1988 Mercury Black Max 150 XR4 BEEP BEEP BEEP, Cuts Out

  ContinuousWave
  Whaler
  Moderated Discussion Areas
  ContinuousWave: Whaler Repairs/Mods
  1988 Mercury Black Max 150 XR4 BEEP BEEP BEEP, Cuts Out

search | FAQ | profile | register | author help

Author Topic:   1988 Mercury Black Max 150 XR4 BEEP BEEP BEEP, Cuts Out

achilles555 posted 05-22-2008 11:30 PM ET (US)
Hello all. For the past several months, I've been restoring a 1985 Charger Foxfire with a 1988 Mercury 150 XR4 on it. I finally had a chance to get it out on the water today (for the first time), and ran into some problems. I have done the following to this motor to date:
• Replaced water pump.
• Rebuilt fuel pump.
• Replaced the oil lines.
• Replaced 1 switch box.
• Drained and replaced lower unit oil.
When I got her out on the water, I ran into some trouble. The motor starts fine, and idles beautifully. The boat comes out of the hole quickly, and rides great. The problem begins when I get her going past about 1/4 throttle. Once on plane, and at about 1/4 throttle, it runs perfectly and purrs like a kitten.
Once I push it to about 1/2 throttle, the throttle control/housing starts intermittently beeping beep - beep - beeeeep - beep, and the motor begins to run rough. There is no pattern to the beeping, but it doesn't stop. The motor itself stops running smoothly at about 1/2 throttle, and the prop in the water starts to make a "garble" sound, like the prop is not running in clean water. The further I push the throttle, the higher the RPM's go, but the boat does not pick-up any speed. It just runs really rough, and won't go any faster.
I tried giving it gas around a corner to see if cavitation was the problem, but it didn't change anything. I'm really at a loss as to what the problem might be. Can anyone out there help me figure this out? Thanks so much ac.
UPDATE:
I have posted this question on a few different forums that I frequent, and I wanted to share a short list of some of the suggestions. Here goes:
1. The beeping is probably an indication that your oil pump is failing.
2. The running rough sounds like you've spun the hub on your prop.
3. Never replace only one switch box. If one was malfunctioning, it could have cross fired and perhaps damaged the other. Sometimes those switch boxes work perfect at the lower rpm ranges but then start doing really strange stuff at higher rpms.
4. If one of the switch boxes is still malfunctioning it could fire a cylinder out of order and detonate a piston.
5. The high speed side of your stator could be shot.
6. Sounds like a slipping prop-bush.
7. I'd check the ignition switch, oil level sender (blue wires) or overheat ClixOn switch (one tan wire, other side runs to ground). If you can, isolate (disconnect) the YEL/BLK wire under the hood from said unit. If problem persists, check control box and ignition switch for irregularities.
8. A sticky thermostat.
9. A bad oil injection sensor.
10. Check the Thermostat and Pittot Valves.
11.You have an overheating problem.
So this is the list that I have to work from so far this weekend. Is there anything here that I can knock-out quickly? Is there anything here that is obviosly incorrect? Let me know what you guys think about the solutions.

chris1 posted 08-17-2008 08:36 PM ET (US)
if you really want to fix your problem here's what you need to do, remove the power head and replace the gaskets this will fix your problem. Mercury XR4's are known for overheating problems i know I had your same problems for years. once you get it apart you will find that where the water pump tube goes thru to the block the exhaust exits into the water jacket and when that happens you now get exhaust gasses into the water system when that happens it over heats. My XR4 overheated near 2500-4000 after wide open throttle it was ok? and it was getting worse as time went on when i replaced the gaskets things were like new again took me a long time to figure it out and I dont want you to struggle like I did trying to figure out what was wrong because when i called Mercury they were no help if you need additional info I will help with part numbers and manuals if needed. PS if you want to increase the water pressure just drill the lower unit water pick up holes a little this rasied my water pressure up to 18-20 at wide open throttle (I dont really think this should be done)however it does increase the pressure, I have also removed the thermostats at the end to lower the Temp even lower (before I removed them it ran just under half at Idle)
mike22 posted 08-22-2008 10:16 PM ET (US)
Great info Chris. I basicaly have the same [problems] with my motor. I've read posts about the XR4's overheaing problem and I never found one that said "it worked". I am about to break into my (original owner) 1991 XR4 after a year or so of trying all the basic things (poppet, sensors, water pumps, thermostats, running lean, etc.) and when I talked to people about the idea of exhaust heating the water through a gasket leak they look at me like I'm crazy. Even the Merc parts guy thought I was nuts asking about the water pump tube grommet and said he never sold one before. Did you replace the head gaskets, exhaust cover gasket also? Thanks
towboater posted 08-23-2008 01:04 AM ET (US)
I vote for #9.
jimh posted 08-23-2008 08:28 AM ET (US)
Mercury's oil system does not have a sensor that actually monitors oil flow, so that can't be the problem. They do have a sensor that monitors for mechanical motion of the input drive shaft to the pump. That might be the problem. But they don't actually monitor oil flow.
don lonbeck posted 10-26-2008 06:29 PM ET (US)
as far as the beeping goes first clean your oil pickup screen,it is located in your oil tank on the hose side cap.
remove the cap, screen will build up a jell like film causing beeping under accellaration.also check the connector hose coupling to flange held on by a metal clip and a plastic clip,the plastic clip can come off giving you 1 quarter inch slop I bent my metal clip in and removed the plastic clip.
jeffs22outrage posted 10-26-2008 07:48 PM ET (US)
Here is an article that may help.
http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/mercuryOilInjection.html
We had the same problem on one of my father's Merc 150 XR6's. The signal horn only came one when under heavy acceleration and at high throttle settings. My father spent a day and a half trying to diagnosis why the warning horn was bleeping. Since his 22 guardian has twin Merc 150 XR6's he was able to sawp all the senors from one motor to the other. After swapping all of the sensors, redoing all the grounds, and many other things he had enough and the warning was still there. This was one of the FEW times I have seen him admit his just could not figure it out. After closing up shop because of rain, I went to the trusty reference section and found the article above and with in 5 minutes we were able to tell what was wrong.
My father contacted the gentleman from http://www.marinesolutionswi.com/ (mentioned in a following thread) who builds the retrofit pumps on the following Monday and ordered the kit. It arrived (Detroit area) either Tuesday or Wednesday. The price was under $500.oo which was much cheaper than the $1400.oo quoted to replace the OEM pump. This price is due to the fact of having to remove the block and crack it open to get to the gear drive unit for the pump.
He installed the kit and unfortunately still had the warning horn. Bollocks. After a couple phone calls to marinesolutionswi.com they were able to finally figure out it was a faulty wire on the oil float. Probably the problem from the beginning but, oh well. At least we know the oil pump is now good to go.
SO A++, on the customer service from marinesolutionswi.com.
The retrofit pump was an easy install and was worked great over the last 2 seasons. One thing about the pump though is you must read noise suppression spark plugs as the unit relies on reading the firing pluses of the plug wire. If it reads a stay pulse from a plug it could screw up the pump rate.
Hope this helps...Cheers,
Jeff
jimh posted 10-27-2008 12:19 AM ET (US)
Jeff--Thanks for your narrative of the trouble shooting of the problem with your Dad's Mercury alarm system. I guess you swapped out everything except the wiring harness on the motor, and that was where the problem was.

Hop to:

Contact Us | RETURN to ContinuousWave Top Page

Powered by: Ultimate Bulletin Board, Freeware Version 2000
Purchase our Licensed Version- which adds many more features!
© Infopop Corporation (formerly Madrona Park, Inc.), 1998 - 2000.

Author	Topic: 1988 Mercury Black Max 150 XR4 BEEP BEEP BEEP, Cuts Out
achilles555	posted 05-22-2008 11:30 PM ET (US) Hello all. For the past several months, I've been restoring a 1985 Charger Foxfire with a 1988 Mercury 150 XR4 on it. I finally had a chance to get it out on the water today (for the first time), and ran into some problems. I have done the following to this motor to date: • Replaced water pump. • Rebuilt fuel pump. • Replaced the oil lines. • Replaced 1 switch box. • Drained and replaced lower unit oil. When I got her out on the water, I ran into some trouble. The motor starts fine, and idles beautifully. The boat comes out of the hole quickly, and rides great. The problem begins when I get her going past about 1/4 throttle. Once on plane, and at about 1/4 throttle, it runs perfectly and purrs like a kitten. Once I push it to about 1/2 throttle, the throttle control/housing starts intermittently beeping beep - beep - beeeeep - beep, and the motor begins to run rough. There is no pattern to the beeping, but it doesn't stop. The motor itself stops running smoothly at about 1/2 throttle, and the prop in the water starts to make a "garble" sound, like the prop is not running in clean water. The further I push the throttle, the higher the RPM's go, but the boat does not pick-up any speed. It just runs really rough, and won't go any faster. I tried giving it gas around a corner to see if cavitation was the problem, but it didn't change anything. I'm really at a loss as to what the problem might be. Can anyone out there help me figure this out? Thanks so much ac. UPDATE: I have posted this question on a few different forums that I frequent, and I wanted to share a short list of some of the suggestions. Here goes: 1. The beeping is probably an indication that your oil pump is failing. 2. The running rough sounds like you've spun the hub on your prop. 3. Never replace only one switch box. If one was malfunctioning, it could have cross fired and perhaps damaged the other. Sometimes those switch boxes work perfect at the lower rpm ranges but then start doing really strange stuff at higher rpms. 4. If one of the switch boxes is still malfunctioning it could fire a cylinder out of order and detonate a piston. 5. The high speed side of your stator could be shot. 6. Sounds like a slipping prop-bush. 7. I'd check the ignition switch, oil level sender (blue wires) or overheat ClixOn switch (one tan wire, other side runs to ground). If you can, isolate (disconnect) the YEL/BLK wire under the hood from said unit. If problem persists, check control box and ignition switch for irregularities. 8. A sticky thermostat. 9. A bad oil injection sensor. 10. Check the Thermostat and Pittot Valves. 11.You have an overheating problem. So this is the list that I have to work from so far this weekend. Is there anything here that I can knock-out quickly? Is there anything here that is obviosly incorrect? Let me know what you guys think about the solutions.
chris1	posted 08-17-2008 08:36 PM ET (US) if you really want to fix your problem here's what you need to do, remove the power head and replace the gaskets this will fix your problem. Mercury XR4's are known for overheating problems i know I had your same problems for years. once you get it apart you will find that where the water pump tube goes thru to the block the exhaust exits into the water jacket and when that happens you now get exhaust gasses into the water system when that happens it over heats. My XR4 overheated near 2500-4000 after wide open throttle it was ok? and it was getting worse as time went on when i replaced the gaskets things were like new again took me a long time to figure it out and I dont want you to struggle like I did trying to figure out what was wrong because when i called Mercury they were no help if you need additional info I will help with part numbers and manuals if needed. PS if you want to increase the water pressure just drill the lower unit water pick up holes a little this rasied my water pressure up to 18-20 at wide open throttle (I dont really think this should be done)however it does increase the pressure, I have also removed the thermostats at the end to lower the Temp even lower (before I removed them it ran just under half at Idle)
mike22	posted 08-22-2008 10:16 PM ET (US) Great info Chris. I basicaly have the same [problems] with my motor. I've read posts about the XR4's overheaing problem and I never found one that said "it worked". I am about to break into my (original owner) 1991 XR4 after a year or so of trying all the basic things (poppet, sensors, water pumps, thermostats, running lean, etc.) and when I talked to people about the idea of exhaust heating the water through a gasket leak they look at me like I'm crazy. Even the Merc parts guy thought I was nuts asking about the water pump tube grommet and said he never sold one before. Did you replace the head gaskets, exhaust cover gasket also? Thanks
towboater	posted 08-23-2008 01:04 AM ET (US) I vote for #9.
jimh	posted 08-23-2008 08:28 AM ET (US) Mercury's oil system does not have a sensor that actually monitors oil flow, so that can't be the problem. They do have a sensor that monitors for mechanical motion of the input drive shaft to the pump. That might be the problem. But they don't actually monitor oil flow.
don lonbeck	posted 10-26-2008 06:29 PM ET (US) as far as the beeping goes first clean your oil pickup screen,it is located in your oil tank on the hose side cap. remove the cap, screen will build up a jell like film causing beeping under accellaration.also check the connector hose coupling to flange held on by a metal clip and a plastic clip,the plastic clip can come off giving you 1 quarter inch slop I bent my metal clip in and removed the plastic clip.
jeffs22outrage	posted 10-26-2008 07:48 PM ET (US) Here is an article that may help. http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/mercuryOilInjection.html We had the same problem on one of my father's Merc 150 XR6's. The signal horn only came one when under heavy acceleration and at high throttle settings. My father spent a day and a half trying to diagnosis why the warning horn was bleeping. Since his 22 guardian has twin Merc 150 XR6's he was able to sawp all the senors from one motor to the other. After swapping all of the sensors, redoing all the grounds, and many other things he had enough and the warning was still there. This was one of the FEW times I have seen him admit his just could not figure it out. After closing up shop because of rain, I went to the trusty reference section and found the article above and with in 5 minutes we were able to tell what was wrong. My father contacted the gentleman from http://www.marinesolutionswi.com/ (mentioned in a following thread) who builds the retrofit pumps on the following Monday and ordered the kit. It arrived (Detroit area) either Tuesday or Wednesday. The price was under $500.oo which was much cheaper than the $1400.oo quoted to replace the OEM pump. This price is due to the fact of having to remove the block and crack it open to get to the gear drive unit for the pump. He installed the kit and unfortunately still had the warning horn. Bollocks. After a couple phone calls to marinesolutionswi.com they were able to finally figure out it was a faulty wire on the oil float. Probably the problem from the beginning but, oh well. At least we know the oil pump is now good to go. SO A++, on the customer service from marinesolutionswi.com. The retrofit pump was an easy install and was worked great over the last 2 seasons. One thing about the pump though is you must read noise suppression spark plugs as the unit relies on reading the firing pluses of the plug wire. If it reads a stay pulse from a plug it could screw up the pump rate. Hope this helps...Cheers, Jeff
jimh	posted 10-27-2008 12:19 AM ET (US) Jeff--Thanks for your narrative of the trouble shooting of the problem with your Dad's Mercury alarm system. I guess you swapped out everything except the wiring harness on the motor, and that was where the problem was.