideas on that? Also was wondering has anyone heard of a OMC multifunction warning gage in leiu or in conjunction with the warning horn?

seahorse5 · Apr 6, 2006

Re: Warning horn sounds like chirping crickets

You can buy the SystemCheck warning gauge from a dealer and the adapter kit for older motors like yours. That way you will have not only the warning horn, but 4 different lites to let you know what the engine status is. Your motor needs to have the 4 wire "VRO" pump for the kit to work. It ain't cheap, but it works great!

jimhopp · Apr 6, 2006

Re: Warning horn sounds like chirping crickets

Thanks seahorse, I'll be looking into that this weekend, weather permiting.

jimhopp · Apr 18, 2006

Re: Warning horn sounds like chirping crickets

Hey everyone, I feel like an idiot. I just changed out the warning horn Iafter listening to it for three seasons) and guess what, the chirping stopped! I just went back through the postings and realized the Joe Reeves is a genius. He described the test perfectly, only I had misinterpeted it at the time and paid the price of listening to the most annoying noise I've heard for three seasons. Thank you all for your input, it was all very helpful!

Warning horn sounds like chirping crickets

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