new to me - 1997 Evinrude 150 "No Oil" alarm sounding (VRO is disconnected)

1997 Proline - 1997 Evinrude 150. I am working on a "project boat" recently purchased with no information from the previous owner. One of the problems I am having is a "no oil" alarm. Alarm goes off right after I start the engine for 10 seconds. "no oil" light comes on and stays on. On this model, this signifies a VRO problem only. Previous owner bypassed the VRO system and was using pre-mix. I verified that both the oil level sensor and VRO sensor connections were disconnected. My problem is that the alarm is sounding with the connection to the VRO disconnected. So I have to assume it is a short in the wiring between the gauge and the VRO connection, or a faulty gauge. The previous owner just disconnected the gauge and ran the boat without the engine or overheat alarm functional. I could order a new gauge for $40 and it might be the problem, or it would not resolve if it is a short. I would like to just clip the wire at the gauge, but can not find a wiring diagram for gauge connections. SELOC does not show it.

Anybody know which wire to clip, and would that work?

thanks

Re: new to me - 1997 Evinrude 150 "No Oil" alarm sounding (VRO is disconnected)

Re: new to me - 1997 Evinrude 150 "No Oil" alarm sounding (VRO is disconnected)

just un glug the horn, it should be a two wire duetsch plug having a tan with blue lines wire, and a solid purple wire.

do you have a SYSTEMS CHECK TACH? or just the SYSTEMS CHECK warning lights gauge??

bob

Re: new to me - 1997 Evinrude 150 "No Oil" alarm sounding (VRO is disconnected)

Re: new to me - 1997 Evinrude 150 "No Oil" alarm sounding (VRO is disconnected)

bob johnson said:

just un glug the horn, it should be a two wire duetsch plug having a tan with blue lines wire, and a solid purple wire.

do you have a SYSTEMS CHECK TACH? or just the SYSTEMS CHECK warning lights gauge??

bob

Click to expand...

I want to avoid unplugging the horn or the warning gauge (warning gauge is separate from the tach) so i will get engine and overheat warnings. the horn is a simple two wire setup. The gauge has four wires going into the plug that plugs into the back of the gauge.

Re: new to me - 1997 Evinrude 150 "No Oil" alarm sounding (VRO is disconnected)

Re: new to me - 1997 Evinrude 150 "No Oil" alarm sounding (VRO is disconnected)

BenPainter said:

I want to avoid unplugging the horn or the warning gauge (warning gauge is separate from the tach) so i will get engine and overheat warnings. the horn is a simple two wire setup. The gauge has four wires going into the plug that plugs into the back of the gauge.

Click to expand...

SORRY 8 WIRES into the back of the plug

Re: new to me - 1997 Evinrude 150 "No Oil" alarm sounding (VRO is disconnected)

Re: new to me - 1997 Evinrude 150 "No Oil" alarm sounding (VRO is disconnected)

you want to clip a wire that goes to the guage( warning gauge) that gets the signal from the VRO system????

hmmmmm.....my guess from looking at the factory manual is that the only wire it could be going from the VRO plug that ends up in the 8 pin connector is the tan with Yellow line. but since I dont know how the function signal is sent... i am not sure it would solve the problem. it might be a normally open or a normally closed circuit.....so if the alarm is trigger by opening the connection... cutting the wire is doing the same thing!! no signal...bammm alarm....youll have to get some more electrical help. some of the guys here know exactly how and why things work electricaly.... i know things work because of certain conditions...but not always WHY.. and i have the manual here to look at for your motor.






sooo you could cut the tan with yello wire and if it didnt solve your problem...be ready to sew it back together. even though it seems being unplugged , it cannot be getting any signal at all....and not sure how a short come into play...I dont know what it could short to...it would have to another wire that is getting power....if the wire was shorter to ground( the boat or brackets ect) i am not sure how that would make the guage react...

best of luck

sound slike you are having the same luck as the other guy with messed up wiring on his 150 hp!!


bob

Re: new to me - 1997 Evinrude 150 "No Oil" alarm sounding (VRO is disconnected)

Re: new to me - 1997 Evinrude 150 "No Oil" alarm sounding (VRO is disconnected)

bob johnson said:

you want to clip a wire that goes to the guage( warning gauge) that gets the signal from the VRO system????

hmmmmm.....my guess from looking at the factory manual is that the only wire it could be going from the VRO plug that ends up in the 8 pin connector is the tan with Yellow line. but since I dont know how the function signal is sent... i am not sure it would solve the problem. it might be a normally open or a normally closed circuit.....so if the alarm is trigger by opening the connection... cutting the wire is doing the same thing!! no signal...bammm alarm....youll have to get some more electrical help. some of the guys here know exactly how and why things work electricaly.... i know things work because of certain conditions...but not always WHY.. and i have the manual here to look at for your motor.






sooo you could cut the tan with yello wire and if it didnt solve your problem...be ready to sew it back together. even though it seems being unplugged , it cannot be getting any signal at all....and not sure how a short come into play...I dont know what it could short to...it would have to another wire that is getting power....if the wire was shorter to ground( the boat or brackets ect) i am not sure how that would make the guage react...

best of luck

sound slike you are having the same luck as the other guy with messed up wiring on his 150 hp!!


bob

Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply Bob. From what I understand the system is a usually "open" system. When the sensor detects a fault it closes and creates a ground that sends power to the gauge which results in a light and an alarm. So, I believe that to be the ground side of the circuit. so if that wire or the harness is grounded anywhere, it would trigger the alarm. (just like grounding the overheat sensor on the head to check that system) Make sense?

Re: new to me - 1997 Evinrude 150 "No Oil" alarm sounding (VRO is disconnected)

Re: new to me - 1997 Evinrude 150 "No Oil" alarm sounding (VRO is disconnected)

clipping the wire did not work. faulty gauge??

Re: new to me - 1997 Evinrude 150 "No Oil" alarm sounding (VRO is disconnected)

Re: new to me - 1997 Evinrude 150 "No Oil" alarm sounding (VRO is disconnected)

anybody have any idea what could cause the "low oil" alarm to go off (and stay on) when the VRO harness is disconnected??? (the VRO pump has actually been removed and a "fuel pump" has been installed) Any ideas would be helpful!!!

Re: new to me - 1997 Evinrude 150 "No Oil" alarm sounding (VRO is disconnected)

Re: new to me - 1997 Evinrude 150 "No Oil" alarm sounding (VRO is disconnected)

Ben, I have a OEM manual for my '98 Johnson 150(EXECD) which should also apply to your motor.
The book specifically states the following;

5. If the oil mixing system in the VRO is not used:
* Install Protective Cap, P/N 315391, over the oil inlet fitting to protect the VRO pump. Secure with Clamp, P/N 322654.
* Disconnect the VRO wiring harness. Seal engine harness Amphenol connector with Cover, P/N 335655.

Hope this helps,
OutOfControl

Re: new to me - 1997 Evinrude 150 "No Oil" alarm sounding (VRO is disconnected)

Re: new to me - 1997 Evinrude 150 "No Oil" alarm sounding (VRO is disconnected)

Out of control. Does the no oil alarm ground when it detects no-oil? If so, the OP has a bare wire grounding somewhere. He should look for melted wires.

Re: new to me - 1997 Evinrude 150 "No Oil" alarm sounding (VRO is disconnected)

Re: new to me - 1997 Evinrude 150 "No Oil" alarm sounding (VRO is disconnected)

Both good suggestions... but, I "think" the VRO pump has been removed and replaced for an after market model fuel pump, as their is no wiring harness coming off the fuel pump. (just the one that heads to the harness is hanging there. also, all hoses coming off that pump are heading somewhere but nothing connects to the oil tank as all hoses have been removed. (only the fuel line exiting the motor.

as I understand the alarm system, the alarm is activated when the sensor detects a fault and closes the circuit. I suspected a ground (cant see as the wire is in a harness until it comes out of the harness at the helm) so I clipped the tan with yellow strip wire right at the gauge (thinking that would eliminate the ground and kill the alarm) but that had no effect. I also clipped the wire at the top of the plug opposite the T/Y wire which are both at the top of the plug where the "no oil" light is on the gauge, and it did not clear the alarm. (so I spliced them back together. Also, there are no visible melted wires and the wiring is actually in pretty good shape for an engine this age. Also, I checked the VRO plug at the engine, and the T/Y wire was "open" and the other three wires were grounded... (not sure if this is proper)

I know the alarm to be functioning properly as the "check engine" alarm sounded properly when I had a fuel restriction from a bad anti siphon valve.

Is there a vaccume sensor on this model? But, i would think that would also be connected to the alarm S L O W system at the dash via the VRO wiring harness....

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated as I have many hours invested in trying to resolve the problem with the alarm for the VRO "no oil" system and I dont want to have to just disconnect the whole system (which is the way it was when I acquired the boat)

please help if you can!!!

Re: new to me - 1997 Evinrude 150 "No Oil" alarm sounding (VRO is disconnected)

Re: new to me - 1997 Evinrude 150 "No Oil" alarm sounding (VRO is disconnected)

Ben, just to make sure we are on the same page I took a couple of photos of my motor and associated wiring harness.

This first shot is the actual Amphenol Plug referenced in the OEM manual. The left side feeds into the VRO pump and the right side leads to the main engine harness.

The second photo shows the Amphenol Plug in the lower left corner and the wiring connection to the VRO pump in the upper half.

Even if the VRO pump was completely removed and replaced the wiring from the control box may still be evident. The PO may have stubbed off the Aphenol plug and/or shoved the wiring in behind something.

OutOfControl

Re: new to me - 1997 Evinrude 150 "No Oil" alarm sounding (VRO is disconnected)

Re: new to me - 1997 Evinrude 150 "No Oil" alarm sounding (VRO is disconnected)

OutOfControl said:

Ben, just to make sure we are on the same page I took a couple of photos of my motor and associated wiring harness.

This first shot is the actual Amphenol Plug referenced in the OEM manual. The left side feeds into the VRO pump and the right side leads to the main engine harness.
View attachment 184811
The second photo shows the Amphenol Plug in the lower left corner and the wiring connection to the VRO pump in the upper half.
View attachment 184812
Even if the VRO pump was completely removed and replaced the wiring from the control box may still be evident. The PO may have stubbed off the Aphenol plug and/or shoved the wiring in behind something.

OutOfControl

Click to expand...

Thanks for the info out of control..... the pictures do not look like my set up as the fuel pump/VRO is between the carburators behind the air intake. But the setup is the same. I have one side of the plug coming from the engine harness hanging free. I cant find the other end of the plug as it was either removed or "possibly" the wires were snipped flush under the bottom of the VRO and are not visible.

I ran to the boat to take some pictures so you could take a look at my setup. I took some pictures....

In thinking about your comment that the wiring from the control box might still be revenant.... On a "whim" tried something. I turned the key on and the alarm went through the self test and the "no Oil" light came on just like it has been doing all along. i shorted out two of the terminals on the plug that is hanging out of the main harness. As I had said before, three of them were grounded and I "thought one was "open" since the sensor is an open/close sensor. Surprisingly I got a spark from the two leads inside of the plug. At that point the alarm LED went out. I reset the system by turning the key off and on and it went through its regular self test. All four lights lit and went out (as normally they would) and the "no oil" light did not come back on. This would indicate that the fault was no longer registering to the alarm system. I have no idea why this would happen!!! I am going to still upload some pictures in case it helps anybody else. I have not found any VRO diagrams or pictures on the web or in my manual with my exact set-up.

Re: new to me - 1997 Evinrude 150 "No Oil" alarm sounding (VRO is disconnected)

Re: new to me - 1997 Evinrude 150 "No Oil" alarm sounding (VRO is disconnected)

your motor and out of controls motor are the exact same set up, only it looks as if your fuel pump/VRO assyembly is not factory. I have a 1997 ocean pro, and it uses the same pump as your motor... and it doesnt look like your VRO-fuel pump...it looks like Out of controls!!

I have a tricky , NEVER DIAGNOSED alarm problem on my 115 ocean runner...alarm goes off exactly 2 minutes after i start the motor...it is the over heat alarm..( beeps constant ..I have a V4) it sounds for exactly 10 seconds and goes off....the temps are about 100 degrees at the most...checked with infared as well as two seperate temp gauges!!

I have disconnected the sensors, and i dont have the oil pump hooked up....U just live with it, no one has ever been able to explain it..

I guess at this point, it is either a bad tach( everything else about the tach works) or a bad horn....

bob

Re: new to me - 1997 Evinrude 150 "No Oil" alarm sounding (VRO is disconnected)

Re: new to me - 1997 Evinrude 150 "No Oil" alarm sounding (VRO is disconnected)

Ben, looks as though you may have stumbled onto the solution. I am not very knowledgeable when it comes to electrical issues, but maybe plugging up the Amphenol connection as suggested by the manual would work or maybe someone else has a suggestion on how to bypass the connector without buying the OEM plug.
Good luck,
OutOfControl

Re: new to me - 1997 Evinrude 150 "No Oil" alarm sounding (VRO is disconnected)

Re: new to me - 1997 Evinrude 150 "No Oil" alarm sounding (VRO is disconnected)

After going through all this lately, i would ask if you ever tested the sensors... also, I cant explain why mine went off when i shorted two of the leads within the harness. Perhaps it "reset" something in the alarm unit... I can't really explain it, but it looks like it is resolved. (at least it is acting like it is resolved, I will have to test it on the water) Before shorting the harness, I was just like you assuming it was a bad alarm unit on the dash (mine is separate from the tach).

Another interesting thing about that problem is your alarm. If it is the exact same as mine, I think your getting mixed signals. For my system when the alarm goes off for 10 seconds then stops, then the LED stays on for the system at fault, this is only the case with "low oil" "no oil" and "check engine". The overheat alarm results in a constant alarm warning.

Re: new to me - 1997 Evinrude 150 "No Oil" alarm sounding (VRO is disconnected)

Re: new to me - 1997 Evinrude 150 "No Oil" alarm sounding (VRO is disconnected)

Thanks outofcontrol, hopefully it does not "alarm" again. if it does, i will focus on a plug fault...

thanks

ben