What is causing this alarm on my Honda O/B?'

[DaveC426913]

It starts an electronic squealing the moment I turn the key in the ignition until the moment I take it out. Coming directly from the gearshifter in the pedestal.

First day I put it in the water, it was fine. Motored over to my club.
Next day when I took it out for a milk run, it was low on charge - though I was able to start the motor, it started screaming.
Then I hooked it up to power for 24hrs.
Now, on day three, it's still screaming.

I think there are two alarms: one for overheating and one for low battery?

I checked that the cooling was flowing, and the motor started fine.

I guess it's got to be poor connections? I haven't actually checked the voltage yet.

[NiceAft]

Have you removed all battery cables, cleaned connections well and applied dielectric grease after reconnecting?

[beene]

Have you removed all battery cables, cleaned connections well and applied dielectric grease after reconnecting?

Dielectric grease is one of the best inventions ever!

G

[opie]

http://www.marineengine.com/boat-forum/ ... Trim-alarm

[DaveC426913]

Hm. I just had my engine tuned and lubed at the local mechanic.
If I hadn't had an incident-free milk run from public ramp to yacht club, I'd immediately suspect they'd forgotten something.

As, it is, I think I'll call them first thing next week and ask if maybe they missed something. But before I do that, I'll check the charge on the batteries and the dip stick.

[DaveC426913]

Welp. I am no closer to an answer, although I'm ruling some things out.

• Checked the pee-hole again.
• Checked battery voltage: 12.45V when off. Drops to 11.9 when motor running.
• Pulled apart the electrical coupling under the cowl to confirm it is indeed an alarm coming from the elec. harness in the O/B.
• Checked the voltage across various leads - even though I don't know what to look for. A few of them read 12V, most did not. If I knew which one was hot, I should be able to test them, right? I guessed maybe centre-bottom black lead is hot, but who knows.
• Checked the oil. Seems topped up and good golden colour (it had better be - since I just brought it back from the mechanic).
• Removed the thermostat and ran the engine to ensure there's water flowing.

The fact that the alarm sounds the moment the ignition is turned on and stays on until the ignition is off, suggests that this is not an overheating or similar issue. Whatever the problem, it is a problem as long as there is power at all.

That could point to something as simple as a loose lead or crimped wire.

[Gazmn]

Checked battery voltage: 12.45V when off. Drops to 11.9 when motor running.

Is your alternator working? (11.9)

& is something rubbing against the flywheel. Idk if you meant alarms are going off or you’re hearing a screeching sound.

[DaveC426913]

& is something rubbing against the flywheel. Idk if you meant alarms are going off or you’re hearing a screeching sound.

Sorry. Definitely the alarm speaker in the throttle. (Until I took it apart yesterday, I didn't really understand how the alarm system worked. Now I see that all sensors from the electrical panel in the O/B lead to the piezo-speaker in the throttle on the pedestal. Obvious in retrospect, but I'd never examined it before.)

Checked battery voltage: 12.45V when off. Drops to 11.9 when motor running.

Is your alternator working? (11.9)

My friend just asked about that too.

I know very little about that. Is it something I can check out? Yes, it must be. Just like a car - I can see if it's recharging the battery, and if not, it'll probably require a replacement alt.

[Tomfoolery]

& is something rubbing against the flywheel. Idk if you meant alarms are going off or you’re hearing a screeching sound.

Sorry. Definitely the alarm speaker in the throttle. (Until I took it apart yesterday, I didn't really understand how the alarm system worked. Now I see that all sensors from the electrical panel in the O/B lead to the piezo-speaker in the throttle on the pedestal. Obvious in retrospect, but I'd never examined it before.)

Checked battery voltage: 12.45V when off. Drops to 11.9 when motor running.

Is your alternator working? (11.9)

My friend just asked about that too.

I know very little about that. Is it something I can check out? Yes, it must be. Just like a car - I can see if it's recharging the battery, and if not, it'll probably require a replacement alt.

That low voltage caught my eye, too - does your engine control alarm on poor alternator output? I don't believe my BF50 does (just low oil, high temp, but the piezo doesn't work, so how could I know? ), but perhaps yours does.

[DaveC426913]

That low voltage caught my eye, too - does your engine control alarm on poor alternator output? I don't believe my BF50 does (just low oil, high temp, but the piezo doesn't work, so how could I know? ), but perhaps yours does.

Yeah. Dunno about the alternator. How does one check the alternator?

I wish there was a way to tell *what* the alarm means.


I just discovered there are little warning lights on the "underside" of the throttle - one for oil, the other for overheating. Neither came on.

Again though: the fact that the alarm sounds the moment the ignition is turned suggests this is not an overheat situation.

[kmclemore]

NOTE: Thread title changed from “Why is my gearshifter screaming bloody murder?” by request of the original posting member.

[Tomfoolery]

Yeah. Dunno about the alternator. How does one check the alternator?

I would assuming by putting an ammeter in the battery line from the OB. A DC clamp-on ammeter might give you a decent reading. Also by checking the battery voltage resting, and running. It should be elevated while running if the alternator is charging the battery, but it doesn't sound like it is.

I wish there was a way to tell *what* the alarm means.

I just discovered there are little warning lights on the "underside" of the throttle - one for oil, the other for overheating. Neither came on.

That's why I moved and rotated my remote, so I could actually see the lights and not have to bend down to reach the key switch or the shifter.

You can test the two functions by pulling the plug off the water temp and oil pressure and (I think) shorting them to trigger the alarm and associated light. I don't remember which way they work, but it's easy enough to experiment. I tested mine when I replaced the thermostat, but don't remember which way it's wired.

Again though: the fact that the alarm sounds the moment the ignition is turned suggests this is not an overheat situation.

It probably tests the piezo unit with the engine off but ignition on. Maybe through low oil pressure, since there is no oil pressure at all.

[DaveC426913]

I would assuming by putting an ammeter in the battery line from the OB. A DC clamp-on ammeter might give you a decent reading. Also by checking the battery voltage resting, and running. It should be elevated while running if the alternator is charging the battery, but it doesn't sound like it is.

OK. I'll have to poke through the repair manual.

That's why I moved and rotated my remote, so I could actually see the lights and not have to bend down to reach the key switch or the shifter.

I'm curious where/how you mounted it.

You can test the two functions by pulling the plug off the water temp and oil pressure and (I think) shorting them to trigger the alarm and associated light. I don't remember which way they work, but it's easy enough to experiment. I tested mine when I replaced the thermostat, but don't remember which way it's wired.

I suppose. I've never used the lights anyway.

Again though: the fact that the alarm sounds the moment the ignition is turned suggests this is not an overheat situation.

It probably tests the piezo unit with the engine off but ignition on. Maybe through low oil pressure, since there is no oil pressure at all.

Sorry. Maybe I didn't explain. Normally, it never used to sound the alarm, even at start-up.
It's not like a car, where all the alarms light up as a test before going off.

Once this started happening a few weeks back, the alarm sounds immediately - as soon as I turn the key - and stays on. I don't even have to start the engine.

That suggests it can't be an overheating problem, since that wouldn't occur immediately.

[Jimmyt]

Again though: the fact that the alarm sounds the moment the ignition is turned suggests this is not an overheat situation.

Sorry. Maybe I didn't explain. Normally, it never used to sound the alarm, even at start-up.
It's not like a car, where all the alarms light up as a test before going off.

Once this started happening a few weeks back, the alarm sounds immediately - as soon as I turn the key - and stays on. I don't even have to start the engine.

That suggests it can't be an overheating problem, since that wouldn't occur immediately.

While you are absolutely correct, it could still be a bad temp sensor.

It should probably ignore low oil pressure before startup.

Unless your gage has idiot lights like mine does, you'll have to test each sensor individually to find out if one has gone bad; as Tom suggests.

When my ignition is switched on, but the engine isn't running, my buzzer gives one burst, then stops. All of my idiot lights come on, then go off in sequence. One of them is a MIL (malfunction indicator light/check engine). BF may be different, but have you missed a service interval?

Unless it's a check engine alert, I'm putting my money on charging circuit/alternator (or whatever the BF has that charges the battery). You haven't been fiddling with your battery selector while the engine was running, have you? At any rate, when the battery voltage drops below the voltage measured when it's not running, it's almost a sure sign you have a charging issue.

How old is your battery?

[DaveC426913]

While you are absolutely correct, it could still be a bad temp sensor.

Yes. bad sensor is always on the table.

Unless your gage has idiot lights like mine does, you'll have to test each sensor individually to find out if one has gone bad; as Tom suggests.

Sure, but how?

BF may be different, but have you missed a service interval?

I was just in for a tune-up in April.

You haven't been fiddling with your battery selector while the engine was running, have you? At any rate, when the battery voltage drops below the voltage measured when it's not running, it's almost a sure sign you have a charging issue.

OK. Here's the part where everybody pelts me with socket wrenches for not having mentioned it earlier...

Pretty sure one of my batteries is dead.

I assumed, as long as I only run the good battery, it shouldn't matter.

And now you're gonna ask me if it's the deep-cycle or the starter battery that I've been running off.

And then I'm gonna say I don't know.

And then another shower of socket wrenches.

Do I have this about right?