XR6 150 Beeping Alarm. Please Help!!!

[TCoe]

I have a 1999 Merc XR6 150. The motor runs great, and the oiling system is working properly, however, I will list all of the oil alarm issues that I am having.

-First of all, I can run it on the trailer, and everything is fine. No alarms, no issues, no matter how long you run it, or how many times you start it.

-When I back it down the ramp, put it in the water, and start it for the first time of the day, again, no alarms and no issues.

-On the second start, and every start for the rest of the day, as soon as the engine fires, it will start beeping (fast oil pressure beep).

-As soon as I get the engine above idle, it will stop beeping but anytime I press the trim, either up or down, it beeps immediately when the button is pressed, and stops as soon as the button is released.

-When this first started, it seemed that I could stop the beeping by wiggling the ignition key. Now that has no effect on the alarm, and coincidently my trim gauge stopped working while I was wiggling the key.

-I initially thought I had a ground issue and cleaned and reconnected all of the grounds on the engine and ensured they were in the right locations, but it didn't help.

I am starting to think maybe it is a short or something related to a ground in the ignition key switch itself, and is causing the test alarm, that you normally hear when you turn on the key. As far as not doing it on the trailer, could this have something to do with the way the boat grounds on the trailer, as opposed to on the water?....Any thoughts? Thanks!

 

[TCoe]

Re: XR6 150 Beeping Alarm. Please Help!!!

I have a 1999 Merc XR6 150. The motor runs great, and the oiling system is working properly, however, I will list all of the oil alarm issues that I am having.

-First of all, I can run it on the trailer, and everything is fine. No alarms, no issues, no matter how long you run it, or how many times you start it.

-When I back it down the ramp, put it in the water, and start it for the first time of the day, again, no alarms and no issues.

-On the second start, and every start for the rest of the day, as soon as the engine fires, it will start beeping (fast oil pressure beep).

-As soon as I get the engine above idle, it will stop beeping but anytime I press the trim, either up or down, it beeps immediately when the button is pressed, and stops as soon as the button is released.

-When this first started, it seemed that I could stop the beeping by wiggling the ignition key. Now that has no effect on the alarm, and coincidently my trim gauge stopped working while I was wiggling the key.

-I initially thought I had a ground issue and cleaned and reconnected all of the grounds on the engine and ensured they were in the right locations, but it didn't help.

I am starting to think maybe it is a short or something related to a ground in the ignition key switch itself, and is causing the test alarm, that you normally hear when you turn on the key. As far as not doing it on the trailer, could this have something to do with the way the boat grounds on the trailer, as opposed to on the water?....Any thoughts? Thanks!

Just adding another thought to my original post...I guess the reason it doesn't beep during the first start is because it is still on the trailer when I start it, and it never does it on the trailer. Then for the second start, it is in the water and off the trailer, and the alarm beeps.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: XR6 150 Beeping Alarm. Please Help!!!

What is the physical tilt position of the engine when on the trailer and in the water? I too am thinking you have something grounding out the oil sensor or the OT sensor. When you say beep, I assume you mean 1-0-1-0-, not a continuous tone which indicates something wrong with your low oil warning ckt. Answer the questions and I'll think some more.

Mark

 

[TCoe]

Re: XR6 150 Beeping Alarm. Please Help!!!

What is the physical tilt position of the engine when on the trailer and in the water? I too am thinking you have something grounding out the oil sensor or the OT sensor. When you say beep, I assume you mean 1-0-1-0-, not a continuous tone which indicates something wrong with your low oil warning ckt. Answer the questions and I'll think some more.

Mark

Yes, it is the fast beeping alarm, and sounds like the beeps you hear when turning on the key, or you would hear if the injection system wasn't working properly. Engine trim setting has no effect on it, it will do it trimmed up almost out of the water, and will do it trimmed all the way down. The other unusual part is that it stops beeping above idle. This would ordinarily make me think that the injection system wasn't pumping oil at low engine speed, but I would think if that was the case, it would do it on the trailer too. This is wearing me out!

 

[wired247]

Re: XR6 150 Beeping Alarm. Please Help!!!

Is the reserve reservoir full or is there air trapped in the tank?

 

[TCoe]

Re: XR6 150 Beeping Alarm. Please Help!!!

Is the reserve reservoir full or is there air trapped in the tank?

Completely full, no air.

 

[wired247]

Re: XR6 150 Beeping Alarm. Please Help!!!

I would unplug the sensor on the reserve tank and see if the alarm continues to sound. If it does youv'e eliminated that as a cause.

 

[TCoe]

Re: XR6 150 Beeping Alarm. Please Help!!!

I would unplug the sensor on the reserve tank and see if the alarm continues to sound. If it does youv'e eliminated that as a cause.

You are talking about the sensor in the cap, right?

 

[mercman2]

Re: XR6 150 Beeping Alarm. Please Help!!!

You are talking about the sensor in the cap, right?

I would unplug the sensor on the reserve tank and see if the alarm continues to sound. If it does youv'e eliminated that as a cause.

Yes there is a magnet on the reserve tank sensor and with years of soaking in oil tend to fall off the float. Other then that mabey a short in the control box around the ignition switch.

 

[TCoe]

Re: XR6 150 Beeping Alarm. Please Help!!!

Can something in the ignition key switch cause the trim gauge to stop working too? All other gauges work, but it quit working while I was messing with the key trying to stop the alarm. Obviously power for the gauges comes from the key switch, but are they all powered by one terminal on the switch?

 

[mercman2]

Re: XR6 150 Beeping Alarm. Please Help!!!

Yes in most cases your guages are powered off the switch. Do you have other instrumentation? I.E. Tach and fuel? And it is the purple wire coming from the switch that powers your gauges, when the key is in the run position you should have 12 + or - volts to this wire but it sounds like a short in and around the harness. Does the motor run full throttle in gear or does it lack power? Sorry I should have read your previous reply more carefully. If other guages are working then it's probably coincedence. Bad trim sender or ground. I know the alarm horn itself can go bad as well.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: XR6 150 Beeping Alarm. Please Help!!!

Tell you what. Remove the throttle linkage at the engine. Crank it, put it in gear and advance the throttle by moving the throttle linkage in the engine by hand leaving the remote control lever in the F gear idle positon. Does that change anything? If it works ok then there is something shorting out the horn wiring when you move the linkage; probably a wire chafing in the control box.

Mark

 

[TCoe]

Re: XR6 150 Beeping Alarm. Please Help!!!

Thanks to everyone for the help so far. Of course I haven't had a chance to try any of it yet since it only does it in the lake, and not on the trailer. I will be heading to the lake early enough tomorrow to try some of this before the tournament launch. For Mercman....yes, the boat runs fine, as a matter of fact it is at least 5 mph faster than the other identical boats in the club. Thanks again, and I will let y'all know how it goes.

 

[mercman2]

Re: XR6 150 Beeping Alarm. Please Help!!!

That's cool TCoe wasn't really asking for that reason. I was more concerned about the engine going into safe mode.It's hard to diagnose someone's electrical problem without asking questions.

 

[Faztbullet]

Re: XR6 150 Beeping Alarm. Please Help!!!

A Xr6 doesn't have a safe mode....Your problem is the rotational sensor that reads the shaft magnet is not syncing to engine rpm due to one of the following: bad sensor(doubtful) defective oil module(highly likely) or weak output on #5 cylinder output on powerpack(where module takes it reading). If it was in my shop first thing I would do is move green wire from oil module(#5cyl) to a different cylinder and see if problem went away. If not test the sensor and then smack the oil module sharply with heel of hand (I am serious) as a broke solder joint will sometimes jarr and make connection.

 

[TCoe]

Re: XR6 150 Beeping Alarm. Please Help!!!

Faztbullet.....did you notice the part of my original post that said as long as the boat is on the trailer, it doesn't have the alarm issue? This is the sole reason I am still running and using the boat, because I have thought all along that this was just an electrical problem and not a true oiling issue. It is also hard to troubleshoot, since I have to take it to the lake to check the results of anything I do.

 

[Dukedog]

Re: XR6 150 Beeping Alarm. Please Help!!!

Motor is not under a load of ANY kind on tha trailer. Just havin' water in tha mid changes everything. Ya shouldn't be startin' it without any water on it anyway. May not show up at first but it WILL shorten tha life of tha pump everytime ya do that.............jmo

 

[TCoe]

Re: XR6 150 Beeping Alarm. Please Help!!!

Motor is not under a load of ANY kind on tha trailer. Just havin' water in tha mid changes everything. Ya shouldn't be startin' it without any water on it anyway. May not show up at first but it WILL shorten tha life of tha pump everytime ya do that.............jmo

When I say I am running it on the trailer, I mean with muffs and water running.

 

[Dukedog]

Re: XR6 150 Beeping Alarm. Please Help!!!

When I say I am running it on the trailer, I mean with muffs and water running.

Alrighty then!

Even of tha "muffs" you still have nothing on tha motor. Sometimes just tha mid filled with water which increases tha back pressure can cause a small problem ta come to tha surface..............

 

[Faztbullet]

Re: XR6 150 Beeping Alarm. Please Help!!!

Like Dukedog said , engine in water is idling at a couple hundred rpm less than on a hose....