DaveC426913
New member
My Honda BF-50 is sounding a continuous alarm the moment I turn the key. I don't even have to start it up. The alarm stays on until I shut off the motor.
I just took it in for routine tuning two months ago. When I put my boat back in the water at a public ramp, and motored over to my marina (hour trip), it was working just fine.
When I took it out a week later, the alarm started sounding. It may have been low on battery, but I recharged it from the dock for days. The alarm sounds every time I take it out now, even though the engine starts and runs fine.
Engine oil level is fine and clean.
Pee-hole is peeing fine.
Removed thermostat to ensure water is flowing.
Battery is 12.45V when motor off, 11.9V with motor running.
I checked the warning light on the remote throttle (oil, overheat), but they don't light up. (course they might be burned out)
A couple of friends have suggested the drop in voltage might point to an alternator problem.
The fact that the alarm sounds the moment the turn the key - even without starting the engine - rules out several possibilities, in my opinion. It surely can't be an overheating problem, and it surely can't be an alternator problem. But I'm no expert.
Failing anything else, what I'm tempted to do is pull the electrical connector apart and test which wire is live with a meter, but I don't know how to do that. I can't even be sure which leads are the power and which are sensors.
The green guy (this is not my motor, this is from Google, but it's the same connector):
Suggestions welcome.
I just took it in for routine tuning two months ago. When I put my boat back in the water at a public ramp, and motored over to my marina (hour trip), it was working just fine.
When I took it out a week later, the alarm started sounding. It may have been low on battery, but I recharged it from the dock for days. The alarm sounds every time I take it out now, even though the engine starts and runs fine.
Engine oil level is fine and clean.
Pee-hole is peeing fine.
Removed thermostat to ensure water is flowing.
Battery is 12.45V when motor off, 11.9V with motor running.
I checked the warning light on the remote throttle (oil, overheat), but they don't light up. (course they might be burned out)
A couple of friends have suggested the drop in voltage might point to an alternator problem.
The fact that the alarm sounds the moment the turn the key - even without starting the engine - rules out several possibilities, in my opinion. It surely can't be an overheating problem, and it surely can't be an alternator problem. But I'm no expert.
Failing anything else, what I'm tempted to do is pull the electrical connector apart and test which wire is live with a meter, but I don't know how to do that. I can't even be sure which leads are the power and which are sensors.
The green guy (this is not my motor, this is from Google, but it's the same connector):
Suggestions welcome.