Gen 2 200XS ROS low oil alarm

[David]

My Gen 2 200XS ROS thinks the oil level is low. At least that is what the Merc Monitor shows. The tank under the cowl and the tank in the boat both have plenty of oil. When the alarm first went off, the boat tank was low and I put a jug of oil into it.

Could it be a bad sensor at the tank under the cowl? Could I have air in an oil line? What should I do first, perhaps just take it to a dealer?

[sonicss33]

I believe there is a procedure to follow after topping off the tank under the cowling. I’m sure someone will come along shortly and step you thru it.

[kellytheaker]

David - once the res on the motor is topped up - or opened - you must run the motor and allow the air to be purged . To do this just leave res, cap loose and as the air escapes the oil level will increase - just as it is about to spill over - close cap on res and your good to go . Keep a rag handy for the dribble of oil . That should appease the low oil alarm . Hope it helps

[David]

I ran the engine again yesterday evening - just at idle, with the cowl off. I unscrewed the vent at the top of the reservoir under the cowl while the motor was idling. The oil level in the tank remained at 3/4 full. It did not rise. After a few minutes the intermittent warning buzzer came on, so I shut the motor off.

Sorry I should have mentioned before that it's intermittent. Frequent but not continuous.

[Jim Speros]

Make sure the caps on remote tank are clean and tight and try again. It often takes a few minutes to build pressure. If it will not rise on its own their is an air leak, possibly in a hose or the check valve in side of block is bad. It is possible to remove that hose a block to pressurize tank and hoses making it easier to listen for leaks without engine noise.

[Jim Speros]

Its also easy if your inclined to check the check valve by removing it. If you look closely there is a small hole in the check valve diaphragm. It is intentional so that pressure does not persist after shut down. The valve can be checked easily with you mouth [ the old fashion way].

[largecar91]

My 250 pro xs takes forever to bleed the engine res. Probably like 15 minutes. Fills up slow. Like they said stuff rags under the tank because it makes a mess.

[David]

Do you run the engine 15 minutes with the reservoir open? I only ran mine a couple of minutes and shut it off when the warning buzzer sounded. My buzzer does not stay on long. It would be hard for me to run the engine 15 minutes with the buzzer on

[Jim Speros]

Yes, idle on hose with cap loose on tank on motor. The alarm should not be sounding solid. It should be beeping a pattern. Tape over alarm or jam a rag over it.
The engine pressurizes tank in boat. It takes a few but shouldn't be more then ten minutes. If the remote tank went empty be patient you need to fill the entire hose. If the oil fills the tank you know the check valve and hoses are good. Turn off engine and re start with tank full. If alarm continues to sound there is a good chance the float in tank is the issue. Its seldom the sensor it more often then not is float in the tank part of the circuit. It is not un common to have to change the engine tank.

[David]

The reservoir tank is 3/4 full. I don’t know if it ever got empty. Tomorrow if the wind cooperates I can lower the boat to get water to the engine and try a longer run with the vent open, shutting down when the buzzer sounds. It might take multiple runs to get 10 minutes.

[Jim Speros]

If its not a solid beep alarm let it beep and let it run.

Solid continuous beep = stop engine now
Intermittent beep every few minutes = engine warning, something needs attention.

[David]

If its not a solid beep alarm let it beep and let it run.

Solid continuous beep = stop engine now
Intermittent beep every few minutes = engine warning, something needs attention.

That was good advice. I let it idle much longer with the reservoir vent open. Every few minutes It would beep 4X. The reservoir level rose very slowly. Too slow to notice initially. The beeps stopped and the reservoir filled. I did a couple of 5000 rpm runs and it seems OK

thanks

[Turborr]

On a 200xs it shouldn't take more than a minute for the oil to full up the engine oil tank. Make sure that the tank is sealed, the hose is on the engine block. You might need to blow in the oil line to make sure it is not clogged.