Solid Beep when 2001 Mercury 40 HP ELPTO Outboard is started or running

**zettler** · 09-13-2021, 05:24 PM

Here is the latest.

Had a friend offer to look at it so we went over this morning. Put water mufflers on it and fired it up. No beep.

Checked pee hole. Water came out. Beep went on eventually but then went off.

Took the cover off flywheel. Ran motor. Stayed cool.

Saw what I felt was good exhaust (oil mixed).

So water was fine. Oil appeared to be getting mixed BUT the beep went off and on...and off and on...

Convinced we ought to try installing the new water pump repair kit I already had and I was messing around the ignition switch - discovered that is where the beep had been emanated from - and the thing beeped. Bumped the cable from ignition switch to motor AND the beep stopped. Moved it again and it went on.

Looked at cable going into switch and it was cracked at base.

I surmised that this is the culprit as the motor is running cool. The motor "appears" to be getting oil mixed with gas on its own. The continuous beep is a motor overheating warning, not low oil , BUT motor is running cool.

Changed the waterpump parts and had tried to run past local mechanic BUT they were closed.

Decided that tomorrow I will tape, zip tie, epoxy, however, the cable in a place where its not beeping UNTIL I can replace it.

Does that sound like a plan????

**DockShootinJack** · 09-13-2021, 06:01 PM

Originally Posted by zettler

Here is the latest.

Had a friend offer to look at it so we went over this morning. Put water mufflers on it and fired it up. No beep.

Checked pee hole. Water came out. Beep went on eventually but then went off.

Took the cover off flywheel. Ran motor. Stayed cool.

Saw what I felt was good exhaust (oil mixed).

So water was fine. Oil appeared to be getting mixed BUT the beep went off and on...and off and on...

Convinced we ought to try installing the new water pump repair kit I already had and I was messing around the ignition switch - discovered that is where the beep had been emanated from - and the thing beeped. Bumped the cable from ignition switch to motor AND the beep stopped. Moved it again and it went on.

Looked at cable going into switch and it was cracked at base.

I surmised that this is the culprit as the motor is running cool. The motor "appears" to be getting oil mixed with gas on its own. The continuous beep is a motor overheating warning, not low oil , BUT motor is running cool.

Changed the waterpump parts and had tried to run past local mechanic BUT they were closed.

Decided that tomorrow I will tape, zip tie, epoxy, however, the cable in a place where its not beeping UNTIL I can replace it.

Does that sound like a plan????

Sounds like a plan. I would keep I eye on the oil tank level to be sure it is going down/ being used

**BuckeyeCrappie** · 09-13-2021, 08:18 PM

Originally Posted by DockShootinJack

Sounds like a plan. I would keep I eye on the oil tank level to be sure it is going down/ being used

I would keep keep an eye on the oil religiously and run it by your local boat mechanic.

**zettler** · 09-14-2021, 12:11 AM

Originally Posted by BuckeyeCrappie

I would keep keep an eye on the oil religiously and run it by your local boat mechanic.

Thank you.

like I said, they were closed Mondays and I’ll be out in three or so hours to hunt. Will watch it closely. Just difficult to see tube indicator….

**zettler** · 09-14-2021, 07:52 AM

Interesting but it didn't sound off till I trimmed the motor. Still doesn't appear to be overheating. Will check with mechanic later...hopefully.

**DockShootinJack** · 09-14-2021, 08:16 AM

Originally Posted by BuckeyeCrappie

I would keep keep an eye on the oil religiously and run it by your local boat mechanic.

It is always a good idea to keep an eye on your oil tank. When running oil injection I kept the tank topped off. I filled it up pre trip. And checked that it had used oil after the trip. Just a way to physically see that the engine is getting oil.

**TheGrandPoohBah** · 09-14-2021, 09:06 AM

Years ago we had a motor that if you filled the oil tank all the way up and tilted the motor up, a little oil would weep around the screwed on cap seal and gradually make a mess under the cowl, especially if you didn't get it extra tight. Sometimes it would leak a little, sometimes not. Our fix was to only fill the oil tank about 3/4 full, never a problem again. Out of habit, I still do that to this day.
I have heard a few folks say "Those oil tanks all leak and make a mess...". Mine stays clean as a whistle. Lots of wires with connectors under there that don't need oiled. "Aint nobody got time fo dat".

**DockShootinJack** · 09-14-2021, 09:22 AM

Originally Posted by TheGrandPoohBah

Years ago we had a motor that if you filled the oil tank all the way up and tilted the motor up, a little oil would weep around the screwed on cap seal and gradually make a mess under the cowl, especially if you didn't get it extra tight. Sometimes it would leak a little, sometimes not. Our fix was to only fill the oil tank about 3/4 full, never a problem again. Out of habit, I still do that to this day.
I have heard a few folks say "Those oil tanks all leak and make a mess...". Mine stays clean as a whistle. Lots of wires with connectors under there that don't need oiled. "Aint nobody got time fo dat".

Absolutely agree with that. A fella can still put him a benchmark line to gauge usage. The last boat I had with oil injection had it under the back deck. It seeped a little no matter what you did

**scout-j-m** · 09-14-2021, 04:01 PM

This may not apply to your motor, but I have been reading the service manual for the Mercury 135-200 hp motors from the mid 90's since my dad bought a boat with a 150 Black Max on it from that era, and it says a continuous beep is an overheat alarm while a constant on/off/on is a low oil indicator.

**zettler** · 09-20-2021, 10:58 AM

Well, I thought I had it licked to some extent.

Talked to an actual mechanic late last week and he suggested it was the oil sensor going off and how to determine if it was.

He said find the light blue wires coming from the sensor and the next time the motor beeeeped, to disconnect that sensor. If it quit, buy a new tank?

Anyway, went Teal hunting on Saturday and lo and behold when it beeeeped and I disconnected the sensor wires, voila!, it quit.

Now a tank costs around $235+/- and that doesn't include a new sensor - AND I'm suspicious that it might be the float and magnet in the tank which I have discovered can be repaired (hopefully) and costs little.

Why? Go back to the beeeep going off more often when I trim the motor and...just because.

Now comes the rub.

This all started around September 11 and at that time I topped off the oil tank pretty darn close to the top. Since then, I've maybe used the motor four times max for a total of maybe 12 or so miles - not all at once and not all with motor, some with trolling motor. In that time, and I'm not as sure about this, I've gone through maybe five gallons of gas or so...

HOWEVER, the oil tank level has only gone down an inch or so?

DOES THAT SOUND RIGHT OR WRONG?

I am seriously contemplating disconnecting the oil tank AND mixing my own BUT just read in another thread that my particular outboard motor would require ALSO removing the oil pump.

I was told by a friend that just remove oil tank, plug and clamp hose going to pump AND just disconnect those pesky light blue oil sensor wires.

I'm just concerned the motor isn't getting the oil mix it needs. As I hope to get out a few more times this next 10 days, I WAS going to disconnect and plug BUT now I'm leaning to not doing so.

BUT JUST IN CASE, I was going to take a spare tank, mix oil and gas in it, AND USE IT until we can see if there really is an oil mixing issue - what does the gallery think?

I would also take spare spark plugs, just in case, too.

I had my hunting buddy tape a marker on oil tank Saturday BUT either he didn't do it right or my motor used little oil for the 2.5 mile round-trip (or so).

I'm getting antsy as Teal season only lasts till next week and hate to miss it BUT sure don't want to blow/seize up motor....

As always, thank you all for your support and input.

Bob

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