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View Full Version : Help! Double-beep from ECM



Beer-30
03-19-2005, 03:47 PM
My stock 2001 496HO keeps beeping at me while underway. Idling, at speed, or KOEO, I get a beep....1 second pause.....beep. It happens every minute or so. Real annoying. All fluid levels are full. The guy I bought it from said it has been doing that since it's last dealer performed service. He thought it was the depth-finder, which I have replaced and found that it is the ECM warning alarm that is making the noise. I plan on checking to see if the plug for the drive lube sensor is maybe unplugged (?).
I bought the service manuals for the engine and drive from Mercury, but it doesn't address this situation.
Anyone have any ideas?

PHX ATC
03-19-2005, 04:36 PM
Drive lube might be low or indeed, the sensor might be off whack.
Way back in the day, when I had a boat :( , I went through this whole ordeal with the same issue. Turned out, it was a cam sensor and crank sensor that had 2 or 3 of the prongs bent back. Seems it would make good contact while idling and slower speeds, but as soon as it got over 3000 rpm, it would be intermittent, beep, and freak out the engine.
Check all the connections. All those little prong thingies in the wiring harness. If they took any off, have them recheck them with a fine tooth comb. There actually is a bulletin at the Merc factory that comes from my story. It has the entire wiring harness checked at all the sensors to ensure the little prongs (all of them) are hitting and functional. It's on their trouble shooting guide at the factory now too.
Good luck.
PM me if you've any detailed questions.
Toby

shockwavebd
03-19-2005, 05:09 PM
It could also be your water pump impellar going bad

Beer-30
03-19-2005, 05:51 PM
Thanks PHX ATC, wouldn't want to fly into IMC being a VFR pilot, eh? Thank, I'll check the vectors you suggested.
Shockwave, does the impellor have a sensor? or do you just mean temperature. Because temp is normal.
I have a strong feeling it could only be that they didnt plug the drive lube sensor back in after servicing. He had just taken it in to Sleek in PHX for a full service and said it beeped since then. That should be about the only thing they touched during a service that has a sensor.
I will check all I can next time the hatch is up. Runs great, though!

charlyox
03-19-2005, 07:46 PM
:hammer2: My 496 H.O. did the same thing. I'll have to look over my recipts because I can't remember what it was.

Beer-30
03-19-2005, 08:42 PM
Thanks, Charlyox. I know it has to be something simple. If it was major, it wouldn't run so good!

Faster Daddy
03-20-2005, 02:50 AM
For peace of mind I'd have someone throw a scan tool on there, its too expensive a motor to be guessing.

Beer-30
03-20-2005, 05:51 AM
You're absolutely right, Faster. Or shall I call you Daddy?
After I check the lube monitor plug, and if it is in good shape, it's off to the local Mercruiser dealer to slap on the scanner.

phebus
03-20-2005, 08:01 AM
Since you just had it serviced, my money says your right on with the outdrive lube container plug. I bet you find it unplugged, or just not fully seated. Too coincidental, the servicing and the beep.
I agree with the scan, only if that is not the obvious problem. Why throw away good money.

Beer-30
03-20-2005, 09:47 AM
Thanks phebus. By the way, I will post findings. Probably check the monitor today, so I will let you all know if it was the plug. If I end up having it scanned, I'll post those findings. Never know, it could happen to someone else later!

welk2party
03-20-2005, 12:35 PM
Mine did the same thing. It turned out to be a faulty sensor in the drive lube resevoir. Had the whole thing replaced and has been fine since.

Dr. Eagle
03-20-2005, 12:54 PM
Personally I think it is the Cash alarm. The boat is feeling a little neglected that you haven't poured enough in lately... :idea:

phebus
03-20-2005, 01:22 PM
Personally I think it is the Cash alarm. The boat is feeling a little neglected that you haven't poured enough in lately... :idea:
If my boat had one of those, I would never be able to hear it over my wife yelling that I have spent too much money on the boat!

Dr. Eagle
03-20-2005, 01:26 PM
If my boat had one of those, I would never be able to hear it over my wife yelling that I have spent too much money on the boat!
ROTFLMAO... Me either... :D

Beer-30
03-20-2005, 02:24 PM
Checked where the wires plug in to the harness (fine), but the two wires going to the sensor have been kinked under the bottle, downstream from the sensor. The copper is not exposed and the wires are not cut, but they don't look like they are too happy. Additionally, there is a harness directly under the bottle sensor has been pushed against and has the wires pushed hard at 90 degrees out of it. Plan to replace sensor / run wires better, and have ECM scanned for safety sake.

PHX ATC
03-20-2005, 04:51 PM
Let us know the outcome of all that inner sanctum brain type workings! :mix:

Beer-30
03-20-2005, 06:54 PM
You got it, PHX. Just be easy on me if I come in there during one of these IFR lessons, ok?

PHX ATC
03-21-2005, 04:55 AM
You got it, PHX. Just be easy on me if I come in there during one of these IFR lessons, ok?
We can say "go around" with the best of them! :eek: :wink:

dicudmore
03-21-2005, 07:40 AM
if the sensor is unplugged for the drive lube then you get NO buzzer....
At times when we may have overlooked the drive level prior to launching and it gets below 1/2 way on the res that thing will start beeping and need to accidentally become disconnected :wink:

Beer-30
03-21-2005, 03:01 PM
Ah, I will unplug and see if it goes away. Possible it is damaged and thinks it is low, even though it's at the full line. Getting ready to change the lube to TORCO RTF Synthetic anyway. Figured I would put a new sensor in it at the same time.

Mardonzi
03-21-2005, 03:59 PM
We can say "go around" with the best of them! :eek: :wink:
As long as you don't say "Bonanza 223C,Cleared for final Runway 17L. Please expedite turnout onto taxiway... Ummmm,,, Southwest 2329, could you please slow it down to 140... Do you have the Bonanza crossing the number ahead of you??"

rivercrazy
03-21-2005, 04:05 PM
When is the last time you replace the water impeller? There is a temp sender in the exhaust and a pressure sensor near the impeller. The new merc water pumps are on the fragile side......
Because of closed cooling, you may not see the rise in temp before the impeller totally fails

Beer-30
03-21-2005, 06:27 PM
The guy I bought it from said it was done in May '04. Probably Wednesday I will drag it to the local Merc dealer and scan it. Whatever it costs, it would be nice just to go right to the source of the code! Any sensors should set a code and tell me where to look. If no codes, it's back to the hunt.

Dr. Eagle
03-21-2005, 06:41 PM
Whatever it costs, Any sensors should set a code and tell me where to look.
Definitely the cash sensor... :D

Beer-30
03-22-2005, 08:11 PM
No, the cash sensor had definitely been fed, and it's about to again when I call Bob at Dana for mufflers.
Went to local Mercruiser dealer and checked on getting it in for a checkup. Will be their minimum charge of $61 to scan it. The mechanic I spoke with advised me to look at the neg battery cables. He said they have been seeing a lot of screaming ECMs from loose cables causing bad ground / voltage spikes.
It's supposed to go in Monday and will be in line, which they said is about 4 days right now. Will update.

Beer-30
03-28-2005, 03:35 PM
Update:
Was supposed to take it in for a scan this morning (Monday) but it was raining. Scheduled for scan tomorrow morning. It has also started "nosing over" at about 4000-4200 rpm with a solid beep from the ECM. Acts like it is running out of fuel, but pulls great out of the hole at WOT. Don't fully suspect the fuel. Merc guy seems to think it is the water pressure sensor at the raw pump. We'll see in the AM!

MONEYFURNOTHIN
03-28-2005, 03:47 PM
I have a 300X merc and im getting beeped at. Only seems to happen up over 4000 and my volt meter spikes up to 16. Im being told it the voltage reg in the alt. Could it just be a bad neg battery connection?

WYRD
03-28-2005, 03:57 PM
I have a 300X merc and im getting beeped at. Only seems to happen up over 4000 and my volt meter spikes up to 16. Im being told it the voltage reg in the alt. Could it just be a bad neg battery connection?
I am having almost the same problem with my 496 the voltgage spikes down to 10V and stays there when I run the lights and or the stereo. But according to the service manual the ECM wil not beep for a bad regulator or batteries. Has anybody ever had this problem?

timewarp
03-28-2005, 08:17 PM
Can't say for sure on the 496 but on the 300X's which use the 555PCM there is a low and high voltage alarm. I would think that the 496's would be the same since the PCM needs the same voltage in each case.
Caleb

Beer-30
03-28-2005, 11:43 PM
Well, it's all hooked up and ready to go in the AM. If the problem rears its head to the scanner tomorrow, I will make sure and post it ASAFP. The neg cables had been mentioned. I will check those as the hatch is up.
More tomorrow.

Beer-30
03-29-2005, 04:37 PM
Ok, battery cables appear good. Technician scanned and found no codes. He is going to dig deeper and possibly call Mercury tomorrow. Weird.
Also, unhooked drive lube sensor, still beeped. Ends up mine is model before water pressure sensor at raw pump, so its not that.
Will update as info rolls in.

Beer-30
03-30-2005, 04:45 PM
Ok, found it today.
Code set was for Exhaust temp sender. Started looking at all connections and the snap-together plug for the port exh temp sender was unplugged. Turned the key on after snapping it together and the double-beep was gone. Waited several minutes, no beep. That's all it was. Hope it helps someone in the future.

BoatFloating
03-30-2005, 05:03 PM
Ok, found it today.
Code set was for Exhaust temp sender. Started looking at all connections and the snap-together plug for the port exh temp sender was unplugged. Turned the key on after snapping it together and the double-beep was gone. Waited several minutes, no beep. That's all it was. Hope it helps someone in the future.
That was one of my quesses. I should of said something. That happened to me but I had Smartcraft SC 5000 screen and it told me exactly what the problem was and what side. I'm surprised your tech didn't catch it. With his code reader he can start the engine and it would of told you what was going on. Those sensors are in place to monitor exh temp and if they get to high it warns you and then go into limp mode. So it was reading was low since it wasn't plugged in all the way..
Glad yu got it fixed.... :)

phebus
03-30-2005, 05:14 PM
I thought it was an indicator that your stereo volume was too low. If you can hear it, turn up stereo before serious damage to fun. :D

dicudmore
03-30-2005, 05:18 PM
I thought it was an indicator that your stereo volume was too low. If you can hear it, turn up stereo before serious damage to fun. :D
that could indicate a serious problem for sure :wink:

racecar.hotshoe
03-30-2005, 05:20 PM
Ok, found it today.
Code set was for Exhaust temp sender. Started looking at all connections and the snap-together plug for the port exh temp sender was unplugged. Turned the key on after snapping it together and the double-beep was gone. Waited several minutes, no beep. That's all it was. Hope it helps someone in the future.
That was my guess!...................... :coffeycup :D