|
Strange Evinrude VRO 90 alarm
|
| Perry Vayo |
Posted on 09/05/12 - 7:19 AM
|
Member
Personal Page
Posts: 113
Comments:
1
Joined: 07/07/10
|
I had the Menemsha out over the weekend - the first trip this year! - and I began getting a strange, intermittent alarm.
When I put the boat in and pulled away from the ramp, I got an overheat alarm, which didn't surprise me, the water was very shallow and I had the engine way up to get out. I shut it off, tilted down, restarted and it went off. But, all weekend afterward, I was getting a different alarm that I assume is not related.
It was a "chirping" alarm. Just like the little chirp you get when you turn on the key. At higher speeds the alarm would start chirping like that, sometimes just one or two, etc, sometimes a whole string of them. Then it would stop, then start all over again. Usually it happened at high speed, but not always. If I punched the throttle it would usually start, then occur off and on, continuosly.
I then putted along for over a mile and nothing. Ran perfectly. Of course as soon as I pointed this out to my passengers, it chirped a few times. I can't figure it out.
The water pump seems to be pumping fine - the impeller is only one short season old. The tach is working too, so I know the regulator isn't overheated either.
The VRO has never been connected as long as I have owned the boat, but one thing that comes to mind is that last season, when I had the impeller, etc, replaced, the mechanic told me the oil line was not capped, so he capped it, and also said that he had corrected some wiring related to the VRO. I could not get in touch with him over the weekend, so wasn't able to ask about it.
Could it be a VRO oil alarm, even though the tank is gone and the system is disabled?
The other thing that came to mind would be a fuel alarm, but, that sounds like an overheat alarm I'm told, and this didn't.
The ignition switch is far from new, sould it be the culprit?
As you can tell, I don't know much about this, so, your feedback is helpful. I just need a place to start checking.
Thanks.
|
| |
|
|
| brooks89 |
Posted on 09/05/12 - 8:05 AM
|
Member
Posts: 177
Comments:
0
Joined: 05/24/07
|
First thing I would do is just check your battery connections and make sure they are tight. Sounds basic but a loose connection on the battery terminal can cause that sort of behavior.
|
| |
|
|
| Perry Vayo |
Posted on 09/05/12 - 8:58 AM
|
Member
Personal Page
Posts: 113
Comments:
1
Joined: 07/07/10
|
That's a great suggestion. It never occurred to me! I was installing a bilge pump, and had the connections on and off a few times before putting in to the water. I'll check it. Hopefully, that is it!
Thanks.
Perry
|
| |
|
|
| Swamp |
Posted on 09/05/12 - 9:07 AM
|
Member
Posts: 162
Comments:
0
Joined: 01/28/11
|
I had a similar problem (very erratic sounding of the alarm buzzer) a few weeks ago that was almost the same as you describe. The problem was isolated to a bad alarm buzzer. I determined this by disconnecting the tan wire (alarm signal) from the blade terminal on the buzzer. With the alarm signal isolated from the buzzer, the alarm continued to sound. I found a new buzzer on EBAY for 25 bucks w/ S&H.
Read this article:
http://www.whalercentral.com/articles...ticle_id=9
and this thread, particularly jimh's comment:
http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum6/...01178.html
That should give you enough info to troubbleshoot the problem, even if it isn't a bad buzzer. Good luck and report back.
Edited by Swamp on 09/05/12 - 9:08 AM |
| |
|
|
| Perry Vayo |
Posted on 09/05/12 - 11:45 AM
|
Member
Personal Page
Posts: 113
Comments:
1
Joined: 07/07/10
|
Thanks for all the info. That's a big help.
One question; when you had the same(ish) problem, did your alarm still sound when you turned the ignition on? Mine still does.
Perry
|
| |
|
|
| Joe Kriz |
Posted on 09/05/12 - 12:05 PM
|
Site Owner
Personal Page
Personal Album
Photo Albums
Project Albums
Posts: 11447
Comments:
452
Joined: 03/18/05
|
Perform the test in our Article.
If the alarm still sounds when other things are disconnected, then the alarm itself is bad.
IMPORTANT:
You don't mention the year of this motor.
What year is it?
Edited by Joe Kriz on 09/05/12 - 12:07 PM |
| |
|
|
| Swamp |
Posted on 09/05/12 - 1:56 PM
|
Member
Posts: 162
Comments:
0
Joined: 01/28/11
|
With everything connected, there were times when I would turn they key to "ON" (not START) and the alarm would sound without the motor being run for days. Other times it wouldn't. This made the problem hard to troubbleshoot since I needed to have the alarm buzzing contiuously in order to disconnect and reconnect things, then see what the results were.
|
| |
|
|
| Perry Vayo |
Posted on 09/05/12 - 2:01 PM
|
Member
Personal Page
Posts: 113
Comments:
1
Joined: 07/07/10
|
Joe, I think the engine is a 1984 - the model is E90TLCRD. If I am not mistaken it is the first VRO year.
Swamp, thanks for the update.
|
| |
|
|
| Swamp |
Posted on 09/05/12 - 2:07 PM
|
Member
Posts: 162
Comments:
0
Joined: 01/28/11
|
Yes, that is the first year. Unless your system was upgraded to VRO2, you don't have a "Low Oil Flow" alarm. But then again, your VRO is all disconnected, so that shouldn't matter.
Focus on the Buzzer, the Temp Sensor, and wiring issues. That should get it. If not, then get to checking over the unhooked VRO stuff.
|
| |
|
|
| Perry Vayo |
Posted on 09/05/12 - 2:20 PM
|
Member
Personal Page
Posts: 113
Comments:
1
Joined: 07/07/10
|
Thanks. I'll print out the test proceedure and take it with me next time I get up to the river (where the boat is).
|
| |
|
|
| Joe Kriz |
Posted on 09/05/12 - 3:39 PM
|
Site Owner
Personal Page
Personal Album
Photo Albums
Project Albums
Posts: 11447
Comments:
452
Joined: 03/18/05
|
When you turn the key to the ON position, your horn should not chirp unless your warning horn has been upgraded in the past.
I know on my 1985, that was the case until I put a new warning horn in per the article linked to above.
Mine has also been upgrade to VRO 2 and has the Low Oil alarm which only indicates the tank only has 1/4 of the oil level.
Low Oil level
No Oil
(you obviously don't need to worry about those and you shouldn't hear anything from those unless they are not disconnected properly)
And last for your motor is the HOT which would be from the thermostats.
2 for your motor I believe. One in each head.
Another article that might help you a little is the one on Wiring a System Check Tachometer.
It explains more in detail about the one tan wire for the warning system as opposed to the newer 4 wire system.
http://www.whalercentral.com/articles...icle_id=72
I agree with Swamp, either the temp sensor or horn would be where to start.
However, if you have never replaced the horn, that is even the easiest place to start by buying a new one and replacing it with the newest version available.
|
| |
|
|
| Perry Vayo |
Posted on 09/05/12 - 3:48 PM
|
Member
Personal Page
Posts: 113
Comments:
1
Joined: 07/07/10
|
Thanks for the additional information. I was actually thinking that replacing the horn might be the best place to start, since I have no way of knowing how old it is. It does indeed chirp when turned on, so I guess its been replaced at some point in the past, but I dont know when.
Thanks for the input.
|
| |
|
|
| Gamalot |
Posted on 09/06/12 - 5:26 AM
|
Member
Personal Page
Posts: 1086
Comments:
3
Joined: 06/21/10
|
Perry Vayo wrote:
Thanks for the additional information. I was actually thinking that replacing the horn might be the best place to start, since I have no way of knowing how old it is. It does indeed chirp when turned on, so I guess its been replaced at some point in the past, but I dont know when.
Thanks for the input.
Hi Perry, Please keep us posted on what you find. I am also in Upstate NY and have almost the identical motor, 1984 E90 ML CRD that I have never started yet so this will be a valuable thread for me to save.
Thanks
Gary
|
| |
|
|
| Perry Vayo |
Posted on 09/06/12 - 7:47 AM
|
Member
Personal Page
Posts: 113
Comments:
1
Joined: 07/07/10
|
No problem Gary. It may take a while - the water is so low this year, I don't think I can use the local ramp anymore - but, I'll post whatever I can.
|
| |
|
|
| Swamp |
Posted on 09/06/12 - 10:34 AM
|
Member
Posts: 162
Comments:
0
Joined: 01/28/11
|
I did my fix in the water at the dock. With the motor cowling off and tilted up you should be able to get to everything you need to.
|
| |
|
|
| Perry Vayo |
Posted on 09/12/12 - 4:37 PM
|
Member
Personal Page
Posts: 113
Comments:
1
Joined: 07/07/10
|
UPDATE
i was just able to try the thermostat wire test, and the alarm sounded correctly. I tried it on both sides and it sounded fine. So, I guess that isnt it.
Also tried moving the throttle handle with the ignition on and, nothing.
Tomorrow i will check under the console for a loose connection.
|
| |
|
