Oil Pump problems on a Yamaha

Double Eagle

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I have a 1997 Seafarer 228G with a 1997 Yamaha S225TXRV Salt Water Series. Last fall my transfer oil pump from my on board oil tank decided to quit transferring oil into my tank on the outboard. The alarm sounded and the RPM's cut back just like it was made to do. The warning light that came on the tach refers you to having a clogged oil filter. I pulled the aux. oil tank out and sure enough the filter had dirt in it. I drained the tank and flushed it out and replaced the filter and also a check valve that was on the outboard it self. Filled the tank with clean oil and hit the oil switch on the outboard to fill the motor oil tank. Oil tank filled ok and I stopped at the full mark. The manual says to turn the key off and then back on to reset the fault. Well the fault light doesn't go off and when needed the remote oil tank doesn't transfer oil to the motor. Has anyone had this problem or have any ideas as to what to do. It seems to me that I possibly have a computer problem!! Any ideas???
 

SilverLining

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If I understand the situation, there is no oil transfer from boat tank to engine tank automatically. If oil transfer occurs when you use the toggle/bypass switch that probably means that either the tank float assenbly is not operating properly or that there is a problem with the oil controller if the filter is clean.

If you are handy with a VOM, google "Yamaha Precision Blend Oil System". You should be able to find two or three troubleshooting procedures with better step by step detail that the shop manual. Worked through this issue on one of my 2000 SX200's. Hope this helps.
 

Double Eagle

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Oil Problem

I can run a meter, I repair welders and generators for a very large const. co. I also have a shop manual that doesn't say much!!! I have checked the float in the tank on the motor and it seems to be ok. I am getting ready to ohm out a lot of wires going to the tach and oil float. Kind of waiting for a little warmer weather also. Thanks for the info!! I just hope it isn't the computer!!
 

KingJ

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With my on board oil tank, there is a small in-line filter in the hose right after the transfer oil pump that I had to replace. The toggle/bypass switch on the motor is strong enough to pull oil through the clogged in-line filter, but the oil won’t flow during normal ops with this clogged.
 

BobP

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Don't see what the computer has to do with it.

Make sure the motor tank float is activating, need to troubleshoot the circuit, it's in the service manual. The motor tank flaot turns the pump on and off automanticaly. The circuit is not complex at all. Make sure all grounds are in place. A missing / corroded ground reaps havoc in circuits.
 

Double Eagle

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Oil Problem

Sure looks to me like all wiring from the switches and pump go through the CDI unit. So how can you say it has nothing to do with the operation of the system??
 

Double Eagle

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Oil Problem

King J, I have replaced the filter, cleaned the tank and lines and filtered all oil in tank. I did read that the tank on the motor should fill in 180 sec. or there is a restriction in the filter or the hose.
 

SilverLining

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Any decision about transferring oil is made in the electronic oil control unit. Since 1996, the toggle switch and the electronics have been in the CDI(computer). Check location of the toggle switch. The decision for the alarms are in the CDI as well.

If oil will transfer from the boat tank to the motor tank by activatiing the toggle switch, I would stop worrying about filter plugging/kinks, etc. around the boat tank. The 12V to the boat tank pump activated by the toggle switch is the same 12V to boat tank pump sent by the float switch. Same voltage, same pump. And, the oil is pumped through the filter, not "pulled through the filter".

If my memory is correct, there should be three switches on/in the engine tank float assembly. The three positions would probably be upper(pump off), middle(pump on) and bottom(alarm). You can use the ohmeter to check if the internal reed switches are operating by sliding the plastic float up and down.
 

seasick

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SilverLining said:
Any decision about transferring oil is made in the electronic oil control unit. Since 1996, the toggle switch and the electronics have been in the CDI(computer). Check location of the toggle switch. The decision for the alarms are in the CDI as well.

If oil will transfer from the boat tank to the motor tank by activatiing the toggle switch, I would stop worrying about filter plugging/kinks, etc. around the boat tank. The 12V to the boat tank pump activated by the toggle switch is the same 12V to boat tank pump sent by the float switch. Same voltage, same pump. And, the oil is pumped through the filter, not "pulled through the filter".

If my memory is correct, there should be three switches on/in the engine tank float assembly. The three positions would probably be upper(pump off), middle(pump on) and bottom(alarm). You can use the ohmeter to check if the internal reed switches are operating by sliding the plastic float up and down.

That is correct. The service manual identifies the four wires and you can in effect bypass the float switch by bridging the correct wires or you can test using an ohmmeter as suggested. That motor does have CDI and unless the float sender is bad or there is a bad connection, the CDI is probably shot. I read somewhere that on some motors, the tilt sensor signal is also used so that oil doesn't pump when the motor is tilted up. In theory if that tilt sensor was bad, the CDI would not signal the pump.
Do you have a motor trim indicator and is it working?
 

BobP

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CDI is used to cut RPM, no other way to do that.
Alarms make sense too since there is more than just the oil alarm
 

SilverLining

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I think the trim sender/tilt angle switches were phased out in the 1996 changes also. The new electronics in the CDI probably keep the pump from running when the engine is not operating. In the spirit of not looking for Unicorns, I think the problem is probably in the float switch system/wiring. BobP's idea of checking the grounds seems like a great approach.
 

Double Eagle

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My tilt gage has not worked properly for years now but the tilt works fine. I have read that the motor needs to be running for oil to transfer, does anyone know if this is true. Does anyone have a idea as to what a CDI will cost? This is what I think the problem is, but I will do further testing to make sure. I think at this point I need to recheck the float switch and ground!! This deal of the motor needs to be running bugs me.
 

Double Eagle

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The bad thing about premixing is I also have a 4 stroke for trolling. So I would need to install a second tank. I would like to keep it stock and not start altering things and jerry rigging. But don't think I haven't thought about it!!
 

Tucker

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Hmmmm, 2-oil pumps, 2-float valves, filters, check valves, putting that fate of your nads on all that suff working correctly vs dumping a gallon of oil in the fuel tank. What was that about jerry rigging?
 

enfish

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Tucker said:
Get rid of all that crap and premix... No worries ever again period.

Unless, of course, you spend a lot of time trolling. Then you have to deal with fouled plugs... :D
 

Double Eagle

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I fish Lake Erie, west of Cleveland, Ohio. I usually run less than 1 hour to where I am going to troll. We will troll with my 9.9 4 stroke for around 6 hours and then back to the dock. My 225 has run like a top for 12 years so like I said I don't want to do a rig job now!!!! I just found out today that the computer will cost me just under $800.00. So I will put a game plan together and do some testing and go from there. The other bad thing is that I found out is that the motor needs to be running for the transfer pump to work!!! Hope it warms up soon!!
 

SilverLining

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Keep in mind that the pre-1996 engines only used the tilt switch(mercury)to keep the oil pump from starting up if the engine is tilted up greater than about 30 degrees(I think).

The newer systems such as yours will allow the pump to operate normally when the engine is operating. That is why you can and should use the emergency toggle switch to energize the transfer pump and fill engine tank before starting the engine. You can test the system as described in the previous posts without the engine running. I really think you need to test the float system with your VOM prior to purchasing a new computer. That float system is probably a lot cheaper than a new computer.
 

jethro99

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Tucker said:
Hmmmm, 2-oil pumps, 2-float valves, filters, check valves, putting that fate of your nads on all that suff working correctly vs dumping a gallon of oil in the fuel tank. What was that about jerry rigging?

Does the name Rube Goldberg ring a bell here? What was Yamaha thinking? Their craftsmanship is superb. Their engineering not so much.
 

jethro99

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Double Eagle said:
Well the fault light doesn't go off and when needed the remote oil tank doesn't transfer oil to the motor. Has anyone had this problem or have any ideas as to what to do. It seems to me that I possibly have a computer problem!! Any ideas???

What fault light exactly are you referring to? Is it the one that indicates that the remote tank is low on oil?

If it is, your system is working as it is supposed to. Once the remote tank gets low on (but not out of) oil the system terminates auto oil transfer. You can then manually transfer oil using the toggle switch.

You might just have a sensor problem or an open circuit.