Alarm horn/Wiring

THe throttle/remote box is too difficult to get open for this inspection..in my opinion....so, is there a way to get an ordinary alarm/horn from radio shack, and bypass the shifter box(throttle/remote)?...We were thinking of having a manual alarm system check..by a typical switch, and the connecting that system(switch and extenal horn/alarm)to the wire coming from the thermocouple(or whatever one it is)...It would basically be the "hot" wire form engine, connected to pos term on switch, with the horn connected to each respective terminal, and then grounding it...what im curious is if that system would 1) work, being that the original system had a alrm check when the key is turned, then it had the original overheat alarm both connected throught the key switch in the shifter box...2) Would that system be able to complete the circuit, allowing for a manual check by flipping the switch on....then by flipping the switch off...it would activate the engine alarm..therby shutting the manual alarm off....? THanks for all of your help....

Re: Alarm horn/Wiring

I'm pretty sure that the wire coming from the heat switch is a ground. As I understand it, the horn has a constant live wire going to it via the ignition switch, and the heat switch completes the circuit by grounding when it reaches a certain temperature.<br /><br />I'm sure that others on here know more about it than me and will correct me if I'm wrong.

Re: Alarm horn/Wiring

steviecops is right on it.... Why is the control box too hard to open?? You do not want a manual alarm. You want it ready all the time..

Re: Alarm horn/Wiring

The control box comes apart like this.<br /><br />1. Two bolts hold it to the gunwale.<br /><br />2. Two bolts hold it together.<br /><br />3. One bolt holds the throttle/gear shift handle on.<br /><br />4. You split the case and the horn is right there.

Re: Alarm horn/Wiring

the gearbox is hard to open because its is very old and one of the screws on the mid right side(external) of the shifter box is stripped, bad. We even tried an impact tool, which got one (by breaking it) and stripped the other, the other one came out fine. We figured it might be better to bypass the trouble/ risk of "opening a can of worms" that may be more trouble to fix it than what we were after in the first place... however,.....thanks for all the help and advice...

Re: Alarm horn/Wiring

Thanks, that is very helpful knowledge stevie, but isnt it possible to have an "external" alarm that IS active all the time... i.e. using a manual switch, instead of using the key switch that is inside the control box... ??.... Thanks again guys, your information is priceless,..

Re: Alarm horn/Wiring

I know that some of the guys on here fit water pressure gauges, but I wouldn't be able to tell you how. Maybe a temperature gauge could even be fitted. The trouble with gauges though, is that you've got to be looking at them to notice anything is wrong. I'm sure you could rig up some kind of manual switch alarm, but again, you'd have to remember to turn it on!<br /><br />I'd say that it wouldn't be that difficult to get your temp warning horn working as it should be, and it would be well worth the effort. The one on my engine wasn't working when I bought it. It turned out that the conections to the horn were just really dirty. It took all of 5 minutes to fix it!<br /><br />Good luck<br />Steve

Re: Alarm horn/Wiring

Stevie, It should work, just remember that the wire from the sender is a negative and you just have to have a positive for the horn. I was going to do the same thing since my control box is sorry too and I wanted to be able to access the horn easier. I even thought about using it as a warning horn by wiring in a switched ground wire.That way I can get double duty out of the horn and check its functioning.

Re: Alarm horn/Wiring

Hey ddaigle<br />I have the same problem. My control box does't have a warning horn on it. I have a 125 1973 evinrude w/manual shift. Is it possible to hook on to the sender that is in the head on the right bottom of the block to a auto horn. I have another question. When Idling the engine runs great except it will puff out some white smoke out of the bottom carb. Is this normal<br /><br />Dofunny

Re: Alarm horn/Wiring

What year engine? If older engine without VRO, you can split the harness going to the control box, pull out the tan wire, cut, splice connect to horn - side. + side to switched hot, should be purple wire. Connect push button fron - side of horn to engine ground wire, black. Push button for self test of horn. Horn from radio shack about 12.00. I also think it was a dumb place to put the alarm horn.

Re: Alarm horn/Wiring

Thank Clanton<br /><br />That sound like good information to me. I will purchase a horn. Could you help me with the rest of my post.

Re: Alarm horn/Wiring

I have just done something similar.<br />i have used the old wire for the o/t warning light<br />as a temp guage sender wire and have fitted a small piezo alarm inside the engine cowl. This has a positive feed from the ignition and is switched to ground via the original temp switch.<br />I do not know how long the siren will survive in there and i do not yet know if i can hear it with the motor going flat chat.<br /><br />i did this as to avoid running a new cable to the motor and i would not rely on just a temp guage. A mate of mine fried a motor who's guage was reading a low temp. The pump had failed and no water was circulating around the sender.<br /><br />i also would not rely on just a o/t warning system<br />by then its too late.

Re: Alarm horn/Wiring

I dont get the rest of post. Tell me again.