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BF200 BAEJ alarm-safe mode

H

hurricane

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Hi, I've got a recurring problem where above 3000 rpm the alarm sounds and the motor goes into this rpm reduction mode. The oil light goes out while the horn is going constantly. The only way to reset is by shutting down the motor. It fires up no problem! There are no codes set as the MIL light doesn't stay on. I tried disconnecting the oil pressure sender but that didn't stop the problem. It used to only happen in rough water conditions. Yes, I have done the new exhaust pipes and oil pan gasket kit. Also, the o2 sensor is new. Does anybody know what other sensors could cause this situation?? Thanks
 
Hey- thanks for that, The service manual says to measure the oil pressure from the crankcase upper cover- you mentioned the sender location, any particular reason? Also where does the high pressure oil switch come into play?
 
I checked the oil pressure from the upper crankcase port and at idle it was 17 psi (which is the minimum allowable) and went up to 60+ above 3000. I'm go to try it on the water to see what happens.
 
Do you have the 4-light switch panel? If so, are any of the red lights coming on when the green oil light goes out? If no other lights, and oil pressure tests out as you indicated, then look for a loose or broken wire from the ECM to the oil pressure sender. If no issues there. Replace the sender.
 
ppg said:
did you find a solution i am having the same problem
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Hi, I'm still working on this issue- like this reply. What I can tell you is that my problem is definately a lack of oil pressure above 3000 rpm. The boat is a twin application so I tested the good engine (under load) which has a continuous 85psi. The problem motor drops very gradually to 55psi then the horn and rpm reduction- takes about 10 minutes. I disconected the high oil pressure alarm and no problem. I removed the strbd cylinderhead to check the oil galleries and replace the oil regulator orifice- found some debris. The camshaft has some scoring and is undersized so this might just be a bunned motor. I'm going to put it back together this week and retest. If it fails again I'll remove the powerhead to inspect the oil pump.
 
Did you ever solve the safe mode problem? i have the same problem on hondas 225 on both engines above 4000 rpm. new oil senders. very intermittant
 
Green light going out is not good. Skip the chatter, obtain a large pry bar or cro bar. Remove top air intake silencer above pulley and belt. Install pry between the top pulley and a safe place on the crankcase whereas not to break anything. Use as little pressure as possible to leverage the pully upward's. If you see or feel vertical lift or hear a clunk then the crankshaft thrust bearing has failed. Debris from the failed thrust bearing end's up in the #3 main bearing causing it to gall and thus the lack of oil pressure. Max crankshaft end play is 0.14. Wish I had better news. On a much brighter note Honda is very aware of this type of failure and has improved unit's being tested as we speak. Thank's Martin
 
You can check the thrust bearing clearance for your self. But you need to take it to honda dealer
it depands on your motor. It maybe covered under warranty.

just look for articles under " honda thrust bearing failure"
 
OK guys - I checked the thrust bearing clearance. It is less than .125 om both engines. Starboard engine has new oil sensors. The port engine just started this scenario. I can run at 5000 plus for many miles before the slow mode is involked. The starboard engine has been intermittantly doin this for over a year. Very aggravating. No codes. Any other things that can cause slow mode?
 
So, hooked on. Is your green lite going off or is your unit just going into safe mode? Is the green lite always on and the unit goes into safe mode and the red lite is on? Must of been a real challenge to replace the oil pressure sensor's !!! Thank's Martin
 
When it goes safe mode the green lite is off. All I have to do is restart the motor and its off I go again. The chexk engine lite doesn't come on. I can fish all day long with no problem. I can run at 4500 with no problem. I'm going for a long gas run tomorrow and fishing Sunday and I'll see if I get any new info or observations
 
hooked on said:
Did you ever solve the safe mode problem? i have the same problem on hondas 225 on both engines above 4000 rpm. new oil senders. very intermittant
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problem solved I've been using Honda AUTO filters for about 8 years. Over two years ago this problem developed. That was when I went to Synthetic OIL. I had put oil pressure guages on borh engines to check pressure - it was perfect. Changing the oil filters definitelyh cured the problem. Rule - don't use auto filters with synthetic oil. I've put 50 hours on the engines running all speed A-OK. BTW the engine iol pressure didn't change anythat I could see.
 
Two quick observations:

1. I still don't understand why anyone would use the more expensive synthetic oil in a Honda outboard if you are changing it out every 100 hours or every season, whichever comes first. Maybe I'm just not that well informed, or getting too old and cranky. LOL

2. For the last several years, I've been using the NAPA Gold 1356 oil filter on my 225. I had to initially install one of these when I couldn't get my hands on the specified Honda filter because I was in a remote location. The NAPA Marine folks assured me it was better than the Honda one. My usage observation is that the engine oil stayed cleaner, longer with the NAPA 1356.
 
need info 2002's 225 1300 hrs. been fighting oil alarms for 10 years now. The last two years all was ok. /now both engines have excessive crank play .047 & .074. In Jan-2001 I had .014 on both engines and have had the problem come and go for another 7 years. Thrust washers obviosly worn. I will check compression tomorrow. Since I can't go over 3200 rpm my Q is: how long can I run these engines before they disintegrate? Can the thrust washers be replaced and cure the problem? The engines are running fine till the oil pressure drops. I installed oil gauges years ago because of this problem. The oil pressure is erratic as soon as its warmed up. I can't seem to find a Honda mechanic that really has dismantled a block or even opened it for inspection. Any input is appreciated since for the 15 years I've owned these junkers Honda has been absolutely dispickable in helping resolve the problem. See previous posts.
 
I've never torn down one of these engines, but it is my understanding that when thrust washers get that bad, the metal flakes will get into the rod bearings and score the crank shaft. So a major rebuild would be necessary and likely would not be worth the money on engines that old.

As an aside, several years ago I had a detailed conversation with my dealer, who has installed and maintained a large number of the big Honda engines. After some time dealing with thrust washer problems with engines that had been in storage over long winter seasons, they switched to the Mercury SAE 25W-40 oil which he said dramatically reduced the incidence of failure. I had the thrust play checked on my 2007 BF 225 at 1600 hours. It was 0.012". I understand that max allowable is 0.019".
 
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