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My first post. BF 225 alarm codes and o2 sensor stuff

R

Reel Steel

Member
I have twin 225's with about 1,000 hours on them and the port engine has started to give an MIL alarm when started cold. I went back and read all of the posts on here about 225's.(great info) It is probably the o2 sensor. I went ahead and ordered a new one since my dealer is having some issues right now and it would be a long time before I could get service work done by them. ( I run a charter boat and I need to get back on the water) They told me that it would take a week or two to get the SCM connector so I was wondering if it could be ordered somewhere else so I could get it to Northern Ca by early next week or should I try the paper clip method? Also, what is the procedure for changing the 02 sensor and does the alarm need to be reset afterwards? What else am I missing here?
 
I assume the alarm that you are getting is a slow repeating tone and your mil light is on solid. If that is the case, it could be just about any type of sensor that is a problem. If you know which pins to connect with the paper clip, I would do that and see what long and short
counts that the mil indicates. ....or is it a fast repeating tone with no mil light on?

If you think it is the o2 sensor, just borrow the one from your other engine. That will be the quickest way to check. You are supposed to use a special o2 sensor socket, but I think on the 225, you can use a closed end wrench if you are careful and run the connector and wire through the wrench.

As to the resetting of any alarm. You can erase the codes after you read them, but you have to have the shorting plug or paper clip in when you do it.

In order to tell you how to do it, I have to know one thing about your emergency kill switch (landyard). Can you push the button in with your safety landyard on or
do you have to pull the landyard off? I know it sounds like a crazy question, but it makes a difference as to how to erase the codes.

Mike
 
Let me expand a bit on Hondadude's sound advice.

First thing I would do is respond to Hondadude about the type of safety lanyard you have so he can tell you how to clear the codes on the EPROM and see if the alarm re-occurs.

If it does re-occur, then you need to better describe the buzzer noise you are getting and what lights are on and not on when the buzzer sounds. Here are the buzzer and light indicators. (I reorganized this table from the Helm shop manual. Hope it comes through okay. If not, send me an e-mail at [email protected], and I will send back the table in its orginal Excel format.)...

Buzzer LightsConditionOil OverheatMILAlternatorPressure(Red)(Red)(Red)NoneONOFFOFFOFFNormalContinuousOFFOFFOFFOFFLow Oil PressureContinuousONONOFFOFFOverheatContinuousOFFONOFFOFFLow oil pressure & overheatContinuousOFFOFF (2)ONOFFLow oil pressure & abnormal PGM-FIContinuousOFFOFFOFFONLow oil pressure & abnormal alternatorContinuousOFFOFFOFFOFFLow oil pressure & water in separator filterContinuousON (1)ONONOFFOverheat & abnormal PGM-FIContinuousONONOFFONOverheat & abnormal alternatorContinuousONONOFFOFFOverheat & water in separator filterLong IntermittentON (1)OFF (2)ONOFFAbnormal PGM - FILong IntermittentONOFFOFFONAbnormal alternatorLong IntermittentON (1)OFF (2)ONONAbnormal PGM - FI & abnormal alternatorLong IntermittentON (1)OFF (2)ONOFFAbnormal PGM-FI & water in separatror filterLong IntermittentONOFFOFFONAbnormal alternator & water in separator filterShort InternittentONOFFOFFOFFWater in separator filterNOTE 1: Light blinks when PGM-FI detects abnormal oil pressure (high pressure side)NOTE 2: Light blinks when the PGM-FI detects engine overheat

As shown above, if you get the long intermitant buzzer and the oil light and MIL light are on, it indicates an abnormal programmed fuel injection problem which MAY be the O2 sensor.

To better determine what it is (and in the absence of the service connector), turn the key off, shunt the green-white wire with the black wire with a paper clip, and observe the number of blinks on the MIL light. A single blink, repeated every couple of seconds, indicates a POSSIBLE bad O2 sensor. It could also indicate a faulty or disconnected O2 sensor wire, OR A SPARK PLUG MISFIRE. (That's why it's important to clear the codes first and see if the alarm goes off again.)
 
The kill switch is a toggle type switch that a plastic loop on the lanyard fits over. There is no button. It says PGM FI on the face of the ignition switch if that helps. I am getting a continous buzzer and the check engine light is on. The problem only occurs at the first(cold) start up of the day and does not come on until the engine has run for several minutes. When I shut the engine off and restart it the alarm USUALLY does not come on again for the rest of the day.
 
I don't know how to clear the eprom with that type of safty switch. Hopefully Hondadude does. However, it sounds like it is resetting itself after shut down and restart.

How many lights are on your switch panel and how are they labeled?
 
You must have the dual switch panel with the Mercury style safety switch.

Essentially, to clear the codes, you operate the kill switch 5 times with the shorting device in place and within 20 seconds of the key switch being on.

I recommend grabbing the safety landyard very close to the switch that it is attached to so you can pull it to off and push it to on without losing the landyard.
.
1. Connect the shorting device (technical term for paper clip) as chawk_man indicated.
2. Turn on the key switch.
3. Count the long and short flashes of the mil light and write down what they are ...if you have not already done so.
4. Turn the key switch back off.
5. Now erase the codes...

1. Turn the key switch to on.
2. Pull the safety switch to off, then push to on, then pull to off, then push to on, then pull to off, then push to on, then pull to off, then push to on,
then pull to off. That should be five times off and on and off within 20 seconds from when you turn the key switch to on.
When you get to the fifth time off...you should hear one or two beeps. The codes are clear. If you did not hear the beeps, try again.

3. Turn the key switch off

Remove the shorting device and run the engine. Then check for codes again. If all is clear, you may just have had a one time occurance. If you do
have codes, you will just have to troubleshoot depending on the code number that you get.

Hope the on,off, etc wasn't too confusing.

Mike
 
Thanks for that. I do have the dual swithch 2 keys, 4 lights oil,temp,batt, and check engine. I think that you have given me enough info to check the codes. I'll report back the results.
 
If you mean a single blink on the "check engine" light that repeated every couple of seconds, you are correct. The other possibility is a bad connection, but that appears to be rare.
 
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