3 Flashing arrows on tach, no oil transfer

[GLS062866]

I have a 1993 130hp TXRR. I have a problem with the motor not transferring oil to the the engine tank. The motor will run until the engine tank is low thus causing alarm and RPM reduction. But the tach has all 3 arrows flashing. I can add oil to engine tank and it runs fine but with 3 arrows still blinking. Remote tank is almost full so that is not the issue.
From reading countless threads on this forum it seams the 3 flashing arrows on tach means the system thinks the remote tank has enough oil for transfer and engine tank low. But both are full. I have checked everything that I could find for continuity hoping to find bad wire, connection, or plug. Everything checks out with my meter.
Originally I thought the not transferring might be caused from trim gauge / trim sensor not working. I found that the sensor corroded and was broken off but it did not have any bars on gauge. So I replaced the sensor and then every other bar on tach lit up. But still no oil transfer and all arrows flashing. So wanting to rule out trim gauge I replace the tach with a refurbished one. Solved the problem with the bars. All bars light up when motor moves up or down so I think that it took it out of the equation. Still same issue with 3 arrows flashing and not transferring oil. couple questions please.

1. If the CDI thinks the motor is up it stops oil transfer. What does the tach show at that time?

2. While it would stop the transfer would it cause the 3 flashing arrows?

3. How does the CDI get that info? Is it the gray wire in the 4 wire harness?

My gut says it is not the trim causing it but a bad wire or connection but I have not found yet. I unwrapped all the wires, checked continuity, and cleaned all plugs and harnesses. I have read that it is a stupidly simple system but I have not found wiring problem yet so it is making me look other places. I had this motor on another boat as a pair. I kept the other motor for parts. I swapped the 3 harnesses, engine tank sensor, and emergency transfer switch box thinking that it might be a broken wire. Didn't change anything so I put all original ones back on.
I did notice something today on the other gauge that I had not seen before. The gauge is badly faded so It might have been there before. The battery symbol has a flashing background. Could this be the cause of the tach issue? This is a screenshot of a short video (couldn't get it to upload)

tach1.PNG

Any help or suggestions. This is driving me nuts.

Thanks
Greg

[boscoe99]

[GLS062866]

Thanks for the info. Just for my own knowledge. Motor turns over and starts fine but that would make sense since it comes straight from battery. I will check manual to see where the power comes from to the CDI. There is only one buzzer which I know works (from puling up engine tank sensor up and turning motor over with safety key out). Would I be able to tell if RPM reduction was kicked in running it on a water hose? Not questioning your knowledge I am one of those that like to think through it and tries to understand how it works.
Again just for my own knowledge how does the CDI get the info that the motor is up to stop the transfer of oil? Is it simply from the trim gauge or directly from sensor?

[boscoe99]

Thanks for the info. Just for my own knowledge. Motor turns over and starts fine but that would make sense since it comes straight from battery. I will check manual to see where the power comes from to the CDI. There is only one buzzer which I know works (from puling up engine tank sensor up and turning motor over with safety key out). Would I be able to tell if RPM reduction was kicked in running it on a water hose? Not questioning your knowledge I am one of those that like to think through it and tries to understand how it works.
Again just for my own knowledge how does the CDI get the info that the motor is up to stop the transfer of oil? Is it simply from the trim gauge or directly from sensor?

Without a tachometer with indications, or the warning horn, I don't think that the RPM reduction mode can be felt if the motor is idling.

A Mercury switch is used to tell the CDI if the motor is tilted up. If tilted up the automatic oil transfer system is disabled.

[boscoe99]

Without a tachometer with indications, or the warning horn, I don't think that the RPM reduction mode can be felt if the motor is idling.

A Mercury switch is used to tell the CDI if the motor is tilted up. If tilted up the automatic oil transfer system is disabled.

[GLS062866]

Next time I have to look at it I am going to start with battery connection and move forward from there. I can see not feeling the RPM reduction at idle but the alarm not sounding is weird because i know it works, at least with other things. It must get the signal from different sources to sound under different situations. Starting there though. Again thanks for the help and enjoy reading you post.

One other questions for my own knowledge again, Is the mercury switch in the trim sensor mounted on motor? Reason I am asking is I have read many posts that talk about solving issue with no oil transfer and on many models the trim question comes up as a possibility. But many times they say the trim gauge was not working before the transfer issue started. That is the reason I was thinking the signal to not transfer due to the motor being up may not have been coming from gauge. Again thanks....

[boscoe99]

Different Yams use different means to prevent the automatic transfer of oil. Some use a Mercury switch, some use the trim sender and some use RPM.

Your model uses a Mercury switch. In the oil control module.

[GLS062866]

Thanks....

[GLS062866]

Boscoe I got the flashing battery warning light solved but it was not the cause of the 3 flashing arrows on tach. I would like to get the PBS working if I don't have to put much money into it since it is such and old motor. Converting to premix could be an option but zip tieing the engine tank sensor up will not stop the flashing arrows which would drive me crazy. So this is where I am at right now.

- all three lights flashing on tach
- drain oil out of engine tank, alarm sounds and does not start transfer
- can refill using emergency switch, alarm stops when it is suppose to while engine tanks fills, all 3 lights still flashing

- check continuity on engine tank sensor per service manual. got continuity with all 3 switches in there correct positions

So the 3 flashing lights mean the system thinks the remote tank has enough oil for transfer (which it does) but the engine tank is low (which it is not). So does then mean the CDI is not getting the signal from the engine tank sensor?
With the SW2 closed i got continuity with the brown and black with the square plug disconnected like i should. I reconnected the square plug. I then disconnected the 7 pin round plug on the other side manual transfer switch box and tested for continuity between the brown and black. I only got a quick beep on meter and then nothing.It seams like it go through the emergency switch but it doesn't.

Thanks.....

[GLS062866]

I just noticed my post was addressed to Boscoe. It was meant as a reply to him. I am open and would welcome anyone's suggestions. There flashing lights are going to make me start drinking again......

[ausnoelm]

Find the bad wiring and repair it, it is not a two minute job, but it's not that hard, don't assume anything is good because it "looks" OK, you need to remove and clean/check all wiring, end to end.

[GLS062866]

Last night while thinking about this again, I have another question. In post #9 I asked about should I have continuity through the black and brown wire after the manual transfer switch with SW2 closed. If this was the test to see if SW2 was opening and closing before the switch should it be the same test after the switch. I have not gotten a response regarding that question but I had taken the switch off the motor to clean both plugs on each end. I tried the test without it being mounted on motor. Boscoe said that the mercury switch (for inhibiting oil transfer if the motor is in up position) is in that manual switch box. If the test should work on both sides of the transfer switch could not being mounted on the motor in a level position give me a bad continuity reading?
The manual calls it the control unit assy. Is it referred to as other names commonly? i keep calling it manual transfer switch.

[boscoe99]

Are you any further along in solving your problem?

[GLS062866]

No not yet. I just went and mounted the manual switch back to the motor to test in case the mercury switch was stopping it from going through. I have attached a picture of what I am testing but not sure if it is suppose to make it through the manual switch box.
I tested SW1 (black to white), SW2 (black to brown), and SW3 (black to red) from the square plug for continuity and it all checked out.
I didn't see the white coming out of the manual switch so I couldn't test it if it was good after switch
I am trying to test SW2 after the manual switch by checking continuity through brown and black. When I touch it my meter beeps once and then stops. Is it suppose to be coming through the manual switch with key on?
I did also check SW3 on the other side of the manual switch by tracing blue/red wire to the other side of motor and testing from motor side of plug going to remote tank. Good continuity with the blue/red and black in the harness with main tank sensor all of the way down so SW3 was closed.

IMG_5077.JPG

Thanks in advance.

[boscoe99]

I don't think the Mercury switch has anything to do with the manual toggle switch that manually turns on the remote tank oil pump.

The manual toggle switch has nothing whatsoever to do with any of the sensor switches. The toggle switch merely applies a ground to the pump. Since the pump has battery voltage with the key on, the pump will then run.