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10-09-2014, 12:30 PM
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#1
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Registered User
Country: In the UK, in my office, working, waiting to go boating.
Occupation: Chartered Engineer
Interests: boats, water, snow, football
Boat name: “DoubleSix”; “Blue Lias”
Boat make: Ring 21c; Pacemaker 21
Engines: Opti 200; twin Volvo AQ110s
Cruising area: Lyme Bay
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 138
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Optimax Oil Warning sensor - Reserve warning
Could anyone please advise where the level sensor is that advises low oil warning on a 2003 200 Opti please?.
The warning for "reserve oil" beeped the other day, I checked the tank level straight away and there was just about half a tank. Last weekend it went off a few times, when i checked the tank it had definately gone dopwn to just below half (i.e oil being used). The warning beeps and says "low oil" and that it's on reserve, but it also says "84% remaining" or "90% remaining", there is no increase in engine noise, or temperature, or drop in performance so I assumed it was ok to get home which it did absolutely perfectly.
I assume the sensor is in the boat tank, and that it is simply not reading properly, but I have a nagging worry that it could be somewhere else (engine mounted tank) and that it is seeing starvation or something?
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10-09-2014, 12:54 PM
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#2
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BAD HABIT
Country: FRANCE
Interests: speed on water/technics
Boat make: INVADER
Engines: MERC 250XS/SM 1.62
Cruising area: south Britany
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 562
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oil alarm on optimax 200 2003
Here a few info to solve your problem, or at least understand how the system works.
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10-09-2014, 08:33 PM
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#3
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Registered User
Country: UK
Location: Windermere
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Windermere
Posts: 559
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Couple of people have been caught with this on the 200XS. The sensor is located in the engine tank. What we found was as the remote tank is pressurized when the oil level got to a certain low level, high cornering forces or rough water could introduce the pressurized air into the engine tank feed and so lower the overall level of the engine tank. Guardian would then cut in to protect the engine. The only thing that fills the engine tank is that pressurized feed so when it does get a gulp of air it can only go to the engine tank. Make sure you keep the remote tank at least half full as it's not baffled. And make sure you bleed the engine tank so it is at least level with the inlet pipe. Keep checking it every now then and bleed the engine tank again if necessary to keep the engine tank full. The low level cuts in with the level in the engine tank about 3/4 full as its only a relatively small tank and if you were to get stuck out with an empty remote tank it's all you would have to get you home.
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10-09-2014, 09:08 PM
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#4
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Registered User
Country: In the UK, in my office, working, waiting to go boating.
Occupation: Chartered Engineer
Interests: boats, water, snow, football
Boat name: “DoubleSix”; “Blue Lias”
Boat make: Ring 21c; Pacemaker 21
Engines: Opti 200; twin Volvo AQ110s
Cruising area: Lyme Bay
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 138
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Thank you both very much for taking time to reply. It seems from many of the solutions on the flow chart on the first response and from the comments on the second response that I may need to "purge" or "bleed" air from the on-engine tank and the feed pipe to it. Please can you tell me how to do this?
Also, I am interested to know exactly how the oil is transferred from the remote tank to the on-engine tank? Is it simply sucked from the remote tank through vacuum in the on-engine tank. This having been created via a conventional oil pump similar to what you'd find in a 4 stroke?
Thanks again,
Lee
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10-09-2014, 09:18 PM
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#5
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Registered User
Country: isle of wight
Location: on a rock
Interests: boats,boats and boats
Boat make: Cougar 21
Engines: Merc 2.5 promax 150
Cruising area: solent
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: on a rock
Posts: 712
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Take cap of oil tank on engine then fire her up,crank pressure will then push oil from remote tank filling engine tank when you have the right level screw cap back on
Hope this helps
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10-09-2014, 09:52 PM
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#6
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Registered User
Country: In the UK, in my office, working, waiting to go boating.
Occupation: Chartered Engineer
Interests: boats, water, snow, football
Boat name: “DoubleSix”; “Blue Lias”
Boat make: Ring 21c; Pacemaker 21
Engines: Opti 200; twin Volvo AQ110s
Cruising area: Lyme Bay
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 138
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It does. thanks very much. It also explains how the oil gets up to the on-engine tank. Will check all this out when I go to the boat at the weekend. Hoping it's just a gradual drop in level in the on engine tank - it hasn't been bled for quite a while.
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10-09-2014, 10:00 PM
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#7
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BAD HABIT
Country: FRANCE
Interests: speed on water/technics
Boat make: INVADER
Engines: MERC 250XS/SM 1.62
Cruising area: south Britany
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 562
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Quote:
Originally Posted by blackbeard
Take cap of oil tank on engine then fire her up,crank pressure will then push oil from remote tank filling engine tank when you have the right level screw cap back on
Hope this helps
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Right! but not always on opti's, sometimes at idle you don't generate enough pressure to push oil from the remote tank to the upper on engine tank, so you can use a very clean serynge to fill up the upper oil tank to the top level.
Some mecanic dealers to save time put air pressure in the remote tank, this procedure is commun but the speed at the flow fill up the upper tank is so fast you can make overflow in the upper tank and a big mess, so the serynge is a very clean and safe procedure...
Be sure you've enough oil level in the remote tank,at least 2/3of the level because in rough condition air keep on going in the upper tank again...and again...
And as techteam suggested Keep checking it every now then and bleed the engine tank again if necessary to keep the engine tank full it's an important point!
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15-09-2014, 11:37 AM
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#8
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Registered User
Country: In the UK, in my office, working, waiting to go boating.
Occupation: Chartered Engineer
Interests: boats, water, snow, football
Boat name: “DoubleSix”; “Blue Lias”
Boat make: Ring 21c; Pacemaker 21
Engines: Opti 200; twin Volvo AQ110s
Cruising area: Lyme Bay
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 138
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Had a go with the troubleshooting guide over the weekend. I couldn't really see through the opaque plastic on-engine tank to see what level there was but a vague line suggested about 3/4 empty - I was relieved that I could see that the outlet pipe underneath was full.
I filled the remote tank and fired the engine up. I then opened the on-engine tank vent. The vent looks a little different on my engine to the images attached in this thread and the sensor is on the forward end (my engine serial date 2003 with some parts labelled 2002).
Within seconds oil was overflowing so not sure if it filled up quickly or whether that wasn't the problem. I still couldn't really see through the plastic but it didn't really look any different and the outlet pipe remains full. I didn't hear the sensor alarm while the engine was ticking over on the flush muff.
My own diagnosis is that it hasn't been bled for a while and the level had dropped slowly over time, and it was just sitting around the alarm level. it then filled up very quickly when vented.
I guess i'll find out when I go out next if it's fixed, or if the sensor still alarms. thanks for all the replies.
Lee
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15-09-2014, 01:00 PM
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#9
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Registered User
Country: UK
Location: Windermere
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Windermere
Posts: 559
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2003 had a slightly different set-up. From memory it was to allow space for the digital throttle shift system. Vapour separator was moved up and back and engine oil tank was about halved in size with a smaller bleed plug, similar to the 200XS, it was mounted on the side of the plenum chamber. Always try and give as much info as well as a serial number because these engines changed quite a lot over a relatively short period of time. I think your diagnosis is probably correct. As your set-up has the smaller oil tank I think you only have about 30 mins of high speed use in it so make sure you keep the remote tank topped off.
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18-09-2014, 02:01 PM
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#10
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Registered User
Country: uk
Occupation: Diamond/Jewellery/Rolex dealer
Boat name: Beyond Obsession
Boat make: P25
Engines: merc 2x200XS SSROS
Cruising area: solent/altea
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 308
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Oil not filling on promax
Mine does not work at all on my promax any ideas its starting to get a bit of a chore filling the tank on the engine every time i go out.Same system i think.
Thanks
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18-09-2014, 02:08 PM
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#11
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Registered User
Country: uk
Occupation: Diamond/Jewellery/Rolex dealer
Boat name: Beyond Obsession
Boat make: P25
Engines: merc 2x200XS SSROS
Cruising area: solent/altea
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 308
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Sorry just read the trouble shooting mail,will try new hoses etc.
Thanks
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