2001 40 hp Evenrude efi heat sensor malfunction

[twogone]

In 2012 I purchesed a 16' Harbercraft with an almost unused 40 hp Evenrude fuel injected 4 stroke motor. The heat warning sensor seems to go off and shut the motor down at random when running over 4000 RPM. There is an old thread discussing this topic so I assume mine isn't the only motor of this vintage & model that has or had this problem. It must be the sensor and not a heat problem because if I turn off the motor and restart, it will start and run perfectly, sometimes for another 20 to 40 minutes before it happens again. Some days it doesn't go off at all and other days it shuts the motor down every 5 to 10 minutes. My (very expensive) marine mechanic has not been able to find a solution and I was wondering if anyone on the forum (or Evenrude) has a 'fix' for this situation? It's more of an annoyance than a real problem and the loud 'beeping' scares the hell out of my wife. Thank you for your help; twogone

 

[boobie]

Re: 2001 40 hp Evenrude efi heat sensor malfunction

Has the water pump been replaced ?? Have you tried a different heat sensor ??

 

[twogone]

Re: 2001 40 hp Evenrude efi heat sensor malfunction

Has the water pump been replaced ?? Have you tried a different heat sensor ??

Many thanks for the reply. No to both of the above. I took it to the local Evendure dealer last summer and the mechanic said he found some loose wires and tightened them plus said the problem is most likely with the sensor because the motor is not getting hot. They don't have a big tank or a lake nearby so they could only test the motor at an idle with the 'earmuffs' on for a water supply. The next time I took it on the ocean and ran it over 4000 rpm the sensor went off again so the problem was not fixed. The first few times it happened I felt the water coming from the motor and it was not hot. I also took off the cover and felt the manifold and it was not hot. I'm not very mechanically inclined but my fishing partner is and he said the motor was not hot. When this problem occurs I can turn off the key and restart and run again immediately. This tells me that when the electricity is turned off, that cancels whatever signal the sensor is sending and 'things' return to normal. I figure if the motor was actually hot it would not start and run again until the sensor indicates it has cooled down. I will look for a new sensor to replace the old one and see if that works. Thanks again for your suggestions, Cheers, twogone

 

[clanton]

Re: 2001 40 hp Evenrude efi heat sensor malfunction

This motor made by Suzuki. You need a manual, and service bulletins. I will see what info I can find. Lot of changes made to this engine. I will check the bulletins one day next week,
I`m old and slow, may take a few days.



Member Daselbee may be helpful, he works on some of the Suzuki.

 

[twogone]

Re: 2001 40 hp Evenrude efi heat sensor malfunction

Many many thanks for the response. Other than this annoying little problem, I really do like this motor. It is super quiet, super smooth and goes forever on a gallon of fuel. I don't know if there is a difference between US Evenrudes and Canadian Evenrudes of this vintage but this one should be a US model because I purchased the boat and motor in Dixon California. I will find the serial number and add it to this thread later today. Again, thank you so much for the help, I'm old & slow too and on top of that I'm not mechanically enclined. I can work with wood but metal things just frustrate me. Cheers; Twogone, Ladysmith, BC, Canada

 

[clanton]

Re: 2001 40 hp Evenrude efi heat sensor malfunction

If This motor has a System Check tach, with the 4 lights. The check engine light will blink the numerical trouble codes. There are two temp sensors 1 in the water jacket, 1 in the exhaust manifold. The computer compares the 2 signals for rise time, Cold engine run high rpms. The 1 sensor will tell the computer if engine is hot.

There were problems with the subwater intake allowing air in the cooling water, this can be blocked off, with plug PN5031618.
Problems with both temp sensors.
Problems with the computer.

Haven`t had time to look at the service bulletins yet.

This engine in warranty?

 

[twogone]

Re: 2001 40 hp Evenrude efi heat sensor malfunction

When I bought the boat & motor the salesman told me it was a 2001 engine but I have just looked at the tiny tag on the top of the leg and it says "08/1999". I guess boat salesmen, horse salesmen & car salesmen are all the same. Anyway the Model number is "E 40 PL 4SS" and the Serial number is " S17005695 ". According to the operation & maintenance manual the warranty is for 2 years only so it has long since expired.
Yes, the engine has a System Check tach with the 4 lights but I haven't noticed a "numerical trouble code". It's a bit cold here right now but I hope to get out for some crabs and/or prawns soon and if the problem occurs I will look for the code.
Thanks for all your help; Cheers; twogone

 

[racerone]

Re: 2001 40 hp Evenrude efi heat sensor malfunction

These are really nice motors when they run.---Picked up a 2002 model for $100 , minus lower unit.----------Motor was totally fried from an overheat condition.----Picked it up as a parts motor.-----No idea how this happened , since there should be a buzzer that comes on.

 

[twogone]

Re: 2001 40 hp Evenrude efi heat sensor malfunction

My wife and I drove down to Dixon California to buy this boat & motor and when the mechanic at the boat lot lifted the cover off the engine we couldn't believe it. It was hard to tell if it had ever been used....absolutely spotless! I hired a marine surveyor to look at it before we drove down to make the purchase and he said in all his years as a surveyor he had never seen a 10 year old outboard motor in such pristine condition.
Other than this minor (? hopefully ?) problem I really like this motor. It is quiet, smooth, starts like a dream and is so fuel efficient I can do a 2 hour run (out & back) and troll all day for under $40.00. There is a buzzer, a very loud one, and believe me, the first time it happened I nearly had to change my shorts and it totally freaked out my wife. With the help of all the kind & helpful folks on this forum I'm confident we will solve this problem. I'm surprised Evenrude hasn't got a 'fix' for the problem; maybe they do and I just haven't found it yet. Cheers; twogone

 

[racerone]

Re: 2001 40 hp Evenrude efi heat sensor malfunction

A local dealership that represents Suzuki might be able to help you.-----Might as well install a new impeller first !

 

[boobie]

Re: 2001 40 hp Evenrude efi heat sensor malfunction

You could also call BRP customer service at 1-262-884-5993 and see what they have to say.

 

[twogone]

Re: 2001 40 hp Evenrude efi heat sensor malfunction

Thanks guys; I will try both. Twogone

 

[oldboat1]

Re: 2001 40 hp Evenrude efi heat sensor malfunction

Oops. feel a story coming on. I worked on wood boats before I started with motors -- finally started doing my own mechanical work after a shop told me my old Chrysler had overheated because of an issue with a piston wrist pin, some scuffing of the cylinder walls, and (by the way) he had a hard time getting the lower unit back on because of warping. All of this could easily have been true, but when the overheat buzzer went off again out on Lake Michigan, I limped back to shore and went to another shop. The overheating problem was that the impeller had not been replaced (still an old partially destroyed one). After that turned out to be what was needed, I started doing my own work on simple maintenance (and later some basic mechanical restoration) -- and ALWAYS replaced the impeller as part of maintenance.

Anyway, I was thinking of that when you were describing your experience. First, I absolutely agree with the advice to change out the impeller (whether you do it yourself or not). Second, I wanted to relate that I added a simple temp gauge to an old evinrude that I wanted to monitor. It was a '70s motor (much less sophisticated than yours), but gave me some peace of mind and maybe is something you could consider. The sensor/sender simply attached under one of the head bolts, and rested on surface of the cylinder head. It may or may not have accurately measured the operating temperature, but did show an overheating condition before it got out of hand (had gotten an obstruction at the intake). If a simple minded device like that is still available, maybe you could add that for a supplementary/redundant protection. Just a thought.

Regards.....