Oil Tank Cap float alarm

[fenwayfear]

I have a 1997 mercury promax 225 that started beeping on me recently. Local boat guy said it is probably a bad cap. Any thoughts on this issue?

 

[pacman809]

fenwayfear- I had a similar problem a few years ago with my '97 200 EFI. Apparently the oil tank cap had split horizontally around the lid from over tightening. It took me a while to figure it out as I could not see the thin split (Black plastic!) I know a little bit about engineered materials and plastics do age. You may want to just replace the cap to check it off the list. little money and effort. Pacman

 

[skewby]

its a real cheap fix, you can test and see if its the lid by using one off a powerade bottle its the same size and thread pattern. i fixed matt stines at the rally a few years ago and he ran the powerade lid all week

 

[fenwayfear]

fenwayfear- I had a similar problem a few years ago with my '97 200 EFI. Apparently the oil tank cap had split horizontally around the lid from over tightening. It took me a while to figure it out as I could not see the thin split (Black plastic!) I know a little bit about engineered materials and plastics do age. You may want to just replace the cap to check it off the list. little money and effort. Pacman

Dumb question but can you run the motor as long as the oil tank that is on the motor(not the big tank) has oil in it? not that you would want to that, but just to get back to the ramp with beepbeepbeep going off. I ask this because if the pump stops pulling from the big tank at least you have the small in to feed the motor for a few miles.

 

[fenwayfear]

its a real cheap fix, you can test and see if its the lid by using one off a powerade bottle its the same size and thread pattern. i fixed matt stines at the rally a few years ago and he ran the powerade lid all week

So if you put the powerade lid(nice to know) on the small tank and disconnect the two wires going from the float lid to the wire plug-in wiring the alarm will not beep. How do know if the pump is working, don't want to starve the motor?

 

[FlatOutAlly]

Pull off the oil injection and premix.

 

[skewby]

sorry i miss understood i thought that it was the big tank that had a crack in it. its probably the same size but not sure if you could fix the float where it stays up to trick the sensor to think the small tank is full. or if you could just jump the wires. but if your worried about the pump i agree with flatout take all of it off and premix, that way you know you have oil

 

[randy schmoyer]

Yes you can run for 30 min. at WOT on the small engine mounted oil tank according to the Merc Operation and Maintenance Manual IF the tank is less than full when the alarm went off. If that tank is full it means there's a problem with the oil injection pump. If your engine has EFI the horn could mean the water separating fuel filter is full of water. In that case a small red light just below the ECU will be on.

 

[randy schmoyer]

As skewby said if you have any doubts feed it premixed until it is all checked out.

 

[fenwayfear]

fenwayfear- I had a similar problem a few years ago with my '97 200 EFI. Apparently the oil tank cap had split horizontally around the lid from over tightening. It took me a while to figure it out as I could not see the thin split (Black plastic!) I know a little bit about engineered materials and plastics do age. You may want to just replace the cap to check it off the list. little money and effort. Pacman

I went ahead and bought a new cap will put it on and test it this weekend and report back.

 

[fenwayfear]

Pull off the oil injection and premix.

I would love to pull the oil injection, but the wife hates the smell and smoke. My old motor was a mix motor and it smoked like crazy at start up and smelled like oil.

 

[fenwayfear]

I went ahead and bought a new cap will put it on and test it this weekend and report back.

installed new cap and tested on the hose and not more beepbeepbeep. Still gonna premix and mark the oil tank in the well to see if I am pumping oil when go to the lake today.