2007 170 Montauk low fuel alarm when outboard fuel reservoir is low.

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  2007 170 Montauk low fuel alarm when outboard fuel reservoir is low.

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Author Topic:   2007 170 Montauk low fuel alarm when outboard fuel reservoir is low.

WT posted 09-25-2007 05:03 PM ET (US)
Most 170 Montauks are sold with 2 separate 6 gallon fuel tanks. I would like to know if your 2007 or newer Mercury 90 hp 4 stroke outboard sounds an alarm when you are running out of fuel in your first 6 gallon tank.
I have a 2004 170 Montauk that has been repowered with a 2007 90 hp Mercury 4 stroke. I have a 24 gallon Pate tank as my primary fuel tank.
Last weekend I carried an extra 6 gallon fuel tank that I used first. As I used most of my fuel in the 6 gallon tank, I noticed that I had a 4 beep alarm went off. Since I was 40 miles from port, I didn't want to turn off my outboard. The 4 beep alarm kept going off about every 5 minutes.
I finally decided to turn off my motor. When I restarted the motor the alarm went away. I guess everything was alright.
Two hours later on my way back to port, my alarm went off again (4 beeps). I noticed that my fuel hose connector came off my Pate tank. I reconnected my hose and all was fine again.
I was told that my outboard has a fuel reservoir and that if it is low, an alarm goes off before the engine starves for fuel. I would like to know if other 170 Montauk owners occasionally trigger this 4 beep alarm.
This applies only to the 2007 and newer Mercury 90's.
Thanks,
Warren

L H G posted 09-25-2007 06:14 PM ET (US)
You might want to consider re-fitting your tank connection and tank end fuel hose with the older style METAL (not plastic!) Mercury bayonnet style connectors. They are the best available, and DO NOT work loose. A little bulky, but they work well, last forever, and are water tight.
BlueMax posted 09-26-2007 02:14 PM ET (US)
I have a 2007 170 Montauk - I get one continuous alarm that let's me know I am about to run out of fuel.... right before the engine dies. But I am now usually aware that this will happen as the engine acts as if I have run aground first. The first couple of times I couldn't figure out what I was "snagging" on and then the alarm would come on and the engine would conk out a few seconds later. It would usually take me awhile to get it re-started afterward if I ran 'til the alarm came on. Now I know that when the boat begins to lose power, I am about to run out of fuel and shut down before the alarm will come on.
Running out of fuel and having trouble getting restarted did not make one boater very happy when this occurred on the ICW when I first boat the boat but hey.... 'F' him ... I wasn't too happy about it either....and let him know with sign language in case he couldn't hear my verbal response to his derogatory comments. Funny the guy didn't really want to discuss it further at the dock after he realized that I meant what I said and was willing to back it up when he made a comment "to no one in particular" (as he said in defense of my invitation to settle the issue right there). And then commisserated with me that having a 6 gal fuel tank sucks.... but I wasn't too interested in being friends at that time. Ha. We have since run into each other at the docks and helped each other load our boats - and wave to each other on the water - go figure.
Anyway - long answer short - I do not get 4 beeps, I get one continuous beep about 5 seconds before the engine dies.
WT posted 09-26-2007 06:10 PM ET (US)
OK, I just got back from my Boston Whaler dealer (another 180 mile round trip). I had them read the fault code since my alarm went off last Saturday. The dealer confirmed that it was due to low fuel level in the outboard.
The dealer said that I should not wait until the alarm goes off to switch tanks. That it is bad for the pump to run while dry.
My outboard did not die after the alarm went off and the alarm seems to give me a lot of time before running out of fuel.
Warren
BlueMax posted 09-27-2007 01:00 PM ET (US)
Interesting - just how are we supposed to know when that tank is going to run out then?
WT posted 09-27-2007 07:45 PM ET (US)
BlueMax:
My 2 6 gallon Montauk fuel tanks have a gauge. I used 3 tanks today, the two 6 gallon tanks and then switched to my 24 gallon Pate tank. The alarm did not go off today. :-)
I ran 77 miles today from Bodega Bay to Sea Ranch burning 15 gallons or around 5 miles/gallon.
Warren
bigjohn1 posted 09-27-2007 09:25 PM ET (US)
BlueMax,
Whatever works for you, implement some way to avoid completely running out of fuel with your efi engine. It is bad for the fuel pump and "can" cause them to burn up leaving you stranded. I find it strange Mercury does not put some type of warning in the owners manual.
BlueMax posted 09-28-2007 12:40 AM ET (US)
I physically check on the tanks quite often during use now.
Well if Jim doesn't delete the mfg - I have QuickSilver tanks which have guages but one of them has stopped working. Boat was purchased in July and BOTH tanks had inop guages when I was taking delivery. The dealership searched their inventory (they have two dealerships in Wilmington area) and could only find ONE tank with a functioning guage. They replaced the second when the serviced the boat for me. The service manager told me that these guages would also stop working within a month because he has had that problem with this tank for a while. The guage on the first replaced tank stopped working and the other tank is still working.
I don't really want to dis the dealership but will say that when I went to take delivery of the vessel one week after purchase, the delivery condition was PATHETIC - rust on the engine, a big scrape on the side, brand new Hull ID numbers ripped, Bimini rails hosed up so that the top would not come down and stowe properly to name a few problems, we even ran out of fuel during the very short sea trial! (They gave me a Boston Whaler hat and T-shirt as a peace offering for the gas debacle. I made them give me 2 of each. Why not. ha.)
When we returned I initially refused the boat and wanted a new one entirely - I was so mad and dissappointed and my wife was saying "these are omens...". We went a few rounds about it already being registered to me (which I cared nothing about what it took to undo the paperwork and start new paper on a different vessel). It was a Friday and got to be past closing time and we were still going rounds. The wife and I agreed to accept this vessel when the dealer made a number of concessions to my liking. Suffice it to say they did take care of me and do a lot to make it right. I wrote A letter to [Dealership Corporate] and Boston Whaler with cc to [local dealership and sales person]. More concessions came my way (unsolicited) from [local dealership] and interestingly the salesperson no longer works there and I received an email announcing a new general manager. Coincidence I am sure, but a heck of one I think.
Overall I am very pleased with the boat and believe I truly made the right choice for myself with this vessel vs other comparably sized/outfitted ones that sell for less. The dealership has been quite friendly with me when I stop in and no hard feelings on my part - they needed to make things right and they did. I am still amazed that they would even have allowed the boat to get in that condition let alone try to pawn it off on me.
Anyway - the two dealerships had only ONE QuickSilver tank with a functioning guage, the service manager told me the new ones would be inop in about a month and one has stopped functioning right on time. I can't understand why Whaler would go with an apparently known inferior product for the amount of attention they put into making such a superior one. Also - why don't they offer a larger tank at purchase (dang - that's what I should have demanded from the dealer in concession as well, rats! Too late now. Ha). Actually they did a very good job of making it right which is why I will consider returning in about 20 years when I "need" another boat. Ha.
bigjohn1 posted 09-28-2007 09:13 AM ET (US)
Sorry to hear of your troubles. I have been using those little 6.6 gallon Quicksilver tanks for years now on various boats and have never had a fuel gauge stop working. With time though, you will find yourself relying on the gauges less. You will find it much easier to
"gauge" the level of fuel simply by the weight of the tank as fuel is used throughout the course of your day. A full tank weighs a little over 40lbs so once my tanks get down to a weight of around 5-10lbs (by my "calibrated" hand), I simply switch them out without even looking at the gauge.
BlueMax posted 09-29-2007 12:16 AM ET (US)
Big John - Thanks for the reply. Does seem strange that all the guages were inop and had inquired as to whether it was just a bad production run. Service manager said that in his experience they all do that. I have been checking the fuel often by weight now myself and I figure as I gain experience and learn the boat more I will get better at knowing how far I can go at what rpm's I'm running and can check less frequently but more acurately (if that makes sense). I run the ICW and Bogue Inlet here in NC - drop in here by the house (Swansboro) and have been able to go all the way to Morehead City port and most of the way back on 1 tank. I don't know how far that is on water but it is about 20 miles by car (Hwy 24 runs right along the coast, hugging ICW shoreline so I figure it is maybe about same distance).
I've spent hours at a time on the water playing around the islands or pulling tubes and don't think I have ever used more than a tank and a half, so I know the engine gets great "mileage," however I do think that I would like to go with a larger (18-24 gal) tank next year or sometime just so I can go further without fear. I go a little further each time it seems, but until I truly tune my driving habits and learn my average consumption I try to turn back well before the first tank runs out "just in case." As it is, I don't really trust the guages anyway since the level indicator seems to "float". I would love to be able to go 77 miles like Warren - that would be cool.
Thanks again everyone and Happy Boating!
Andy
WT posted 09-29-2007 12:41 AM ET (US)
Andy:
You might consider getting a gps. It will measure your trip distance.
According to BW's website, your Montauk will get up to 8 miles per gallon at 3250 rpm.
http://www.whaler.com/rec/pdfs/performance/6.pdf
Figure 6 miles per gallon and you should be able to cruise 36 miles before switching/checking tanks.
If you get a 24 gallon tank as a main tank you could carry 37 gallons in total for longer distance trips. That's a 222 mile range. :-)
Or just figure out where the marinas/fuel are located.
Have fun,
Warren
bigjohn1 posted 09-29-2007 09:10 AM ET (US)
My God, that is some amazing fuel economy! I agree with Warren on the GPS. I zero out my trip distance at the dock before each outing and display that counter in a split screen along with either my chart or sonar. Trolling in smooth water, my '04 115efi gets me about 25-27 miles on one of the 6.6 gallon Quicksilver tanks. I switch out tanks at about 20-21 miles, that is when they end up weighing about 5-10lbs.

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Author	Topic: 2007 170 Montauk low fuel alarm when outboard fuel reservoir is low.
WT	posted 09-25-2007 05:03 PM ET (US) Most 170 Montauks are sold with 2 separate 6 gallon fuel tanks. I would like to know if your 2007 or newer Mercury 90 hp 4 stroke outboard sounds an alarm when you are running out of fuel in your first 6 gallon tank. I have a 2004 170 Montauk that has been repowered with a 2007 90 hp Mercury 4 stroke. I have a 24 gallon Pate tank as my primary fuel tank. Last weekend I carried an extra 6 gallon fuel tank that I used first. As I used most of my fuel in the 6 gallon tank, I noticed that I had a 4 beep alarm went off. Since I was 40 miles from port, I didn't want to turn off my outboard. The 4 beep alarm kept going off about every 5 minutes. I finally decided to turn off my motor. When I restarted the motor the alarm went away. I guess everything was alright. Two hours later on my way back to port, my alarm went off again (4 beeps). I noticed that my fuel hose connector came off my Pate tank. I reconnected my hose and all was fine again. I was told that my outboard has a fuel reservoir and that if it is low, an alarm goes off before the engine starves for fuel. I would like to know if other 170 Montauk owners occasionally trigger this 4 beep alarm. This applies only to the 2007 and newer Mercury 90's. Thanks, Warren
L H G	posted 09-25-2007 06:14 PM ET (US) You might want to consider re-fitting your tank connection and tank end fuel hose with the older style METAL (not plastic!) Mercury bayonnet style connectors. They are the best available, and DO NOT work loose. A little bulky, but they work well, last forever, and are water tight.
BlueMax	posted 09-26-2007 02:14 PM ET (US) I have a 2007 170 Montauk - I get one continuous alarm that let's me know I am about to run out of fuel.... right before the engine dies. But I am now usually aware that this will happen as the engine acts as if I have run aground first. The first couple of times I couldn't figure out what I was "snagging" on and then the alarm would come on and the engine would conk out a few seconds later. It would usually take me awhile to get it re-started afterward if I ran 'til the alarm came on. Now I know that when the boat begins to lose power, I am about to run out of fuel and shut down before the alarm will come on. Running out of fuel and having trouble getting restarted did not make one boater very happy when this occurred on the ICW when I first boat the boat but hey.... 'F' him ... I wasn't too happy about it either....and let him know with sign language in case he couldn't hear my verbal response to his derogatory comments. Funny the guy didn't really want to discuss it further at the dock after he realized that I meant what I said and was willing to back it up when he made a comment "to no one in particular" (as he said in defense of my invitation to settle the issue right there). And then commisserated with me that having a 6 gal fuel tank sucks.... but I wasn't too interested in being friends at that time. Ha. We have since run into each other at the docks and helped each other load our boats - and wave to each other on the water - go figure. Anyway - long answer short - I do not get 4 beeps, I get one continuous beep about 5 seconds before the engine dies.
WT	posted 09-26-2007 06:10 PM ET (US) OK, I just got back from my Boston Whaler dealer (another 180 mile round trip). I had them read the fault code since my alarm went off last Saturday. The dealer confirmed that it was due to low fuel level in the outboard. The dealer said that I should not wait until the alarm goes off to switch tanks. That it is bad for the pump to run while dry. My outboard did not die after the alarm went off and the alarm seems to give me a lot of time before running out of fuel. Warren
BlueMax	posted 09-27-2007 01:00 PM ET (US) Interesting - just how are we supposed to know when that tank is going to run out then?
WT	posted 09-27-2007 07:45 PM ET (US) BlueMax: My 2 6 gallon Montauk fuel tanks have a gauge. I used 3 tanks today, the two 6 gallon tanks and then switched to my 24 gallon Pate tank. The alarm did not go off today. :-) I ran 77 miles today from Bodega Bay to Sea Ranch burning 15 gallons or around 5 miles/gallon. Warren
bigjohn1	posted 09-27-2007 09:25 PM ET (US) BlueMax, Whatever works for you, implement some way to avoid completely running out of fuel with your efi engine. It is bad for the fuel pump and "can" cause them to burn up leaving you stranded. I find it strange Mercury does not put some type of warning in the owners manual.
BlueMax	posted 09-28-2007 12:40 AM ET (US) I physically check on the tanks quite often during use now. Well if Jim doesn't delete the mfg - I have QuickSilver tanks which have guages but one of them has stopped working. Boat was purchased in July and BOTH tanks had inop guages when I was taking delivery. The dealership searched their inventory (they have two dealerships in Wilmington area) and could only find ONE tank with a functioning guage. They replaced the second when the serviced the boat for me. The service manager told me that these guages would also stop working within a month because he has had that problem with this tank for a while. The guage on the first replaced tank stopped working and the other tank is still working. I don't really want to dis the dealership but will say that when I went to take delivery of the vessel one week after purchase, the delivery condition was PATHETIC - rust on the engine, a big scrape on the side, brand new Hull ID numbers ripped, Bimini rails hosed up so that the top would not come down and stowe properly to name a few problems, we even ran out of fuel during the very short sea trial! (They gave me a Boston Whaler hat and T-shirt as a peace offering for the gas debacle. I made them give me 2 of each. Why not. ha.) When we returned I initially refused the boat and wanted a new one entirely - I was so mad and dissappointed and my wife was saying "these are omens...". We went a few rounds about it already being registered to me (which I cared nothing about what it took to undo the paperwork and start new paper on a different vessel). It was a Friday and got to be past closing time and we were still going rounds. The wife and I agreed to accept this vessel when the dealer made a number of concessions to my liking. Suffice it to say they did take care of me and do a lot to make it right. I wrote A letter to [Dealership Corporate] and Boston Whaler with cc to [local dealership and sales person]. More concessions came my way (unsolicited) from [local dealership] and interestingly the salesperson no longer works there and I received an email announcing a new general manager. Coincidence I am sure, but a heck of one I think. Overall I am very pleased with the boat and believe I truly made the right choice for myself with this vessel vs other comparably sized/outfitted ones that sell for less. The dealership has been quite friendly with me when I stop in and no hard feelings on my part - they needed to make things right and they did. I am still amazed that they would even have allowed the boat to get in that condition let alone try to pawn it off on me. Anyway - the two dealerships had only ONE QuickSilver tank with a functioning guage, the service manager told me the new ones would be inop in about a month and one has stopped functioning right on time. I can't understand why Whaler would go with an apparently known inferior product for the amount of attention they put into making such a superior one. Also - why don't they offer a larger tank at purchase (dang - that's what I should have demanded from the dealer in concession as well, rats! Too late now. Ha). Actually they did a very good job of making it right which is why I will consider returning in about 20 years when I "need" another boat. Ha.
bigjohn1	posted 09-28-2007 09:13 AM ET (US) Sorry to hear of your troubles. I have been using those little 6.6 gallon Quicksilver tanks for years now on various boats and have never had a fuel gauge stop working. With time though, you will find yourself relying on the gauges less. You will find it much easier to "gauge" the level of fuel simply by the weight of the tank as fuel is used throughout the course of your day. A full tank weighs a little over 40lbs so once my tanks get down to a weight of around 5-10lbs (by my "calibrated" hand), I simply switch them out without even looking at the gauge.
BlueMax	posted 09-29-2007 12:16 AM ET (US) Big John - Thanks for the reply. Does seem strange that all the guages were inop and had inquired as to whether it was just a bad production run. Service manager said that in his experience they all do that. I have been checking the fuel often by weight now myself and I figure as I gain experience and learn the boat more I will get better at knowing how far I can go at what rpm's I'm running and can check less frequently but more acurately (if that makes sense). I run the ICW and Bogue Inlet here in NC - drop in here by the house (Swansboro) and have been able to go all the way to Morehead City port and most of the way back on 1 tank. I don't know how far that is on water but it is about 20 miles by car (Hwy 24 runs right along the coast, hugging ICW shoreline so I figure it is maybe about same distance). I've spent hours at a time on the water playing around the islands or pulling tubes and don't think I have ever used more than a tank and a half, so I know the engine gets great "mileage," however I do think that I would like to go with a larger (18-24 gal) tank next year or sometime just so I can go further without fear. I go a little further each time it seems, but until I truly tune my driving habits and learn my average consumption I try to turn back well before the first tank runs out "just in case." As it is, I don't really trust the guages anyway since the level indicator seems to "float". I would love to be able to go 77 miles like Warren - that would be cool. Thanks again everyone and Happy Boating! Andy
WT	posted 09-29-2007 12:41 AM ET (US) Andy: You might consider getting a gps. It will measure your trip distance. According to BW's website, your Montauk will get up to 8 miles per gallon at 3250 rpm. http://www.whaler.com/rec/pdfs/performance/6.pdf Figure 6 miles per gallon and you should be able to cruise 36 miles before switching/checking tanks. If you get a 24 gallon tank as a main tank you could carry 37 gallons in total for longer distance trips. That's a 222 mile range. :-) Or just figure out where the marinas/fuel are located. Have fun, Warren
bigjohn1	posted 09-29-2007 09:10 AM ET (US) My God, that is some amazing fuel economy! I agree with Warren on the GPS. I zero out my trip distance at the dock before each outing and display that counter in a split screen along with either my chart or sonar. Trolling in smooth water, my '04 115efi gets me about 25-27 miles on one of the 6.6 gallon Quicksilver tanks. I switch out tanks at about 20-21 miles, that is when they end up weighing about 5-10lbs.