Johnson 85 buzzer sounding

I took my boat out this weekend, and after about 30 minutes on the water the overheat alarm sounded. I immediately shut it down for about 1 hour, then re-started and headed back to the dock. After about a 10 minute ride back the dock it sounded again just as we were pulling up to the dock, shut it off and waited about another hour before we loaded it back on the trailer. Once the buzzer sounds, even with the engine off, but with the key in the "on" position it still sounds....The buzzer is a continuous buzz.

The day before we took it out on the water, we ran it in the driveway for about 5 minutes (with muffs), and didn't buzz.

Does anyone know what it could possibly be? (i.e water pump, t-stat, etc.)

Your input would be greatly appreciated.

Re: Johnson 85 buzzer sounding

Couple questions.

First off, what model are we talking about here? Is it equipped with a fuel restriction warning? Was it actually overheating?

If not, and the beeping is sounding when the key is turned ON, rather than just the normal short beep, unplug the TAN wire from the horn. If the beeping continues, the horn is faulty. If it does not, start unplugging sensor components TAN wires until one stops. That is the faulty component.

If in fact it is overheating, you will need to service the water pump/impeller/tsat/cooling circuit.

Re: Johnson 85 buzzer sounding

I just bought this boat not too long ago, and am fairly new to boating. See, I'm not sure if it is equipped with the fuel restriction warning or not. It seemed to be running excellently with no hesitations or sputtering. The buzzer just sounded out of nowhere, while in the middle of the lake.

The sound is not a beeping sound at all, it is a loud continuous BUZZZING sound coming from the control box.

My horn does not work on the boat at all so I know it's not a faulty horn.

I don't really know if it was actually overheating or not, because I really didn't know how to check for it to see if it was overheating while on the water. I was just caught off guard, and didn't want to damage the engine if it was indeed overheating.

Re: Johnson 85 buzzer sounding

Sorry, when I said horn, I was referring to the buzzer/horn inside the remote control.

Again, what model number are we talking about here? Do you have a temp gauge on your dash? Is it still pumping water? Can you hold your hand on the head for a 1, 2, 3 count? Will water sizzle when splashed on the head?