posted 06-18-2008 03:29 PM ET (US)        

I've already ordered a tachometer with the SystemsCheck lights integrated into it so all I need to do now is figure out how to connect it.

According to the Reference article on VRO's, there is a kit called #176709 that can be used to accomplish this. I contacted SeaWay Marine in Seattle, who specializes in hard-to find parts for OMC outboards and they said they could get it, but it was over $300, and it wasn't totally clear on exactly what it was. It seems as though it includes the new pickup for the VRO tank and the cabling to the engine and the console, but I'm still not totally clear on what it does and does not accomplish. Has anyone installed this kit on their engine? Does anyone have pictures of it? Can you describe it? I've searched the internet far and wide and come up with nothing more than the article on this site that references it.

posted 06-18-2008 05:58 PM ET (US)            

The kit does not include the actual SystemCheck gauge. You can either buy a separate SystemCheck gauge which has the four annunciator lights, or you can buy a new tachometer with SystemCheck built-in. I opted for the separate SystemCheck gauge, about $65.

Working from memory, I recall the kit contains:

--new oil reservoir pickup and sensor

--new engine main harness adaptor

--new wiring harness, engine to system SystemCheck gauge

--numerous small connectors, pins, color coded wires, brackets, etc.

--new alarm sounder or buzzer

Installing the kit is a fairly complicated undertaking that involves re-wiring quite a few circuits under the engine cowling. I describe this from the perspective of having worked for 45 years with electronics, tools, wires, connectors, etc. You have to remove some pins, replace some wires, install new harnesses, and so on. Plan on a weekend of work.

posted 06-27-2008 09:32 PM ET (US)            

--a new cap for the oil reservoir tank

--a long length of new hose to connect the tank to the engine

--new primer bulb for the oil supply hose

--new gaskets

--all the screws, nylon cable ties, hardware, and little odd pieces you will need, and probably more; I have quite a collection of parts left over.

After you install the kit the only part of the oil system that will be original will be the oil tank itself and the hardware holding it down. You will have a new pick-up, a new float switch, a new oil line, new primer bulb, new cap, new gaskets, new filter screen for the end of the pick up hose, and a new cable running from the tank back to the engine to connect into the alarm system (that will mate to a new connector you will install as part of the modification). If your oil tank is old, you might consider just buying the tank body, too. That way you could sell the entire old tank as an assembly.

posted 06-27-2008 11:32 PM ET (US)            

Thanks for your help with this. I guess I was thinking that this kit consisted of just the wiring harness, connectors, etc.

Pglein - After reading your entry, I did more searching and found a diagram on the BRP site of the entire kit contents, with each included item identified by name. It's in the parts section, under "OB Accessories" tab, then go to folder "2001-2004", then to "Electical System (Misc.)", then to "Engine Cable Adapter Kit - 95 Boat to 99 Engine System Check". (Took me a while to find it). Also found the kit for sale at Boats.net, where it is called "BRP ADPTR KT, 95BE/96SC". Their price is $303.00. After seeing what is included and Jim's description as well, I now understand why the price point is where it is!

posted 06-28-2008 09:15 AM ET (US)            

--oil reservoir level float switch

--cylinder head temperature-sensitive switch

--fuel line vacuum switch

--OMS ("VRO2") pump flow sensor

In the original configuration, all of these sensors were connected in parallel in a wired-OR configuration to the TAN alarm wire. If any sensor detected a fault condition it would pull the TAN alarm wire to ground. This would cause the aural alarm sounder to operate, alerting the operator of the fault condition.

Because all the sensors were wired parallel, you could not distinguish which one was triggering the alarm, except by interpretation of the alarm cadence or the circumstances of the alarm.

In the new configuration, the four alarm sensors are kept separate. Much of the electrical modification consists of re-wiring the various sensors with new wire and new connectors. The TAN wire is now changed to TAN plus a color identification stripe for each sensor. Instead of one TAN wire to the helm there are four TAN-plus-color-stripe wires.

The four alarm wires connect to the SystemCheck gauge. When an individual alarm sensor indicates a fault condition, the SystemCheck gauge identifies which sensor is signaling.

The aural alert is also changed. In the old configuration the aural alert was supplied with battery voltage and the common TAN alarm conductor turned on the alert when it was grounded. The new aural alert is driven from the SystemCheck gauge. The SystemCheck gauge tells the aural alert to sound and controls the cadence.

In the new system I am not certain if the aural alarm has a distinct cadence for each alarm or not. I have only had the alarm go off once, and that was for the low oil reservoir level (and it was intentionally done to check that the level sensor was working). The alarm gave an alert for about 30-seconds, then it changed its cadence and went to a staccato chirp once every ten seconds or so.

In the new system the aural alert sounds at power-up. Each time you turn the ignition key from OFF to ON the aural alert will briefly sound. This is a good way to confirm that it is working.

The SystemCheck gauge has a Deutsch connector (8-pin). The upgrade provides a new wiring harness to carry the alarm signals from the engine to the helm.

I believe the reason you have to change the oil float sensor in the oil reservoir tank is related to the alarm cadence. The old sensor was designed to not be a steady contact closure, but instead it gave an intermittent closure when the oil level was low (to create the distinctive alarm cadence in the aural alert sounder). In the new float switch it apparently just gives a closure when the float switch operates, and the SystemCheck gauge handles the identification.

The temperature sensor, fuel vacuum sensor, and OMS pump sensor remain unchanged in the new system.

ASIDE: Check your fuel line vacuum switch sensor when you make this modification. On my engine the fuel line vacuum switch sensor failed after I installed this modification. The failure was not directly related to the modification. The fuel line vacuum switch developed a leak and was venting gasoline. I replaced the vacuum switch with a new OEM part; cost was about $75. The old part had a two-piece body that was glued or joined. It failed at the joint. The new part has a better design and looks less prone to fail. As it happens I was just at my local Evinrude dealer this week and noticed there was an engine in the shop for service; they were replacing the fuel vacuum switch sensor due to a leak.

System Check Gauge Wiring

Looking at the back-side of the gauge, holding it upright, the pin layout is:

1-2-3-4
8-7-6-5

Pin 1 = 12 Vdc VIOLET
Pin 2 = Ground or battery negative BLACK
Pin 3 = Tachometer signal GRAY

A ground on the following pins activates the associated indicator:

Pin 4 = No Oil (OMS sensor) TAN/YELLOW stripe
Pin 5 = Low Oil (Reservoir float) TAN/BLACK stripe
Pin 7 = Check Engine (fuel vacuum sensor) TAN/ORANGE stripe
Pin 6 = Engine Hot (cylinder head sensor) TAN

posted 06-28-2008 09:38 AM ET (US)            

This is the listing you also mentioned where a vendor had the kit for sale:

http://www.boats.net/parts/detail/brp/B-0176709.html

posted 06-29-2008 12:04 PM ET (US)            

http://epc.brp.com/

Here is a diagram showing what is included in the kit

posted 11-06-2008 02:27 PM ET (US)            

The low oil light would flash, rather than stay on, due to the design of the older sender, unless you replaced it. No big deal. The temperature light would simply come on if it overheated. On the V models, since there are two sensors, you could even wire two lights, to indicate which head was overheating (for whatever that's worth). I'm guessing the oil flow switch would have to be added, unless it's built in to the 4 wire pump. But as I'm pretty sure we've concluded in other discussions, the VRO pump will not continue to pump fuel if there is no oil flowing through it, so it may not be strictly necessary. And there would be no "check engine" light, but I'm not quite sure what a fuel vacuum sensor really tells you anyway. Does anyone know?

posted 11-07-2008 08:16 AM ET (US)            

--new oil pick up assembly
--new oil filter
--new oil breather cap
--new oil lines
--new oil primer bulb
--new oil float switch sensor

The only part of the oil system that is re-used is the plastic tank and its mounting parts. These new parts will give your oil system a complete makeover. At OEM retail price, I am sure all of those individual parts would be well over $100 total.

Among the electrical parts there are over ten new connectors involved. If you have priced any sort of electrical connector lately, you will know that even the smallest of connectors when purchased one at a time is usually at least $6 plus shipping, and a large multi-pin connector can be considerably more. So if we allow another $100 just for the connectors it is a reasonable cost.

Unless you happen to have a marvelous inventory of marine-grade wire in a very wide selection of color coded insulation, you would probably spend $50 minimum buying all the wire you will need for this modification.

We still don't have the buzzer, and that is probably a $25 part.

By this rough estimate there is at least $275 of "stuff" in the kit. Going with the OEM field modification kit probably is slightly more expensive than rolling your own modification, but I believe there is some value in it. When you're done you'll have a motor that matches up to OEM connectors and standard rigging. That has some value, too.

posted 11-07-2008 10:49 AM ET (US)            

I'm not saying that it's excessive for what you get. But when you consider that, in order to do the upgrade you also have to buy the SystemsCheck gauge, the harness that runs from the engine to the console, and a new key, the price of the upgrade goes up. And then consider that, in most cases, you're replacing a lot of parts that are still perfectly functional, and gaining only a minimal amount of extra information.

I would definitely like to make this upgrade to my engine at some point, but I see it probably costing as much as $500 when it's all said and done. It will have to wait. In the mean time, I will consider installing some custom warning lights for a fraction of the price.

Of more value, might be installing an independent water temperature gauge and sensor, and relying on the original buzzer system for the low-oil warning. That way, you'd be able to monitor the actual temperature, not just whether it's above or below some unknown pre-set level.