99 sailfish alarms

[Gianni]

Hey guys:

1999 sailfish ox66 Yamaha

I had a lot of issues last year:

Water in my fuel- etec..

I replaced thermostats- water pump in good shape- low pressure pumps in good shape- fuel filters new both on motor and at stern.
One motor when the key is in the on position you get the normal alarm ringing..

On the other motor- you get a solid steady alarm.

Again no water in fuel- majority of parts are brand new and rest are in working order.

What can this be caused by?

I'd like to get one good season finally on after 3 horrible seasons with issues. I dumped a lot of money in this season..

Thanks in advance guys

 

[DennisG01]

You physically verified at BOTH fuel filters that there is no water? Do the engines pull from the same tank?

Does the alarm continue after the engine is started? What do the gauges show in regards to oil? Oil level in both tanks? Does the manual oil transfer work?

Otherwise, get the computer scanned to get you into the proper system that's complaining - google Yamaha Winky Blinky or take it to a shop. The alarm can come on for a number of reasons - without the code, you're just guessing. It might be worth an hour at a shop to help you get it done.

 

[Gianni]

The tanks were sucked dry- put in new fresh gas and verified clean gas coming through the lines and filters.

One issue we do have that we just fix is the oil pump that is beneath the love eel BUT last season it wasn't working the whole season- we had to manually put it in every time but never had any crazy alarms if the tank was full.

There is one good mechanic but he doesn't get well into electrical issues. There aren't many Yamaha certified mechanics near me which sucks.

 

[g0tagrip]

Here is another thought: On the side of your engine is the on engine oil pump. Check to see if the filler level is stuck at the bottom. That happened to me years ago with my Sailfish on my 200 two strokes. That float switch has to move freely up and down to function correctly. Clean it well, make sure it moves up and down freely.

 

[Gianni]

i will take a look. Thank you

 

[seasick]

What dash gauges do you have?
The only steady alarms I have seem on Yamahas are overheat or water detected in motor mounted fuel filter assuming you have such a water detecting filter. If you do, there will be a wire connected to the bottom of the filter. If so pull the wire off and see if the alarm sound stops. You have to cycle the ignition off and on to reset the ware alarm. The overheat alarm is a sensor on one or both two cylinder heads, It could be bad but is relatively easy to check by swapping it pr them from the other motor. Note that the temp switch is not the same as the temp sensor,; The switch signals an overheat condition.
Of course there could be a wiring issue too, a bit harder ti isolate. I am not sure if a very low oil level condition ( real or due to a bad float) . If so, it would be for low oil in the main ( on engine) tank.

If you have digital gauges, both over heat and low oil alarms will be display on the screen. I don't believe that water in fuel alarm displays.

 

[SkunkBoat]

Could be oil level alarm for the small oil tank inside the motor or an empty oil reserve alarm for the big tank . Check both tanks for oil. Remove caps and lift float to test alarms.
The gauges do display differently for the different alarms. Look at operator's manual for your gauges.

Your big tank can be full and you still get an alarm if small tank isn't filling fast enough.

Can be a connection problem of the float sensors too.

 

[seasick]

Could be oil level alarm for the small oil tank inside the motor or an empty oil reserve alarm for the big tank . Check both tanks for oil. Remove caps and lift float to test alarms.
The gauges do display differently for the different alarms. Look at operator's manual for your gauges.

Your big tank can be full and you still get an alarm if small tank isn't filling fast enough.

Can be a connection problem of the float sensors too.

if I remember correctly, the big (Remote) tank will not cause an audible alarm if it is low/empty. The small as you call it or MAIN tank will put the motor in safe mode ( reduced revs) if the low oil level signal is triggered.
In both those cases, the gauges if digital will show the alarm condition.
Ys you can pull the float in the main tank, move the slide up and down to see if you get alarms but if there is a wiring problem, that test won't distinguish a bad wire from a bad float switch.

regarding you statement 'Your big tank can be full and you still get an alarm if small tank isn't filling fast enough.' Yes that is true but if that is that case, the motor will revert to safe mode. In addition, if you turn on the ignition but don't start the motor, the pump will slowly fill the tank and the alarm will clear.
We could use more detailed info on what the symptoms are and what the gauges show

 

[Gianni]

I know this may sound dumb since I own the boat for so long but I never got the hang of the alarm signals on the gauges which is silly of me. Once my boat does get dropped I will turn key over and see what alarm comes on.

Is it really that much of a bitch to work on those tanks?

We bought 2 new oil pumps regardless- we would not install them if it isn't a pump issue. The other member mentioned it could be a clog or the floar stuck. I'm just concerned on working on them and curious why Grady would put them in such a shitty spot. If I'm not mistaken they are beneath the live well.

I have spent so much money this year and hope it finally runs good this year.

Thanks for your input

 

[Gianni]

I have the standard old gauge that doesn't show too much info. Not sure of the model. I do not have a wire connected to my fuel filters. My thermostats were completely shot my mechanic said- but the alarm is still sounding now after repair.

 

[seasick]

I know this may sound dumb since I own the boat for so long but I never got the hang of the alarm signals on the gauges which is silly of me. Once my boat does get dropped I will turn key over and see what alarm comes on.

Is it really that much of a bitch to work on those tanks?

We bought 2 new oil pumps regardless- we would not install them if it isn't a pump issue. The other member mentioned it could be a clog or the floar stuck. I'm just concerned on working on them and curious why Grady would put them in such a shitty spot. If I'm not mistaken they are beneath the live well.

I have spent so much money this year and hope it finally runs good this year.

Thanks for your input

It is simple to check the tank to see if it is empty. Just look at it.
Checking the float is relatively east too if you have a multi meter. It would help to have a picture of your gauges.

Also please confirm that the alarm sounds when you turn on the ignition one click and you have not turned the key to the second position that engages the starting motor.

 

[Gianni]

Here is the gauge that doesn't tell me anything. What do y'all think?

 

[Gianni]

How do I upload a video here?

 

[Gianni]

It alarms at the first turn. Not to engage motor..

 

[seasick]

On the upper gauge in the photo, the red thing that looks like a sail on a boat is the temp overheat alarm. The symbol to the right that looks like a Genie's bottle is the oil alrm indicator. I don't have those gauges but I think that if there is an alarm, the area above the symbol (on the LDC display) will display a bar over the appropriate symbol. The bar, I think, may be solid or may flash. I am not sure. That said, if you turn the ignition on and after self test, the alarm sounds but there are no bars above either symbol, you don't have an oil or overheat alarm.

 

[Gianni]

Update!!!!

The alarm is sounding because of low oil in the tank on the motor thus my pump is not working below. Must change that next.

 

[seasick]

You have confirmed that the tank is empty?
If so, try the manual oil pump toggle switch on the motor. It overrides the sender signals in the remote tank and forces the pump to run. If you hear the pump running but don't see the tank filling up ( it can be a slow process), you may have a clogged filter/screen on the remote tank. The filter removal will most likely require you to remove the tank assembly from the locker. You have to do that to get to the pump also.

 

[Gianni]

Yes I have confirmed the tank is empty. I filled the tank on the motor and the alarm stopped. I didn't notice a manual toggle switch.

I didn't have enough time to go over entire area..

Is it a real pain in the ass to access the pump?

 

[seasick]

Yes I have confirmed the tank is empty. I filled the tank on the motor and the alarm stopped. I didn't notice a manual toggle switch.

I didn't have enough time to go over entire area..

Is it a real pain in the ass to access the pump?

You have to remove the oil tank since the pump is in a recess on the back of the tank. To do so, you have disconnect the sensor unit and remove one bolt on the top bracket. You will have to disconnect the wires to the pump and the oil line too. There may be one or two tie wraps; It's been a while since I disconnected the tank The tank may be a bit heavy depending on how much oil is in it. I don't remember if you can disconnect the oil line before you lift the tank. On either the back or the side of the tank there is an inline plastic filter in the hose.That often gets clogged and can be cleaned or replaced. It is really a screen and not a paper filter.

Look for that toggle switch for the pump override. It is either on the side of the motor or sitting on the back near the ECU. With the ignition on, hold down the switch and listen for the pump.
You can always test the pump by wiring a 12 volt feed to its leads
The tank should be drained into a container and then cleaned. It may have sludge in it.
Note that if the tank filter is clogged or the tank has sludge, just replacing the pump will not help.

It's not that complicated a job.

Things to note:
There are cases where the wires to the remote tank have broken where they pass through the rigging tube but more often than not, the problem is a bad sensor (on the motor tank!), bad pump or a clogged filter.

The sensor on the main tank ( on the motor) has three switches in it. One ( the one highest on the sensor shaft when activated signals that the main tank is full and tells the ECU to turn off the remote pump if running , the middle one signals that the tank is below a certain level and signals the ECU to turn on the pump in the remote tank. The third and lowest switch tells the ECU that the main tank is very low and causes the ECU to revert the motor to safe mode (low revs) and signals an alarm.
The sensor in the remote tank ( the big one) signals when it is low in oil.

Good luck!
Oh, when you pull the tank, there is a good chance that the tank bracket will look like crap

 

[Gianni]

Thank you for a great response. The yanaha dealer did mention that the bracket may be shot. He sells a whole lot etec.

I hope it's a decent easy fix..

I will keep you posted.