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Author Topic:   Mercury OptiMax: Interpreting Aural Alert

JW_Spencer posted 07-08-2015 03:24 PM ET (US)
In that I was a little miffed, I can't remember whether [the aural alert horn sounding from a Mercury OptiMax outboard engine] was three BEEPS or four BEEPS. It was intermittent. I didn't check the time interval, but (from searches) it looks like [the cadence of the aural alert horn and its interval of sounding] could be a four-beep-every-two-minutes alarm--[which is to be interpreted as] non critical, get service alarm.
Here is what I know:
--I had to jump start the Mercury OptiMax outboard engine
--the four-beep alarm went off when dockside at idle
--the oil tank under cowling is full
--the oil tank in hull is 1/2-FULL to 2/3-FULL
[the Mercury OptiMax outboard engine] is making water.
I took a couple of short [stints] in gear, but I didn't go full throttle. [The boat] jumped onto plane and seemed as though there were no limitations. It may be a coincidence, but the alarm did not sound while on plane, it only sounded when dockside, at slow displacement [boat speed], and (once) in a slow sharp turn.
In preparation, I ran the motor on ear muffs with no alarms. After running, I adjusted the throttle linkage limiting screw. It was not achieving WOT, i.e. the butterfly was not opening all the way. Possibly a red herring.
I reconnected the sensor to the fuel-water separator filter. It was not attached, I don't think I knocked it off, I think it was already disconnected.
I added OptiMax oil to the oil tank in the boat.
I have a wishful thinking theory--for a cheap easy fix--which [postulates that the cause of the alarm] would be the fuel-water separator. It didn't trigger on ear muffs for one of two reasons: the boat is stable and not bouncing around, and the sensor may have been disconnected.
[The cause of the alarm] may have something to do with low battery charge or voltage. It may have something to do with the oil sensor or, perhaps the cap on tank is not secure.
Many thanks to the folks on this forum and for Jim's strong work.
jws
JW_Spencer posted 07-08-2015 04:04 PM ET (US)
Q: Can I test my theory by disconnecting the sensor from the fuel-water separator filter?
JW_Spencer posted 07-08-2015 04:07 PM ET (US)
Can you run the boat without the sensor? can I run a RACOR filter?
Can I test my preferred theory by removing the lead from the sensor?
jws
jimh posted 07-09-2015 03:05 AM ET (US)
Generally in an electrically operated alarm sensor system, the sensors are switches that either:
--are normally open and close when there is an alarm condition, or
--are normally closed and open when there is an alarm condition.
If I had to guess--and I have to guess because I am not familiar with the alarm system on your Mercury OptiMax outboard engine--I would guess the sensors are normally open switches that close then there is an alarm condition. If that is true, then when you remove a sensor from the system by disconnecting its electrical wiring, you should leave the alarm system in the NO ALARM condition for that sensor.
The implication of the normally-open sensor wiring means:
--if you disconnect the sensor, that sensor can't cause an alarm, and
--you could test for the cause of an alarm by logically disconnecting the various sensors, one at a time, and seeing if the aural alert stops.
jimh posted 07-09-2015 03:10 AM ET (US)
What jumps out at me in your narrative:

quote:
--I had to jump start the Mercury OptiMax outboard engine
The need to jumper the starting battery in parallel with another battery suggests to me the starting battery has very little charge and thus its voltage is low. Check the voltage of the starting battery at the terminals with a good voltmeter. Check the voltage at rest, with the engine not running. Also check the voltage when the engine is running at a high-idle speed, say 1,000-RPM to 1,500-RPM. The voltage at the battery terminals should rise to about 14-Volts at high-idle engine speed, indicating the battery is receiving charge.

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Author	Topic: Mercury OptiMax: Interpreting Aural Alert
JW_Spencer	posted 07-08-2015 03:24 PM ET (US) In that I was a little miffed, I can't remember whether [the aural alert horn sounding from a Mercury OptiMax outboard engine] was three BEEPS or four BEEPS. It was intermittent. I didn't check the time interval, but (from searches) it looks like [the cadence of the aural alert horn and its interval of sounding] could be a four-beep-every-two-minutes alarm--[which is to be interpreted as] non critical, get service alarm. Here is what I know: --I had to jump start the Mercury OptiMax outboard engine --the four-beep alarm went off when dockside at idle --the oil tank under cowling is full --the oil tank in hull is 1/2-FULL to 2/3-FULL [the Mercury OptiMax outboard engine] is making water. I took a couple of short [stints] in gear, but I didn't go full throttle. [The boat] jumped onto plane and seemed as though there were no limitations. It may be a coincidence, but the alarm did not sound while on plane, it only sounded when dockside, at slow displacement [boat speed], and (once) in a slow sharp turn. In preparation, I ran the motor on ear muffs with no alarms. After running, I adjusted the throttle linkage limiting screw. It was not achieving WOT, i.e. the butterfly was not opening all the way. Possibly a red herring. I reconnected the sensor to the fuel-water separator filter. It was not attached, I don't think I knocked it off, I think it was already disconnected. I added OptiMax oil to the oil tank in the boat. I have a wishful thinking theory--for a cheap easy fix--which [postulates that the cause of the alarm] would be the fuel-water separator. It didn't trigger on ear muffs for one of two reasons: the boat is stable and not bouncing around, and the sensor may have been disconnected. [The cause of the alarm] may have something to do with low battery charge or voltage. It may have something to do with the oil sensor or, perhaps the cap on tank is not secure. Many thanks to the folks on this forum and for Jim's strong work. jws
JW_Spencer	posted 07-08-2015 04:04 PM ET (US) Q: Can I test my theory by disconnecting the sensor from the fuel-water separator filter?
JW_Spencer	posted 07-08-2015 04:07 PM ET (US) Can you run the boat without the sensor? can I run a RACOR filter? Can I test my preferred theory by removing the lead from the sensor? jws
jimh	posted 07-09-2015 03:05 AM ET (US) Generally in an electrically operated alarm sensor system, the sensors are switches that either: --are normally open and close when there is an alarm condition, or --are normally closed and open when there is an alarm condition. If I had to guess--and I have to guess because I am not familiar with the alarm system on your Mercury OptiMax outboard engine--I would guess the sensors are normally open switches that close then there is an alarm condition. If that is true, then when you remove a sensor from the system by disconnecting its electrical wiring, you should leave the alarm system in the NO ALARM condition for that sensor. The implication of the normally-open sensor wiring means: --if you disconnect the sensor, that sensor can't cause an alarm, and --you could test for the cause of an alarm by logically disconnecting the various sensors, one at a time, and seeing if the aural alert stops.
jimh	posted 07-09-2015 03:10 AM ET (US) What jumps out at me in your narrative: quote: --I had to jump start the Mercury OptiMax outboard engine The need to jumper the starting battery in parallel with another battery suggests to me the starting battery has very little charge and thus its voltage is low. Check the voltage of the starting battery at the terminals with a good voltmeter. Check the voltage at rest, with the engine not running. Also check the voltage when the engine is running at a high-idle speed, say 1,000-RPM to 1,500-RPM. The voltage at the battery terminals should rise to about 14-Volts at high-idle engine speed, indicating the battery is receiving charge.