www.iFourWinns.com

I have a question, this started last season very sporadically but seems to be happening every trip out now.

We have a 2008 Vista with the 5.0 GXi/DP, 270 HP VolvoPenta engine package; we have an alarm that sounds off seemingly “at will”. There is no constancy to it other then ALL the engines output gages are reading normal and if I shut the engine off and restart it the alarm clears. It has happened to us at, 3200RPM, 4000RPM, 5000RPM (no consistency); it has also occurred 10 minutes out, 60 minutes out and 2 hours out again no pattern at all. The alarm is the same one that sounds if you try to start the boat in gear or if the engine overheats in other words it’s the “catch all” audible alarm.

It is baffling, I can not “make it happen” it just happens. The dealer is also confused, but is willing at a rate of $150/hour travel time (1.5 down plus 1.5 back) plus diagnostic time is willing to have me take a technician out on a joy ride in the hopes that it happens once for them.

Any ideas??? It’s seems cheaper for me to replace ever sensor on board to find one that may be sending a false positive signal to the alarm.

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“Growing Older, But Not Up”
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2008 Four Winns V248
2004 Stingray 220CS

I think you will be trying to find a needle in a haystack. It could be a loose conector, corrosion or a intermittent fault of some kind... I think it's time to get a tow service membership and wait for a complete failure. It's always easier to diagnose something after a complete failure of a component.

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Marc, Kathlin & Nathalie


'89 Chaparral Laser 32

'93 Vista 245, 5.8L w/ King Cobra

Former Boats
'01 H260, 7.4 VP Duoprop
'98 H200, 5.0 GL w/VP SX drive

unplug & jump one sensor at a time till it stops.

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Seems like a lot of this going around lately.

Take a look at this post as it might be similiar issue ... viewtopic.php?f=11&t=5800

Let us know how it turns out

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Walter

2003 248 Vista - VP 5.0 GXi
2009 Toyota Tundra SR5 5.7L 4x4

I read it and it sounds similar; I again called the dealer today, but this time I spoke directly with a technician and not the service manager. He said it was possible but didn’t think it was the same problem but nerveless worth taking a look at. My alarm doesn’t happen when the boat starts bouncing but it doesn’t cost anything to check it out.

His thought was this, he thinks that my year VolvoPenta, 2008, was the last year they had temperature sensors on top of the manifolds. VolvoPenta stopped using them because they were faulty. If we have them, and when the alarm goes off again, pull the terminal clip off the sensor before shutting down the engine. Sounds like a plan as long as I am in relatively smooth water and out of the way of other boat traffic. If mine does not have the temperature sensors on the manifold change the temperature sensor and at the time change the thermostat as well.

Now to wait for the weekend to try out a few things.

On a better note, the radar that I installed over the winter came in handy this weekend. The visibility during our return trip from Block Island, RI was about 50-100 feet.

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“Growing Older, But Not Up”
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2008 Four Winns V248
2004 Stingray 220CS

Thanks for the info on the temp sensor...mine is the same year model so will keep that in mind when mine starts sounding....the inconsistent pattern may be explained by the build up of temp before the thermostat opens??? Like maybe the sensor is too sensitive or something I am assuming from what the mechanic told you.

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http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o71 ... wqm355.jpg


08' H210SS
VP 5.7Gi

re pulling the wire off the riser temperature sensor, I'd have expected that the circuitry would have been designed such that a disconnected sensor would trigger the safe mode. Otherwise, there'd have been no need to have a sensor there.

Does connecting to the diagnostic plug not reveal anything?

Graham

I ask about a diagnostic port, I was told it did not have one.

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“Growing Older, But Not Up”
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2008 Four Winns V248
2004 Stingray 220CS

Get a new mechanic then. It has the MEFI diagnostic port on the top of the engine.

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Walter

2003 248 Vista - VP 5.0 GXi
2009 Toyota Tundra SR5 5.7L 4x4

How long has it been since your impeller was changed?

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2008 H210SS VP 5.7 Gi/SX
2011 Ford F150 FX4 EB

Here’s an update on our “alarm” issue.

It was business as usual when the first alarm went off for the first tim this weekend, we shut down the motor and headed off to Long Island NY for the weekend; this usually clears it and it doesn’t come on again. Once we entered the North Fork just past Plum Gut the alarm goes off again, strange usually only happens once. This time it would only clear for five minutes, then two minutes then one and so on. During this time I discovered that it was the thermostat’s sending switch that was causing the issue, when it was removed the alarm stopped. The engine is not running hot and you could place your hand on the riser without getting burned so it was a false alarm. With the switch removed the alarm changed from a fast beep to a slow beep this lasted for five or so minutes only to have the fast beep return and the engine enter “safe” mode. A trip from the Gut to Greenport usually takes 20-25 minutes this time 1-1/2 hours!

Once in LI I had a switch sent overnight with a Saturday delivery and replaced it. On the return trip the alarm went off again this time removing the thermostat switch did not stop the alarm. After pulling and replacing additional switched I discovered that the Port side manifold switch was bad, again tested the unit for overheating and it “tested” okay. I removed the lead off the switch and we made it home without further incident.

Needless to say I replace both riser switches tonight and am preparing our journey to Newport on Saturday.

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“Growing Older, But Not Up”
[

2008 Four Winns V248
2004 Stingray 220CS

Bob,

Sounds like its that riser temp sensor. Hope this works out for you.

Good Luck!

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Walter

2003 248 Vista - VP 5.0 GXi
2009 Toyota Tundra SR5 5.7L 4x4

The alarm problem is solved, all is repaired. After replacing the thermostat sending switch and both riser manifold sensors all is quite once more.

We just returned from a 90 mile round trip journey to Newport RI and back to Mystic CT without a mechanical incident.

The weather however, that was another story.

The forecast on Monday called for sever thunderstorms arriving late in the afternoon so we pushed off from Newport RI early in the morning planning to be at back at our marina by 11:00-11:30. While off the coats of Westerly RI we noticed the skies growing darker by the minute. We closed the Bimini top and attached the forward plastic and braced for rain. Just after rounding the Watch Hill light the rain began to fall (felt more like it was being hurled), along with wind, lightening, oh and lets not forget the hail. For 15 minutes it looked like we were in the opening credits of Gilligan’s Island. The radar was washed out, visibility was non existent and I could no longer hear our fog horn never mind another boat’s. We were turning 4200RPM’s and barely making 10 knots there was no turning back we were less then 5 miles from the safety of the river and several marinas so we pushed on. Luckily it passed by as quickly as it started but for those 15 minutes it was a scene out of the “Perfect Storm” (I wonder if George Clooney would play me in this version). The mouth of the Mystic River can be challenging even on a clear day; you MUST follow the charts and stay in the channel so finding a safe anchor location was out of the question; not sure if the anchor would have held us in that wind anyway.

We had previously returned from Newport in fog so thick that I couldn’t see more than 30 yards, 8 foot swells and without the aid radar (that’s why we installed it this year). This was far worst, for 15 minutes of “WHAT THE HELL ARE WE DOING HERE” was long enough. I grew up on the coast; I would journey to and from the shores of Westerly RI to Block Island RI in an 18’ Whaler with nothing but a compass and a watch (yes, we picked our days). In these waters I am not inexperienced but I have never seen anything pop up so quickly before.

We have had several small nagging issues with our V248 but she has never let us down, she has safely returned us from every journey. I was so glad to know that our alarm problem was resolved; shutting the motor down to clear an erroneous alarm would have been out of the question. Then again if it had gone off before heading off to Newport we would never have been out there in the first place.

The “Admiral” was AWESOME; she did her part, watch for boats, lobster pots and kept our Bimini from blowing off.

Now we plan our next trip to Montauk NY.

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“Growing Older, But Not Up”
[

2008 Four Winns V248
2004 Stingray 220CS