'97 V-17: Constant loud alarm from steering wheel area

[rogerelke]

Howdy. My buddy took my '97 Tracker Deep-V 17;' out today and experienced a loud, constant beeping -- not from the motor but from the steering wheel area.

Motor is a '01 Mercury 90horse, just got back from tune up--but again the motor isn't alarming. It's the boat.

For background, he took it out yesterday and...no problems.

The boat is well-sealed, the back middle drain hole plugged and the boat wasn't sinking, so it seems he wasn't taking on water. However, the alarm did stop when he raised the motor trim so the prop was almost out of the water, which raised the bow. It also stopped when he ran the boat at a steady slow speed with high trim.

Any clue what's happening? Bilge problem? Something else? Much appreciated...

 

[Barnacle_Bill]

Re: '97 V-17: Constant loud alarm from steering wheel area

That is the alarm for the motor and its telling you its overheating.

 

[rogerelke]

Re: '97 V-17: Constant loud alarm from steering wheel area

That is the alarm for the motor and its telling you its overheating.

You sure? He told me the alarm was coming not from the motor (which was behind him) but from the steering area in front of him--the boat itself.

I thought of that too, but with the alarm stopping when he trimmed the motor higher (more out of the water), it made no sense. That, plus the motor was processing water just fine. Could this boat have a water-based or bilge alarm of some sort that isn't mentioned in the owner's manual?

I'll be able to verify this in a few days when he brings it back, but was hoping to get him some help while he still is out at the lake.

 

[rogerelke]

Re: '97 V-17: Constant loud alarm from steering wheel area

Culprit found: the engine oil container was bad. The float in the oil container stopped working right, and sunk to alarm-causing levels despite plenty of fresh, full oil.

(I had just gotten this motor tuned up before my friend borrowed it...you'd think the dealer would have noticed).

That's why the alarm sounded only when the motor was trimmed low.

The part itself is about $88 when ordered straight from Mercury (I called), so don't let a dealer rip you off on parts price if you have them install.

I hope this helps someone in the future when the alarm is screaming like the world's loudest baby and the motor is NOT overheating.

 

[TX-17]

Re: '97 V-17: Constant loud alarm from steering wheel area

Culprit found: the engine oil container was bad. The float in the oil container stopped working right, and sunk to alarm-causing levels despite plenty of fresh, full oil.

(I had just gotten this motor tuned up before my friend borrowed it...you'd think the dealer would have noticed).

That's why the alarm sounded only when the motor was trimmed low.

The part itself is about $88 when ordered straight from Mercury (I called), so don't let a dealer rip you off on parts price if you have them install.

I hope this helps someone in the future when the alarm is screaming like the world's loudest baby and the motor is NOT overheating.

This is the same alarm for over heating, except it is constant when overheating and beeps intermittently when the sensor says oil is not being feed properly. You will find this horn behind the dash and not on the motor. I am glad you and your friend figured this out quickly and easily.. Most owners do not know the way the horn works nor what the different signals mean.