1998 150Hp Optimax alarm?

ko · Post by ko » Mon Apr 02, 2007 12:16 pm

I just bought a used boat and had it out this weekend; unfortunately an alarm keeps going off once the motor is on for a bit. The symbol on the alarm looks like a faucet; I am assuming it is an oil alarm of some sort. Being a two stroke I checked the oil for injection and assumed that it is a â€œdry crankâ€

Ray L. · Post by **Ray L.** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 1:53 pm

opti's don't like to be all the way down. They like to be level when running and also at idle. Check the water pressure also.

buddy brown · Post by **buddy brown** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 2:59 pm

I've got a 2006 175 opti. Same thing happened to me on a rough and windy afternoon on DVL. I asked my repair guy and he said to take off the cowling and look for a small oil resevior that resembles a flask. Within this flask is the sensor. This sensor on the newer optimax's is at the top of the flask which makes it very sensitive. He also said that in the older models the sensor is farther down. What I did was open this "flask"(for lack of a better word) and top off the oil and secured the cap back on. I don't know if this is the same problem as you, but it is worth lookin into

ko · Post by ko » Tue Apr 03, 2007 6:17 am

TX for that info. Also read last night online the fuel filter works as a water seperator and that could also be causeing the alarm, looked last night and it has a wire connection but did not see a drain.

Art H. · Post by **Art H.** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 2:36 am

I have a 2003 Optimax 200 H.P., and the same thing just happened to me this week with my outboard. I drove straight to the local marine repair shop in Temecula, and after putting the computer on it, the shop owner said it was a false alarm caused by air in the line. Now I had just filled the external tank the day before, as I always have, and this has never happened before. He said I had no codes for the motor, and after reseting the computer, he said I was good to go.

Went out the next morning and right away the alarm goes off again. Back to the local marine shop one more time. This time he says; Oh it might be real. Now I am just plain scared. The warranty has expired, and I am thinking big bucks repair. Naturally he says he can't fix it now and it will be awhile before he could touch it.

Now I am freaking out because I run a guide business at DVL, and I had booked trips for the next 3 days. While I was pondering what I was going to do, the young man who works in the garage told me to just add one half gallan of Optimax oil to a full tank of fuel, 50 gallons, plus one bottle of fuel stabilizer, and I could run my motor even if the oil pump had actually failed. He said that would insure the motor got the necessary oil it needed. Well I took his advice as a quick fix, at least until I could get it to Anglers Marine, and he was right as it ran fine.

Now as far as the alarm, it would go away when the motor was running at high RPM's. SLow down and it would alarm again. The cost I was quoted for the repair was $382.00 for the oil pump, and $210.00 to install it.

My question is, is there any possibility the pump is fine and the sensor is bad. It appears some oil is being consumed. My motor has 110 hours on it. This is the third time this week I have talked to someone who has experienced this problem.

Kelly Ripa · Post by **Kelly Ripa** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 7:18 am

I hate to say this folks but my 98 optimax has ALWAYS given me phantom alarms...At First it was straight to Anglers but they never found anything. I can take off my cowling and have alarms on the next trip but most that I have gotten cleared by stopping and just putting my boat back in neutral. Ray L. is on to something about the angles of our engines and I have alarms if I idle at 2000 for a long distance. Only once has she actually been right about the problem and that was just a weak water pump/impeller. The only other alarm is when all of mine went off at the same time and when restarted it was not liking life. I had eaten through the batteries because the alternator was shot and it was having trouble( Drain Bamage) because of lack of electricity. I think the air in the oil thing is something I get also but I have so many to choose from....

Yet it's always treated me good and I have no complaints...Better engine than my 200 Black Max anyday

Ron C · Post by **Ron C** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 9:42 am

...(714) 666-2628. I always appreciate the in-put from guys here on the forum, but why not talk to the guy who fixes Mercs for a living? (Just to be safe).

By the way "ko", are you Kipp Ots? If so, congrats again on your (and Bryan's) great finish at Lake Casitas. If not - Nevermind.

Oh, and congrats on the new boat - and welcome to the board. You are now officially a Nutcase!

ko · Post by ko » Mon Apr 09, 2007 12:11 pm

That is I, TX.

Yah, I am a boat owner again. Used the boat for about two hours and have spent another 100 replacing hoses, new bilge, rewiring the charging system, rewiring in general, remount the trolling motor, removing extras from upgrades and general cleanup. Use to maintenance ratio 1:50, yep a boat owner!

Hopefully I will get out this weekend if I can get everything finished this week and see if that alarm is still there after a few suggestions I have received. Tried this weekend but was on the ocean.

Ron C · Post by **Ron C** » Mon Apr 09, 2007 5:42 pm

BOAT = Break Out Another Thousand.

Art H. · Post by **Art H.** » Mon Apr 09, 2007 9:52 pm

Topped off the internal oil reservoir as was mentioned, and no more alarms. I only added maybe a 1/2 inch, but that was all it needed. I hope that was all it was.