Opti 175 constant alarm

[Jkovalcik]

I have a 2006 Optimax 175. I am getting a constant alarm after the motor is running for awhile and goes down to an idle but goes away when I throttle up. Thought it was the water pump and installed a new one. Still getting the alarm. Last season it got new thermostats and new temp sensors. There is no air bubble in the oil tank. Any help would be appreciated

 

[tlh 178]

could be popit valve, i replace mine every couple of years. my opti has a long history of the dreaded constant beep nightmare. if i replace the impellar or popit, always corrects the problem.

 

[Jkovalcik]

I can’t find any info on the popit valve or where it’s location. Any chance you can help me out

 

[tlh 178]

mine is on the starboard side near the back. its hard to see, you'll see a water hose going to it. goto you tube and search mecr optimax poppet valve replacement. the kit will look like this.

 

[Chris1956]

A lot of those Optimax motors have a water separator, with a water sensor. They beep if the filter has water in it.

They were low on the port side of the motor, and look like a small spin on oil filter. You might empty/replace yours if you haven't.

 

[Jkovalcik]

So I ended up taking it to a dealer to have them put it on the computer. It is reading:
Active: Sea Water Input High
Active: Trim Input Low
Active: Oil Level Sensor Input High
Active: Fuel Level Sensor High
After the dealer hooked it into the computer he said that they know almost nothing about Mercury outboards for they had just became a dealer and he wanted to keep it to look at sensors, but I just took it home. I talked to a trusted dealer and he said that those will show up all the time if I dont have the display on the dash. So a waste of $100. I replaced the poppett valve which was pretty dirty on the inside. I tested my thermostats and they both opened and closed as they should. Emptied the fuel water separator and their was not any water inside. I took it out on the water and it ran great Ran for about 3 miles and dropped it down to an idle and no alarm. Fished for a little mile and ran a quarter mile, dropped it down to an idle and I was getting the alarm again. Turn off the key and turn it back on, it will idle for a minute or two before the alarm sounds again but will always go away when I throttle up. Ended up running back to the ramp and the boat ran fine. When I pulled into the 500 yard no wake zone it alarmed again at idle. Turned the key off and on reset the problem for a few hundred feet. Kept doing this until I got to the dock. I took the top cover off and turned it back on and it would not alarm. Went back out in the no wake zone and it would not alarm with the cover off. Put the cover back on and couldnt get it to alarm again. My only thought is that too much hot air is getting stuck under the top cover and it cant cool down? Is that even a possibility? Im completely lost and every dealer is 6 weeks out. To add insult to injury my front winch strap to my trailer broke on the way home.

 

[tlh 178]

i feel your pain, as this is a yearly issue for my 2002 135. i took it to the local merc dealer and they said they could not find a problem. that was 10 yrs ago, when you said you emptied the water separator, you did not replaced with a new spin on? might be worth 5.00 bucks and replace it. there is a way to test sensors, but i have no clue how to test them. i brought all new ones at some point and that didn't help. are you getting a good pee stream? these are very picky motors, they like to run fast and not so much at slower speeds. mine is due to start acting up anytime now, when it does i buy a new oem impeller and i never buy off brand parts. check your cover and make sure there is nothing clogging your air circulation. i'm a dental tech and not a marine tech, the experts here maybe able to help us both with are similar problems.

 

[Chris1956]

There is a filter in the plastic engine cover. Likely filters air for the compressor. See if yours is dirty.

When was the last time you replaced the waterpump? Maybe she is overheating?