Warning Buzzer

JeffP

I recently purchased a 2003 Hurricane 211GS with a Yamaha 225 outboard.  This weekend when I was using it a loud constant buzzer sounded.  I assumed it was because the gas was low (under 1/4 tank).  Later after filling the tank it again went off but this time I was just above a quarter tank.  The noise stopped as soon as I turned off the main accessory switch on the dash board.  Could this be a warning for low oil or an engine issue?

Ernest_T

Warning buzzer is typically either low oil pressure or engine overheat warning.  Are you getting water flow out of the overflow on the side of the outboard?  Mine occasionally gets stopped up and the buzzer will go off.  I've even started carrying a small plastic tube that I can use to un-clog the overflow port, since it has happened a couple of times now.  Do you know when the last time the water pump was serviced?  A bad impeller in the pump will cause the same problem.  The impeller typically needs to be changed every couple of hundred hours.

89checkmate

An intermittent buzzer is a oil warning and a constant buzzer is a over heat warning, might be time to change your water pump impeller, do you know how old the impeller is, guess since you just bought it probably not, I change mine on all the outboards I've had every 3 years whether they need it or not, cheap insurance in my opinion.

Edit. For the record there was nothing about impeller in post before me when I posted, no point in me just writing what was posted before me.

JeffP

Thanks!  Ernest T, there is overflow coming out.  I am not sure on the age of the water pump impeller but there are 365 hours on the engine so reading these posts it may be time to get that changed.  If I am only using the boat for short amount of times is it OK to use until I can get it serviced?  (i.e. tubing trips around the lake where the engine is only running for a short time?)  it is a small lake, only 100 acres so there isn't a lot of constant run time.  Thanks

bshippjr

These guys are probably right on with your issue, but a couple of years ago I left the marina, and when giving it throttle after leaving the no wake zone, a constant warning buzzer went off.  Knowing I had just added oil and the motor was peeing adequately I was confused.  I determined that it was my depth gauge, and when I would take off it would give me an erroneous shallow depth warning.

Also, I agree with the above comments Re impeller/water pump/lower unit fluid.  I change mine every 3-4 yrs as routine maintenance.

89checkmate

JeffP said:

Thanks!  Ernest T, there is overflow coming out.  I am not sure on the age of the water pump impeller but there are 365 hours on the engine so reading these posts it may be time to get that changed.  If I am only using the boat for short amount of times is it OK to use until I can get it serviced?  (i.e. tubing trips around the lake where the engine is only running for a short time?)  it is a small lake, only 100 acres so there isn't a lot of constant run time.  Thanks

If you do use it make sure you cut the throttle if the warning comes back on, is it a weedy lake? Check your water intake on the sides of the lower unit for blockage the make sure it's getting flow, could be some weeds or sand in there, the impeller is cheap enough to buy and not real hard to install, if you can't do it yourself parts and labour should be anywhere from $100-$150 depending on the shop, the impeller rebuild kit is around $20.00 on ebay.