Hesitation: 2003 50hp EFI 4-stroke

[craqpot]

This engine has been great. Still is. But three times in the last 6 or 7 hours of running she cut out for about one second and gave me one beep on the warning horn at the same time. Then kept right on going. Once was about 3500 RPM, twice at closer to 5000. No rhyme or reason. It felt like water in the line, but I stopped and checked the filter and bowl the first time it happened and it was all OK. Also, I have a water separating filter in addition to the small filter in the engine, and pay close attention to my tanks, which are portable and clean. Fuel was fresh. The manuals don't say anything about that one beep. Would it sound off for a fuel line problem? I also thought about a loose connection, but checked everyhting I could get my hands on.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Hesitation: 2003 50hp EFI 4-stroke

Bad ignition switch perhaps. It momentarily turns off the engine and when it pops back on triggers the warning horn in the same manner it would when the key is first turned on. Just a hunch.

 

[Dunaruna]

Re: Hesitation: 2003 50hp EFI 4-stroke

[colour=blue]Sounds like the guardian system is kicking in, numerous conditions logged by the ECM will activate the guardian system and reduce RPM's. You need to take black beauty to a tech and have him talk to the ECM, it will log faults.

BTW, a single blast of the warning horn indicates normal operation (what silvertip was reffering to). If a fault was hard logged, intermittent beeping would be heard. I suspect you have an intermittent problem that the ECM is detecting but not logging - something like a weak waterpump and consequent overheat.

With key on/engine off do you get any beeping other than the normal single beep?

 

[craqpot]

Re: Hesitation: 2003 50hp EFI 4-stroke

"With key on/engine off do you get any beeping other than the normal single beep?"

Nope, all operations and signals are normal except for those three episodes of quick stall/one beep. As far as water pressure/overheat, I mounted a water pressure gauge and that's consistently good.

I hate to say it at this point, but going over it in my mind, the last of the three stalls, a little spooky seven miles out on the Wasque Shoals and headed home, could have been two beeps, or one longer beep. That stall probably lasted one full second. But still, there is no one beep or two beep signal as part of the Guardian system as it's written in the manual.

If starting up is the only way to get a single beep, that would almost definitely narrow it down to the ignition switch or connections. I have to bring it in to verify the 100 hour service to maintain the extended warranty for one more year, so the idea to check for logged faults is appreciated greatly. Thanks for any other suggestions. It has to get solved in the Spring, first thing.