Yamaha 150 HP - battery voltage light blinking on speed gauge (192 Tournament)

[Seanic4256]

I noticed my battery voltage indicator light on the Yamaha Speedometer gauge started to blink at 11.8 volts, and sometimes blinked at 12.0 volts today. Until now, the voltage ALWAYS read 14.4 volts. I have a 150 2 stroke Saltwater Series motor.

Both batteries are new - replaced in April 2018. Connections are good. Motor started and ran fine today but the voltage light blinked/flashed at 11.8 volts. When I got home, battery 1 had 12.2 volts (no load) and battery 2 had 12.4 volts (no load).

Did some quick searches and might be my rectifier/regulator.

Anyone had similar issues?

Thanks, Sean (SeaNic)

P.S. can’t really complain as the motor has run fine for 20 years (1998 model).

 

[DennisG01]

12.2 and 12.4 are both low voltages, especially for new-ish batteries. Check voltage with a known-good DMM. Go through ALL of your connections again - from battery to battery switch to engine. Use the DMM at each battery while engine in running at a slightly elevated RPM and see what you get. Check at the engine side, as well. Unless you find an issue, you're on the right track. Lighting coil is another possible culprit. Best bet is to follow the service manual as it has the tests laid out.

 

[Dublin]

Not saying this is your problem, but the coindence of new batteries and a new problem struck me as curious. Before I bought my Seafarer with a 200 HPDI my mechanic stressed the importance of having batteries that meet the engine's minimum requirement of CA 675 and especially the Reserve Capacity 182 minutes. The way he explained it is that these engines have electronic components that will draw down the batteries especially if the engine is used for extended periods at low RPM, therefore at lower alternator output levels. In other words the engine uses more battery then the alternator recharges, hence the need for high Reserve Capacity.

From what found on the Google Machine your 150 has a Minimum Reserve Capicity of 124 minutes.

"A two stroke Yamaha engine between 60 and 150 horsepower and a 2.6 liter 150 to 200 horsepower outboard engine requires a motor battery that has 380 cold cranking amps at zero degrees Fahrenheit. At 32 degrees Fahrenheit there should be 502 marine cranking amps with a reserve of 124 capacity minutes at 25 amps."

Check your new batteris for RC. I hope this helps.

 

[seasick]

If when running, the voltage is indeed about 12.2 volts, the batteries are not being charged and are about 50% discharged. It may be a bit late but if you switched batteries while the motor was running past the OFF position say when going from BAT1 to BAT2 you could have damaged the charging system. There are also fuses on the motor. If you get lucky, one may be blown or corroded.
Also, if previously your display always read 14.2 volts and never went lower, something has been amiss for a while. As others have mentioned, measure battery voltage with a good meter at the battery terminals with the motor off and then again with the motor running, assuming it starts. Select only one battery for now, either will do. Let us know what you find.

 

[SkunkBoat]

On my 225 OX66s it was not keeping charged also and never read above 12.4. Bought & tried the rectifier/regulator but no luck...THEN ... I followed the manual for checking the charging circuit. Turned out that one of the three coils in the stator was open so there was not enough ac voltage to the rectifier. A quick check with motor revved to 1200 you should have 14V dc or more at the starting cable or it ain't working right.

 

[Fishtales]

Go through every connection from battery to motor and make sure you have good connections.

 

[suzukidave]

11.8v is a flat battery and 12.2 is borderline discharged. both batteries need to be put onto a good charger overnight or you will need new ones soon.

any chance your bilge float switch is getting stuck intermittently or you maybe had a big rainfall and the bilge switch wore down the battery?

any chance you have an accessory always on to the battery that was not powered down?

agreed on making sure of good connections given recent battery replacement. also look to see if something is connected that maybe was disconnected at some point.

check also for parasitic draw by comparing voltage of battery when totally disconnected compared to various combinations of connections.

 

[seasick]

11.8v is a flat battery and 12.2 is borderline discharged. both batteries need to be put onto a good charger overnight or you will need new ones soon.

any chance your bilge float switch is getting stuck intermittently or you maybe had a big rainfall and the bilge switch wore down the battery?

any chance you have an accessory always on to the battery that was not powered down?

agreed on making sure of good connections given recent battery replacement. also look to see if something is connected that maybe was disconnected at some point.

check also for parasitic draw by comparing voltage of battery when totally disconnected compared to various combinations of connections.

Since his voltage with the motor running is low, this isn't a drain issue. His battery is not charging and is being run down by the motor draw and accessories themselves

 

[suzukidave]

Since his voltage with the motor running is low, this isn't a drain issue. His battery is not charging and is being run down by the motor draw and accessories themselves

thanks, i had not read carefully that he was getting those voltages when engine running. either bad connection or bad charging system or maybe one of the batteries has a bad cell. he could try isolating the batteries and starting on one battery at a time and see if it starts and charges on one battery normally but not the other.

 

[Greatty]

I noticed my battery voltage indicator light on the Yamaha Speedometer gauge started to blink at 11.8 volts, and sometimes blinked at 12.0 volts today. Until now, the voltage ALWAYS read 14.4 volts. I have a 150 2 stroke Saltwater Series motor.

Both batteries are new - replaced in April 2018. Connections are good. Motor started and ran fine today but the voltage light blinked/flashed at 11.8 volts. When I got home, battery 1 had 12.2 volts (no load) and battery 2 had 12.4 volts (no load).

Did some quick searches and might be my rectifier/regulator.

Anyone had similar issues?

Thanks, Sean (SeaNic)

P.S. can’t really complain as the motor has run fine for 20 years (1998 model).

Sean, I've had a '99 18 Sportsman for 12 years with the same motor (well, '99 150 SWS). My port battery reads/ blinks 12.2 volts every year, every startup and run and I've never had any issues. Cause has never been determined. Starboard side always reads 14.0 or higher and quite frankly I stopped being concerned by the port low voltage reading over 10 years ago. I don't know if this will help or not but thought I'd share. - Bob

 

[Seanic4256]

Thank you for all the replies!
I have checked every connection from batteries to battery switch to engine to rectifier. Checked all fuses. All looked good but I cleaned them all.
Fired up the engine (idled at 1500 - 1800 rpm) and Battery 1 (starter battery 700 CCA) read 12.20 to 12.22 volts on the digital multi meter. Battery 2 (deep cell 550 CCA) read 12.22 to 12.24 volts.
These readings were very close to what the Yamaha speedometer voltage gauge also showed.
I took off the rectifier to look at the backside. It looked good from the outside but since it is a sealed unit, not much to see. I went ahead and ordered a new rectifier from SIM Yamaha (Part No, 6R3-81960-10-00). Hopefully that is what my problem is.
- Sean

 

[DennisG01]

I hate to see someone throw parts at a situation without knowing the problem (although it sounds like you did good checking connections. I think you would have been better off ordering the SM as I mentioned above and following the tests. But hopefully you'll get lucky.

What do the batteries read without anything attached?

 

[Seanic4256]

FIXED

Installed the new rectifier today and things checked out.

Early this week, I re-charged the batteries and both holding strong at 12.6 volts 7 days after recharge. Installed rectifier today and was getting about 14.8 volts at the batteries when rpms were around 1500. Yamaha gauge showing 14.6 volts steady.

 

[seasick]

Sounds perfect. Good job.

 

[DennisG01]

The issue could just as well have been the lighting coil, but glad to see you got lucky with it and it worked out. It's nice to get lucky once in a while...