1998 Mercury 200 HP EFI Oil Alarm Problems!!

Status
Not open for further replies.

drmarke

Recruit
Joined
Aug 9, 2006
Messages
1
[colour=null]I have read through the previous posts and cannot find an answer please help as I am at a loss.
I have three beeps when I turn on the key, and then the alarm goes off (proper testing at start-up). After I start the boat I get a pulsing alarm almost immediately indicating an Oil Alarm.
I have checked the oil to the engine mounted oil tank and it is full as well as the reservior tank. The cap of the engine mounted tank has a sensor which I have checked by checking for continuity (none) with the cap on and full continuity with the cap removed (simulating an empty tank). I tried to check the rotational sensor without sucess, but I tried a "used replacement" and had the same problem. I've hooked up a remote fuel tank with a 50:1 oil mixture and ran the motor with the oil line disconnected at 1500 RPM and got the proper 9cc of oil output and raised the oil arm (simulating wide oped throttle) and got 20cc of oil which is what the manual states is correct. I checked the voltage on the purple wire comimg from the terminal and it was showing full voltage. I went ahead at this point and and replaced the $240 oil warning module. Disgusted, I still have the same alarm! I do not see any wires that look to be shorted and I have a good ground throughout.
My best guess is it's still the oil pump rotational sensor (which several people have told me never go bad), the magnet on the oil pump shaft, or something simple like a horn malfuntion or the ignititon switch. The motor runs fine.
Please someone read this lenghthy posting and help!
Mark
Someone told me to try to disconnect the alarms one by one to isolate the problem, and this is what I did:
I tried disconnecting the sensors and checking if the alarm would stop. I first disconnected the blue/white wire (oil cap) no change. Next I disconnected the blue wire from the rotational sensor (no change) then the white wire from rotational sensor (no change). I believe the green wire is from the 2nd cylinder and I did not disconnect it, but it looks fine (not grounded). I think the brown/white wire sends the signal to the alarm and I checked at the horn for a grounded circuit and there was not that problem. The purple wire provides the power and when I disconnected it, the horn (and warning horn at start-up) stops. I checked all the ground wires and they are intact and well grounded[/colour][/colour]
 

sleepinin

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Jun 3, 2006
Messages
77
Re: 1998 Mercury 200 HP EFI Oil Alarm Problems!!

Are you sure it's not the Alarm for the water seperating fuel filter. You describe it as pulsating and not Beep Beep Beep like the oil alarm?
 

wbblc87

Cadet
Joined
Aug 24, 2006
Messages
29
Re: 1998 Mercury 200 HP EFI Oil Alarm Problems!!

drmarke said:
[colour=null]I have read through the previous posts and cannot find an answer please help as I am at a loss.
I have three beeps when I turn on the key, and then the alarm goes off (proper testing at start-up). After I start the boat I get a pulsing alarm almost immediately indicating an Oil Alarm.
I have checked the oil to the engine mounted oil tank and it is full as well as the reservior tank. The cap of the engine mounted tank has a sensor which I have checked by checking for continuity (none) with the cap on and full continuity with the cap removed (simulating an empty tank). I tried to check the rotational sensor without sucess, but I tried a "used replacement" and had the same problem. I've hooked up a remote fuel tank with a 50:1 oil mixture and ran the motor with the oil line disconnected at 1500 RPM and got the proper 9cc of oil output and raised the oil arm (simulating wide oped throttle) and got 20cc of oil which is what the manual states is correct. I checked the voltage on the purple wire comimg from the terminal and it was showing full voltage. I went ahead at this point and and replaced the $240 oil warning module. Disgusted, I still have the same alarm! I do not see any wires that look to be shorted and I have a good ground throughout.
My best guess is it's still the oil pump rotational sensor (which several people have told me never go bad), the magnet on the oil pump shaft, or something simple like a horn malfuntion or the ignititon switch. The motor runs fine.
Please someone read this lenghthy posting and help!
Mark
Someone told me to try to disconnect the alarms one by one to isolate the problem, and this is what I did:
I tried disconnecting the sensors and checking if the alarm would stop. I first disconnected the blue/white wire (oil cap) no change. Next I disconnected the blue wire from the rotational sensor (no change) then the white wire from rotational sensor (no change). I believe the green wire is from the 2nd cylinder and I did not disconnect it, but it looks fine (not grounded). I think the brown/white wire sends the signal to the alarm and I checked at the horn for a grounded circuit and there was not that problem. The purple wire provides the power and when I disconnected it, the horn (and warning horn at start-up) stops. I checked all the ground wires and they are intact and well grounded[/colour][/colour]

Look to see if the red LED is lit up on the water sensor module located on the front of the engine just below the ECU to the starboard side. Sounds like water in the fuel to me, also.
 

bayfun

Cadet
Joined
Aug 6, 2008
Messages
7
Re: 1998 Mercury 200 HP EFI Oil Alarm Problems!!

OK Here goes. You need to differentiate if it is the water or oil alarm. You do that by looking for a little (I mean very small) red LED low on the left side front of the motor. Turn on the ignition key but NOT far enough to start the engine. Wait for the alarm to begin. If the red LED comes on, you have a water problem. The LED is VERY difficult to tell if it is lit, and I often have to get my eyes within a couple of inches to tell if it is lit. If it is lit, you have a water in your gas. If not, you have an oil issue. Both use the same audible alarm but use the LED light to differentiate which is causing the problem. The oil sensor is in the top cap of the oil resivor on the top of the engine. The only thing the oil alarm tells you is if that internal tank is full or not. You are already saying you can visually see that it is. If you are sure that it is the oil alarm going off, you can go to merc dealer and get a new sensor. They keep them in stock. If you want to see if oil is mixing with the gas, on the right side of the engine as you face it from the front is a silver panel with a cylinder built into it in thefront of it. At the bottom is a brass plug. open it and catch the gas in a jar or can. You can tell by looking at color of it if the oil is mixing with the gas. Good luck Bayfun
 

quaylefarmer

Cadet
Joined
Jun 1, 2011
Messages
7
Re: 1998 Mercury 200 HP EFI Oil Alarm Problems!!

OK Here goes. You need to differentiate if it is the water or oil alarm. You do that by looking for a little (I mean very small) red LED low on the left side front of the motor. Turn on the ignition key but NOT far enough to start the engine. Wait for the alarm to begin. If the red LED comes on, you have a water problem. The LED is VERY difficult to tell if it is lit, and I often have to get my eyes within a couple of inches to tell if it is lit. If it is lit, you have a water in your gas. If not, you have an oil issue. Both use the same audible alarm but use the LED light to differentiate which is causing the problem. The oil sensor is in the top cap of the oil resivor on the top of the engine. The only thing the oil alarm tells you is if that internal tank is full or not. You are already saying you can visually see that it is. If you are sure that it is the oil alarm going off, you can go to merc dealer and get a new sensor. They keep them in stock. If you want to see if oil is mixing with the gas, on the right side of the engine as you face it from the front is a silver panel with a cylinder built into it in thefront of it. At the bottom is a brass plug. open it and catch the gas in a jar or can. You can tell by looking at color of it if the oil is mixing with the gas. Good luck Bayfun



Bumping this back up.

Same motor here.

This morning I began to get a continuos/fast beep beep beep beep beep.

Found this thread and began to diagnose.

- LED is not on
- Engine mounted oil reservoir is full
- I emptied the fuel filer/separator and it had no water in it
- I removed the brass drain plug from the bottom of the cylinder on the right sight (oil is mixed with gas)


Any other thoughts?

I have not been able to confirm if the beep I am hearing is the oil system beep.

It does it immediately upon start up - even after the motor has been sitting and cooled.

It is NOT the 4 beeps every 2 minutes alarm - it is basically continuous.

Thanks for anyone's help!

Jacob
 

GA_Boater

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
May 24, 2011
Messages
49,038
You can't bump it back up. You aren't the OP. Start a new topic. Closed.
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top