Engine Alarm Problem

Doc · 07-19-2014, 04:32 PM

Out for a cruise a couple of weeks ago in my 2000 Shabah 183 and the motor just shut down. After a while it restarted, but would shut down again after 10 minutes. It did this a few times for me while I was trying to limp it home. Last time it did it, The starter made a grinding noise and would only make a whirring noise after that. Paddled it in :-(

The long and the short of it is that the motor was overheating and the computer would shut it down when it got to hot. Seems I melted the flappers, letting water in the motor, resulting in a hydro lock that killed the starter. After replacing the impeller, flappers, starter and solenoid it seems to be running fine now. Lesson learned, don't let it get to hot.

However, the alarm did not sound. And it does not sound when the key is turned on. Where is the alarm to tell you that your alarm is broken? lol.

Anyhow, I found the buzzer behind the throttle control. It has a purple wire that has 12v on it and the beige wire that runs back to the motor. I assume on an alarm condition, the beige wire get shorted to ground to activate the alarm?

Is my buzzer dead? How do I test it in the boat? Can I short the beige wire to ground to test as the 12v is there on the purple?

Any help would be appreciated as I don't want to repeate this experience on the water.

***mikeyt*** · 07-19-2014, 06:54 PM

Did ya follow the link in the STICKY at the top of this forum? Looks like there is trouble shooting information for each Mercruiser engine.

Doc · 07-21-2014, 01:42 PM

Well, my alarm does not function, so I don't hear the beep codes.

I need help testing the circuit itself to see why it is not operating.

***mikeyt*** · 07-21-2014, 05:25 PM

I'm gonna have to leave this to those members who are better at electrical than i am. I did see in the wiring diagram that the purple wire supplies the power while tan/blue wire would be the feed from the sensors (oil pressure, drive unit oil level, water temp).

***Hudson River Steve*** · 07-21-2014, 11:56 PM

You mentioned that you had 12V on the purple wire to the buzzer so, to test the buzzer, simply disconnect the tan/blue wire and connect the tan/blue wire on the buzzer to a known good ground and you should hear it. If it does not work then you need a new buzzer. If it works then you have a wiring issue somewhere between the buzzer and the motor.

Doc · 08-03-2014, 04:17 PM

Grounded the sensor wire and no alarm.

Bought a $6 replacement piezio electric buzzer from an electronics supply shop and installed it. Everything works fine now. It was a dead buzzer afterall. If you are installing one, its red to purple and black to tan/black.