outboard problem

[BlackBassman]

Took my boat out the other day and when I turned the key a loud beeping winning noise started to happen. Im sure its a sound that tells me something is wrong. Well i take the boat home after using it a bit it ran fine and everything. I get up the next day and notice oil under the engine lots of it. Im not sure were its coming from but its a good leak. It doesnt hender me from fishing but it is a concern I dont want to blow anything up. Anyone have a clue how to fix it. Its a 60hp mariner engine. Thanks

[Ben]

Man, your unreal, sounds like you don't think much of your motor and don't mind it grenading so you can go buy a new one. Yes, most likely that was the (there's something bad wrong) alarm and do not operate until you determine the reason for the alarm. Could just be a problem with the alarm, could be a faulty sensor, could be problem with the oil injection/no oil in resevoir or several other things that can cause major damage to the motor. Seems having bunches of oil puddled under the motor, would make a normal sane person think maybe something's wrong and I should have it checked before I operate it again.

Sorry, I know this is a little harsh but I haven't meet many people that totally ignored the engine alarm, have oil pouring out of the motor and think the motor is still just fine for fishing but just thought they would ask if maybe it has a problem.

[BlackBassman]

No im sorry it happened when I was out on the water. I continued to fish that day and since then I havent. Sorry if you got the wrong idea

[Ben]

Dang, forgot to say the first thing you need to check. Check your manual and see if it has different types of alarms for different problems, steady alarm for one, on and off for another. Then determine if it's an overheating, low oil, or no oil alarm. Low oil is for the oil level in the resevoir, no oil is for the mixing pump, says it's no longer mixing oil into the gas. Overheating, and you just turned the key on for the first time and the motor is still cold, you probably have a bad sensor.

Check the oil in the resevoir, make sure it has plenty. Then check all the oil lines and the oil injection pump. You may have to get some brake part cleaner (be carefull with this stuff and don't get it on your Covers paint)  to spray on all the fitting's, lines etc and blow off with an air hose to get them clean and dry so you can see where your leak is. From what you're describing, sounds like your problem is in then oiling system. I dang sure wouldn't run it again until I found it.

Since I don't know much about Merc/Mariner's, I'm not sure where all the sensors are. Should be one for the oil resevoir, unplug it and see alarm quits, provided the resevroir is full. Should be one for the mixing pump, unplug it and see if the alarm quits. If neither of those silenced the alarm, there should be one in the head for temp, unplug it. IN all probability, something has gone wrong with the oiling system. This is what keeps the motor lubricated. Without proper lube, they don't run long before internal parts become external parts.

Always keep a couple of quarts of oil in the boat, at least enough for a tank of gas. Most quarts have the oz markings on the side, if not, keep something to measure it with also. If you get an oil alarm or are in doubt, immediately turn the switch off and add enough oil to premix the gas in your tank to a 50:1 ratio. (16oz to six gallons or approx 2 3/4 oz per gallon). Rock the boat around the best you can to get it mixed in the tank. Only run the motor at an idle for several minutes until oil/gas mixture has time to get into engine. THen you can run the motor normally. If it's not the oil system causing the problem, all your doing is double oiling the motor, that's just gonna make it smoke more and cause a little extra carbon build up and can be decarbed to get rid of that. If it is the oiling system you just saved the motor from coming unglued.