'96 Mercury 60 warning alarm

[rowdyredneck]

I bought my first boat late last fall and took it out on the water for the first time today. It worked great but on the way back to the dock a warning alarm started: beep-beep-beep-beep and continues to beep nonstop. The beeps are all the same duration in length lasting approximately two seconds. My first thought was a low oil warning, so I shut the motor off and checked the oil level in the reservoir, which was 3/4 full. I assumed this engine has a low oil shutdown feature and was only half a mile from dock, so I eased it along at half throttle until I got back to the dock and shut her down. The alarm continues to beep with the key on, engine off. When I got home I filled the reservoir with oil, but it still beeps even without the engine running. I thought maybe low voltage, but the motor spins over like the battery is fully charged. Any idea what this could be? I called the previous owner and he had never experienced it while he owned it. I'm an auto mechanic so I would like to fix this myself if possible, but I don't know where to start and I don't have any manuals for the motor.

The motor is a '96 Mercury three cylinder, 60 horsepower oil injected two stroke and the boat is a '96 Tracker Super Pro V-16; the motor is original to the boat. How many possible things could set this warning alarm off, and where do I begin? Thanks.

 

[rowdyredneck]

Re: '96 Mercury 60 warning alarm

Anyone?

 

[rosco_59]

Re: '96 Mercury 60 warning alarm

Make sure the impeller is pumping water

 

[rosco_59]

Re: '96 Mercury 60 warning alarm

Check and see if temp senser is bad also

 

[rowdyredneck]

Re: '96 Mercury 60 warning alarm

I didn't notice out on the river, but after I got home I attached the "ears" with a garden hose and started it up, and it is shooting water out of the discharge hose. I don't understand why it keeps beeping even without the engine running. I don't know how many different warning alarms they use on this engine and which one is actually sounding. I'm going to check a few things on it tonight, try to find the oil and temp senders and disconnect them so I can figure out which one is setting off the alarm. Is there any way to tell if it is pumping oil?

 

[ddennis]

Re: '96 Mercury 60 warning alarm

disconnect the Tan wire under the engine cowl and see if it stops beeping...

 

[slikciv99]

Re: '96 Mercury 60 warning alarm

Sounds like the overheating buzzer. How long since the impeller, thermostats, and temp sensors where checked or changed?

 

[rowdyredneck]

Re: '96 Mercury 60 warning alarm

Sounds like the overheating buzzer. How long since the impeller, thermostats, and temp sensors where checked or changed?

I'm not sure, I bought the boat used and never asked the previous owner. I had to work late so I didn't get a chance to check anything on it, but I did walk out to the shed tonight and turned the key on without even cranking the engine and it still beeps the same way. That makes me think its a bad sender or shorted wire since the engine hasn't been run since Monday. Hopefully I'll be able to look at it more tomorrow night after work. Where are the temp sender and low oil senders located, and what colors are the wires for them?

I want to buy a service manual as soon as possible, but for now I'm just trying to get it going so I can use it this weekend.

 

[ddennis]

Re: '96 Mercury 60 warning alarm

Should all go to the Tan wire....

 

[rowdyredneck]

Re: '96 Mercury 60 warning alarm

Ok...I found the tan wire and disconnected it, the beeping stopped. I noticed a tan/blue wire joined into it which goes into the cylinder head, so I tried disconnecting that but it still beeped. I traced the wires back and located the alarm module which has a tan, purple, and two blue wires coming out of it. Tan and purple go into the harness leading to the console, while both blue wires go to the bottom of the oil reservoir. If I disconnect either of the blue wires the beeping stops, so I found the culprit. I'm just going to disconnect it for now until I get a new sensor (or oil reservoir if the sensor isn't replaceable) since I always keep the tank full anyway.

One more question: Where do I locate the model and serial number for this motor? I can't find a tag anywhere, and I'm sure I'm going to need some info to order parts...and I would also like to order a factory service manual for future reference.

 

[ddennis]

Re: '96 Mercury 60 warning alarm

Serial for engine should be stamped on one of the round welch plugs on the block

 

[rowdyredneck]

Re: '96 Mercury 60 warning alarm

Thanks How about the model number? I saw a sticker somewhere that said something about models M/5 or M/6, maybe it was M/50 and M/60, I can't remember...so is this a M/60?