1996 Evinrude 150 Ocean Pro Battery Charging

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Author Topic:   1996 Evinrude 150 Ocean Pro Battery Charging

toddosten posted 09-04-2011 07:10 PM ET (US)
[On a Boston Whaler] 1986 Outrage with 1996 Evinrude 150 Ocean Pro [which we find much later in the discussion is not actaully the motor in question, but instead is a 1997 Evinrude 150-HP FICHT direct injection motor--jimh], I have replaced the battery, installed a main power shutoff, replaced the motor electrical control box and [the charging circuit of the engine] is still not consistently [keeping the battery charged]. I have had the boat in two different shops five times and they can't pinpoint the problem. Appears to be charging well when being tested.
If I head out with full charge on battery, the charge light and alarm sounds while running the engine. Returning to dock while running engine at idle I adjusted the trim. As soon as I touched the trim button it killed the motor instantly. I tried to restart and the battery is run down almost dead and would not fire-up.
Other outings the boat will run perfectly, no alarms or charging problems. Ten outings perfect, the eleventh it will do what I described above.
Thanks for any advice given, Todd
contender posted 09-04-2011 07:45 PM ET (US)
You may have a bad electrical connection or even a loose connection. The wire is moved ever so lightly the wire disconnects, then can reconnect just by the vibration of the engine running. This situation maybe hidden inside of an electrical connection or behind and under some heat shrink. This problem causes the engine to run off the battery instead of the charging system of the engine, at the end of the trip your battery is dead. Then you put your battery on a charger and start the [unclear] again. Good luck on finding your demon.
IVPLAY posted 09-04-2011 08:47 PM ET (US)
Check to see if there is one of those push together quick connects between the two wires leaving the Stator and where they land on the power terminals under the cowling. The infamous "green goo" corrosion in one these connectors has caused more than one intermittent electrical problem.
Jerry Townsend posted 09-05-2011 12:08 AM ET (US)
Todd - you have, I suspect, a short in your alternator charge line. It is intermittent - as you know - but when the short is made, your battery is not charging - therefore, your charge light and alarm come on. With the short made, your engine is being powered only from the alternator - and there is probably enough current to operate your trim motor.
Take your boat back to the dealer and shop--frankly, they should have been able to find the problem previously--for one more time. And, if the engine and charging system are operating normally, tell them to move and wiggle electrical lines, harnesses and connectors. They should be able to isolate the problem and fix it. ---Jerry/Idaho
jimh posted 09-05-2011 05:36 PM ET (US)
Does you boat have a voltmeter connected to the battery?
toddosten posted 09-05-2011 05:57 PM ET (US)
No, it is something I was going to add when I replace the gauges.
jimh posted 09-05-2011 07:22 PM ET (US)
If you have an accurate voltmeter connected to the battery you will be able to see the battery terminal voltage. The battery terminal voltage is a very good indicator of whether or not the outboard engine charging circuit is operating properly. By having a battery terminal voltage monitor, you can detect right away when the outboard engine charging circuit stops functioning properly. This may be useful in making a diagnosis of what is causing the problem in your battery charging. I recommend you get an accurate voltmeter connected to the battery terminals and then monitor the voltage.
You can assess the charging operating as follows: if the battery terminal voltage is 12.9-volts or lower, there is no battery charging current being provided by the outboard engine charging circuit. If the battery terminal voltage is above 13-volts, there is some battery charging current being provided, and, the more the battery terminal voltage rises above 13-volts, the more current will be provided. The battery terminal voltage should not rise above about 14.6-volts. A slight rise above that is possible, but if the terminal voltage is being driven above 15-volts, this is typically an indication that the battery charging circuit has lost its voltage regulation.
Trying to diagnose the battery charging circuit without an accurate voltmeter attached to the battery terminals will be difficult.
toddosten posted 09-05-2011 08:40 PM ET (US)
Great suggestions, thanks everyone.
seahorse posted 09-06-2011 07:50 AM ET (US)
What is the "charge light?" The SystemCheck warning gauge has 4 lights, but none of them indicate a "charging" error.
Because the motor died when you hit the trim button, in addition to your other problems there may be a situation with your stator and possibly the flywheel magnets. My guess is the stator is weak or faulty and upon inspection, you may find puddles of melted insulation from the encapsulated charging coils. That is usually the result of a battery charging problem that goes unrepaired or a result of wing nuts and/or corrosion on the battery terminals that cause intermittent connections with rectifier damage.
toddosten posted 09-06-2011 09:11 AM ET (US)
Sorry, I meant "Engine Check" light and alarm sounds.
seahorse posted 09-06-2011 09:15 AM ET (US)
The only thing the Check Engine lite does on your motor is notify you of a fuel restriction. Nothing electrical.
toddosten posted 09-06-2011 09:58 AM ET (US)
I don't believe fuel was an issue.
Jerry Townsend posted 09-06-2011 12:30 PM ET (US)
I thank Seahorse for his comments which caused me to look at my manual - I have a '96 115 Evinrude Oceanrunner - and with which I have had no problems - but, the manual, which I have not looked at for years, states that with the horm/alarm sounding continously and will not exceed 2500 rpm is indicative of the engine overheating. With the horn/alarm sounding continously at any speed is indicative of a low oil level in the oil tank.
The alarm/horn will sound with an engine overheat, low oil level or no oil - but as Seahorse mentions, nothing electrical.
Therefore, you may have an oil problem in addition to the charging system's intermittant operation. --- Jerry/Idaho
seahorse posted 09-06-2011 06:03 PM ET (US)
Jerry,
Re-read the manual.
LOW OIL on 1995 and earlier motors is one beep about every 20 to 40 seconds - not a continuous tone.
On a 1996 motor and newer, it should have the 4-light SystemCheck gauge or tach that will sound a constant tone only for about 10 seconds, as the appropriate warning light will be illuminated, such as the LOW OIL one.
Jerry Townsend posted 09-06-2011 07:16 PM ET (US)
Seahorse - I have the 4 light S.L.O.W. warning system and the tach - and the manual states "...horn sounds continuously at any trottle setting ..." with the problem being "... Low oil level in oil tank ...".
My manual also states that if "... horn sounds rapid and short tones ..." the problem is "...no oil flow from pump ..."
Todd's problem is a horn that is continuously sounding.
But I did note that my manual is for the 60 degree 90 and 115 - and Todd has the '96 150. I don't know if there is a difference in the SLOW system between the two engines - but I would doubt it. ----- Jerry/Idaho
toddosten posted 09-06-2011 11:14 PM ET (US)
It was a continuous tone that sounded. It lasted 2 to 5 minutes.
jimh posted 09-06-2011 11:21 PM ET (US)
Interpretation of aural alert tone cadence to deduce the meaning can be confusing. I am not sure if this description applies to your engine specifically:
http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/warningHornSignals.html
Generally a continuous aural alert sound means over-heating.
seahorse posted 09-07-2011 09:34 AM ET (US)

Jerry,
Here is the factory description of the warning horn sound on the 4-light SystemCheck warning circuit that was introduced in 1996 models.
SystemCheck warnings activate the horn for 10
seconds and the appropriate gauge light for a
minimum of 30 seconds. This allows adequate
time for the operator to look at the gauge after
hearing the horn. If the failure is momentary (e.g.,
oil moving in the tank), the light will remain ON for
the full 30 seconds before going out. If the fault
continues, the light remains ON until the key is
turned OFF or the failure is corrected
Jerry Townsend posted 09-07-2011 12:15 PM ET (US)
As per my manual - the overheated condition is indicated by "...Horn sounds continuously and engine will not exceed 2500 rpm ...".
In view of the above - there may be differences in Eivinrude's S.L.O.W. systems. Having an Evinrude/Johnson expert clarify the problem would be nice.
Hopefully, this discussion has helped Todd with his problem.
But with the S.L.O.W. system, I really have to pay attention to the horn when I first start up - as my hearing has been damaged many years ago. I was always going to increase the volume of that horn/signal. Just something else I "gotta do".---- Jerry/Idaho
seahorse posted 09-07-2011 12:22 PM ET (US)
Jerry,
You may be reading from a 1995 or earlier manual as you stated you have the 4 light System Check warnings which were introduced in the 1996 model year.
What is your engine model number?
What is the date, part number, and model owners manual that you are referencing?
Jerry Townsend posted 09-07-2011 02:04 PM ET (US)
Todd - Evinrude has an on-line mechanic service that you might consider contacting. Just google "evinrude outboard engine" - and it is near the top of the list. Give them the iinformation on your engine and see what they can tell you.
They charge $28 - but since I did not have your engine model number or seriel number, I did not ask them the questions. ---- Jerry/Idaho
toddosten posted 09-07-2011 04:10 PM ET (US)
I can't give you the serial numbers, I dropped it at an Evinrude dealer last night. The information you gave me made me a much more informed consumer. The dealer actually mimicked many of the possibilities that was discussed and I was able to follow along and ask intelligent questions. He said if the alarm sounded he should be able to pull the event off the ECU (Engine Control Unit).
Thanks so much for your input and support.
I will let you know how once I hear back.
Todd
seahorse posted 09-07-2011 05:52 PM ET (US)

This thread is getting full of contradictions and misinformation. What is going on here?

quote:
toddosten wrote:
The dealer actually mimicked many of the possibilities that was discussed and I was able to follow along and ask intelligent questions. He said if the alarm sounded he should be able to pull the event off the ECU (Engine Control Unit)

toddosten,
In your first post you state that you have a 1996 Johnson 150 Ocean Pro. That motor does NOT have an ECU and has no capacity to store any event error codes. Not only that, there is no place to hook up a laptop to.
Do you have a different motor or does your dealer just not know what he is talking about?

toddosten posted 09-07-2011 09:35 PM ET (US)
SORRY. I am a novice here. Double checked my paper work it is a 97, totally my bad. [The outboard engine is actually a] 1997 Evinrude Ficht 150-HP.
The dealer said that [the engine's electronic control unit] captured the failure but he could not pinpoint the problem other than it happened. He could not get it to happen in the shop. He felt 90% sure the problem was with the voltage regulator. He offered me a voltage regulator off a blown motor he has in the shop at half price. He said the [permanent magnet stator windings for the battery charging circuit] were good and put out good voltage when [their temperature was] hot.
Again, sorry I lead you down the wrong path with the year. I appreciate all of your input and you have really helped me become a better informed consumer. The first dealer I went to took advantage of me and I should armed myself with some knowledge before I went to them.
Thanks again, Todd
seahorse posted 09-07-2011 11:23 PM ET (US)
So now after all these posts, we are back to step one, now that we found out that we've been commenting on the wrong motor all this time.
Forget about my comments about the check engine light as they apply to a 1996 Johnson and not to a 1997 FICHT model.
My comments about the alarms and indicator lights on pre- and post- 1996 motors are still accurate.
Now that the motor is at your dealer, you probably don't need any more help from us.

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Author	Topic: 1996 Evinrude 150 Ocean Pro Battery Charging
toddosten	posted 09-04-2011 07:10 PM ET (US) [On a Boston Whaler] 1986 Outrage with 1996 Evinrude 150 Ocean Pro [which we find much later in the discussion is not actaully the motor in question, but instead is a 1997 Evinrude 150-HP FICHT direct injection motor--jimh], I have replaced the battery, installed a main power shutoff, replaced the motor electrical control box and [the charging circuit of the engine] is still not consistently [keeping the battery charged]. I have had the boat in two different shops five times and they can't pinpoint the problem. Appears to be charging well when being tested. If I head out with full charge on battery, the charge light and alarm sounds while running the engine. Returning to dock while running engine at idle I adjusted the trim. As soon as I touched the trim button it killed the motor instantly. I tried to restart and the battery is run down almost dead and would not fire-up. Other outings the boat will run perfectly, no alarms or charging problems. Ten outings perfect, the eleventh it will do what I described above. Thanks for any advice given, Todd
contender	posted 09-04-2011 07:45 PM ET (US) You may have a bad electrical connection or even a loose connection. The wire is moved ever so lightly the wire disconnects, then can reconnect just by the vibration of the engine running. This situation maybe hidden inside of an electrical connection or behind and under some heat shrink. This problem causes the engine to run off the battery instead of the charging system of the engine, at the end of the trip your battery is dead. Then you put your battery on a charger and start the [unclear] again. Good luck on finding your demon.
IVPLAY	posted 09-04-2011 08:47 PM ET (US) Check to see if there is one of those push together quick connects between the two wires leaving the Stator and where they land on the power terminals under the cowling. The infamous "green goo" corrosion in one these connectors has caused more than one intermittent electrical problem.
Jerry Townsend	posted 09-05-2011 12:08 AM ET (US) Todd - you have, I suspect, a short in your alternator charge line. It is intermittent - as you know - but when the short is made, your battery is not charging - therefore, your charge light and alarm come on. With the short made, your engine is being powered only from the alternator - and there is probably enough current to operate your trim motor. Take your boat back to the dealer and shop--frankly, they should have been able to find the problem previously--for one more time. And, if the engine and charging system are operating normally, tell them to move and wiggle electrical lines, harnesses and connectors. They should be able to isolate the problem and fix it. ---Jerry/Idaho
jimh	posted 09-05-2011 05:36 PM ET (US) Does you boat have a voltmeter connected to the battery?
toddosten	posted 09-05-2011 05:57 PM ET (US) No, it is something I was going to add when I replace the gauges.
jimh	posted 09-05-2011 07:22 PM ET (US) If you have an accurate voltmeter connected to the battery you will be able to see the battery terminal voltage. The battery terminal voltage is a very good indicator of whether or not the outboard engine charging circuit is operating properly. By having a battery terminal voltage monitor, you can detect right away when the outboard engine charging circuit stops functioning properly. This may be useful in making a diagnosis of what is causing the problem in your battery charging. I recommend you get an accurate voltmeter connected to the battery terminals and then monitor the voltage. You can assess the charging operating as follows: if the battery terminal voltage is 12.9-volts or lower, there is no battery charging current being provided by the outboard engine charging circuit. If the battery terminal voltage is above 13-volts, there is some battery charging current being provided, and, the more the battery terminal voltage rises above 13-volts, the more current will be provided. The battery terminal voltage should not rise above about 14.6-volts. A slight rise above that is possible, but if the terminal voltage is being driven above 15-volts, this is typically an indication that the battery charging circuit has lost its voltage regulation. Trying to diagnose the battery charging circuit without an accurate voltmeter attached to the battery terminals will be difficult.
toddosten	posted 09-05-2011 08:40 PM ET (US) Great suggestions, thanks everyone.
seahorse	posted 09-06-2011 07:50 AM ET (US) What is the "charge light?" The SystemCheck warning gauge has 4 lights, but none of them indicate a "charging" error. Because the motor died when you hit the trim button, in addition to your other problems there may be a situation with your stator and possibly the flywheel magnets. My guess is the stator is weak or faulty and upon inspection, you may find puddles of melted insulation from the encapsulated charging coils. That is usually the result of a battery charging problem that goes unrepaired or a result of wing nuts and/or corrosion on the battery terminals that cause intermittent connections with rectifier damage.
toddosten	posted 09-06-2011 09:11 AM ET (US) Sorry, I meant "Engine Check" light and alarm sounds.
seahorse	posted 09-06-2011 09:15 AM ET (US) The only thing the Check Engine lite does on your motor is notify you of a fuel restriction. Nothing electrical.
toddosten	posted 09-06-2011 09:58 AM ET (US) I don't believe fuel was an issue.
Jerry Townsend	posted 09-06-2011 12:30 PM ET (US) I thank Seahorse for his comments which caused me to look at my manual - I have a '96 115 Evinrude Oceanrunner - and with which I have had no problems - but, the manual, which I have not looked at for years, states that with the horm/alarm sounding continously and will not exceed 2500 rpm is indicative of the engine overheating. With the horn/alarm sounding continously at any speed is indicative of a low oil level in the oil tank. The alarm/horn will sound with an engine overheat, low oil level or no oil - but as Seahorse mentions, nothing electrical. Therefore, you may have an oil problem in addition to the charging system's intermittant operation. --- Jerry/Idaho
seahorse	posted 09-06-2011 06:03 PM ET (US) Jerry, Re-read the manual. LOW OIL on 1995 and earlier motors is one beep about every 20 to 40 seconds - not a continuous tone. On a 1996 motor and newer, it should have the 4-light SystemCheck gauge or tach that will sound a constant tone only for about 10 seconds, as the appropriate warning light will be illuminated, such as the LOW OIL one.
Jerry Townsend	posted 09-06-2011 07:16 PM ET (US) Seahorse - I have the 4 light S.L.O.W. warning system and the tach - and the manual states "...horn sounds continuously at any trottle setting ..." with the problem being "... Low oil level in oil tank ...". My manual also states that if "... horn sounds rapid and short tones ..." the problem is "...no oil flow from pump ..." Todd's problem is a horn that is continuously sounding. But I did note that my manual is for the 60 degree 90 and 115 - and Todd has the '96 150. I don't know if there is a difference in the SLOW system between the two engines - but I would doubt it. ----- Jerry/Idaho
toddosten	posted 09-06-2011 11:14 PM ET (US) It was a continuous tone that sounded. It lasted 2 to 5 minutes.
jimh	posted 09-06-2011 11:21 PM ET (US) Interpretation of aural alert tone cadence to deduce the meaning can be confusing. I am not sure if this description applies to your engine specifically: http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/warningHornSignals.html Generally a continuous aural alert sound means over-heating.
seahorse	posted 09-07-2011 09:34 AM ET (US) Jerry, Here is the factory description of the warning horn sound on the 4-light SystemCheck warning circuit that was introduced in 1996 models. SystemCheck warnings activate the horn for 10 seconds and the appropriate gauge light for a minimum of 30 seconds. This allows adequate time for the operator to look at the gauge after hearing the horn. If the failure is momentary (e.g., oil moving in the tank), the light will remain ON for the full 30 seconds before going out. If the fault continues, the light remains ON until the key is turned OFF or the failure is corrected
Jerry Townsend	posted 09-07-2011 12:15 PM ET (US) As per my manual - the overheated condition is indicated by "...Horn sounds continuously and engine will not exceed 2500 rpm ...". In view of the above - there may be differences in Eivinrude's S.L.O.W. systems. Having an Evinrude/Johnson expert clarify the problem would be nice. Hopefully, this discussion has helped Todd with his problem. But with the S.L.O.W. system, I really have to pay attention to the horn when I first start up - as my hearing has been damaged many years ago. I was always going to increase the volume of that horn/signal. Just something else I "gotta do".---- Jerry/Idaho
seahorse	posted 09-07-2011 12:22 PM ET (US) Jerry, You may be reading from a 1995 or earlier manual as you stated you have the 4 light System Check warnings which were introduced in the 1996 model year. What is your engine model number? What is the date, part number, and model owners manual that you are referencing?
Jerry Townsend	posted 09-07-2011 02:04 PM ET (US) Todd - Evinrude has an on-line mechanic service that you might consider contacting. Just google "evinrude outboard engine" - and it is near the top of the list. Give them the iinformation on your engine and see what they can tell you. They charge $28 - but since I did not have your engine model number or seriel number, I did not ask them the questions. ---- Jerry/Idaho
toddosten	posted 09-07-2011 04:10 PM ET (US) I can't give you the serial numbers, I dropped it at an Evinrude dealer last night. The information you gave me made me a much more informed consumer. The dealer actually mimicked many of the possibilities that was discussed and I was able to follow along and ask intelligent questions. He said if the alarm sounded he should be able to pull the event off the ECU (Engine Control Unit). Thanks so much for your input and support. I will let you know how once I hear back. Todd
seahorse	posted 09-07-2011 05:52 PM ET (US) This thread is getting full of contradictions and misinformation. What is going on here? quote: toddosten wrote: The dealer actually mimicked many of the possibilities that was discussed and I was able to follow along and ask intelligent questions. He said if the alarm sounded he should be able to pull the event off the ECU (Engine Control Unit) toddosten, In your first post you state that you have a 1996 Johnson 150 Ocean Pro. That motor does NOT have an ECU and has no capacity to store any event error codes. Not only that, there is no place to hook up a laptop to. Do you have a different motor or does your dealer just not know what he is talking about?
toddosten	posted 09-07-2011 09:35 PM ET (US) SORRY. I am a novice here. Double checked my paper work it is a 97, totally my bad. [The outboard engine is actually a] 1997 Evinrude Ficht 150-HP. The dealer said that [the engine's electronic control unit] captured the failure but he could not pinpoint the problem other than it happened. He could not get it to happen in the shop. He felt 90% sure the problem was with the voltage regulator. He offered me a voltage regulator off a blown motor he has in the shop at half price. He said the [permanent magnet stator windings for the battery charging circuit] were good and put out good voltage when [their temperature was] hot. Again, sorry I lead you down the wrong path with the year. I appreciate all of your input and you have really helped me become a better informed consumer. The first dealer I went to took advantage of me and I should armed myself with some knowledge before I went to them. Thanks again, Todd
seahorse	posted 09-07-2011 11:23 PM ET (US) So now after all these posts, we are back to step one, now that we found out that we've been commenting on the wrong motor all this time. Forget about my comments about the check engine light as they apply to a 1996 Johnson and not to a 1997 FICHT model. My comments about the alarms and indicator lights on pre- and post- 1996 motors are still accurate. Now that the motor is at your dealer, you probably don't need any more help from us.