[Pas Bon]

I have a 2001 Yamaha 115 4 stroke, on the digital display there is a bar that flashes above the oil symbol on the gauge. The other day it started flashing, no alarms and the oil was about 1/2 up on the dipstick. When I shut it down and started it back up it went off and never came back on.

What is that flashing bar above the oil symbol?

[Silvertip]

Ummm -- low oil level perhaps?

[rodbolt]

no level switches on that motor.
most likly the indicator got set at start up and noticed later.
it happens.
once the visual indicate gets tripped it requires a key cycle to reset

[Pas Bon]

Originally Posted by rodbolt

no level switches on that motor.
most likly the indicator got set at start up and noticed later.
it happens.
once the visual indicate gets tripped it requires a key cycle to reset

Thank You!

[rodbolt]

have you actually tested the overheat and low oil pressure alarm for audible activation?
needs to be done at PDI and at least yearly thereafter.

[Pas Bon]

over heat wroked this summer...it went off anyway? I ended up changing the impeller, I'm pretty sure it was slipping on the shaft. How do you test them and what is PDI?

[rodbolt]

PDI is Pre Delivery Inspection and is supposed to be performed by the selling dealer and a copy signed and delivered to the buyer.
not all dealers actually do it.
to test your oil alarms on the F115 simply short out the oil sending unit wire and bring the engine above 2000 RPM, you should get an audible and a flashing bar on the tach, the flashing bar can only be reset by a keyswitch cycle.
the overheat is a bit trickier.
to test the overheat you will need a 220 ohm resistor,1/2watt will work, avalible at radio shack.
unplug the temp sensor and insert the 220 ohm resistor in the harness pins.
it may take up to 60 seconds after starting the engine to have the alarm audible and visual indicates to activate.
the ECU controls the alarm on that engine and does need to be tested periodically.
every year at the regular impeller inspection will work.
you do follow the maint schedule? right?

[Pas Bon]

The motor is an 01 with only 140 hours on so just annual oil changes are all thats been done other than a recent impeller change. What else needs to be done at this point?

[rodbolt]

sitting here at the house I dont know.
but at any yamaha dealership you can look at the marine technical guide and take note of the hourly OR calander schedule under EFI four stroke.
you really should update to the 10 micron inline filter used on the later F115 motors,maybe check the thermostats for corrosion, you know general maint just like nascar will do.

[Pas Bon]

Originally Posted by rodbolt

sitting here at the house I dont know.
but at any yamaha dealership you can look at the marine technical guide and take note of the hourly OR calander schedule under EFI four stroke.
you really should update to the 10 micron inline filter used on the later F115 motors,maybe check the thermostats for corrosion, you know general maint just like nascar will do.

10 micron filter, is that the one on the motor that also serves as a water seperator? I thought aout replacing the t-stat just to be safe but iBoats was out and Yamaha wanted too much for one.


What Type oil do you suggest? We have a fleet of Yamaha 4 strokes at work and our local guys say's synthetic 10-30 due to the "making oil" problem many of them have had..I have not had such a problem with mine and have run Mobile 1- synthetic since break-in.

[rodbolt]

the 10 micron filter update I was refering to is the inline filter between the engine ful pump and the VST tank.
as far as making oil its not a problem if the boat is propped CORRECTLY and the thermostat is checked/inspected per the maint schedule.
even a lightly overpropped EFI outboad will make oil even if everything else is correct.
running cold is another big making oil problem as the ECU will keep the injector pulse width to rich,ECU's are rather stupid as they can only react to inputs.
check your engines tech bullitens, the early runs of the F115 had some updates to both the t-stat,oil dipstick and some ECU's.

as to oil reccomendations any FCW rated oil in either 10w-30 or 40,depending on ambient air temps, will be sufficient and can be found in your operators manual.
most synthetics are NOT FCW rated and not reccomended.
the option to buy or not to buy filters is yours, but I will tell you if the VST doesnt get a CLEAN supply of fuel it will clog the high pressure pump filter and the injector screens.
choice is yours,pay now,pay later
thats the beauty about my job,sooner or later I get to see it