Evinrude E-Tec No Oil Alarm

Just wondering if any E-Tec owners out there have had the “No-oil” alarm go off? I have had mine go off, yet my oil tank is full and other than the alarm, it appears nothing is wrong. Oil appears to be getting where it needs to be and nothing is overheating or even looks like its trying to burn up. It does throttle the motor down into a “safe mode”, but appears that everything is OK, like its false triggering. This happens most to me in the cold. Motor is ~ 1 year old. Anyone having any issues like this or heard of others with a similar problem? My engine is using (and is programmed for) the XD-100 oil.

Regards,

Joe

Mine did that. I called the factory AND THEY ASKED THE KIND OF OIL AND TEMP. I TOLD THEM A HIGH OF 30 AND SYN. OIL. THEY TOLD ME TO GO THRU THE WINTERIZE PROCEDURE. THEN IT RUN GREAT. I TOOK IT BACK WHERE I BOUGHT IT. THEY WENT WITH A LIGHTER OIL AND ADJUSTED THE SENSOR’S. They were to sensative. Hope this help’s Jim

Mine alarmed twice after being re-mapped and I am using 100 oil as well. I have a request in for a reply from an Evinrude technician on it, and will let you know what I find out. Mine only did it in cold weather as well. It is just trying to keep your motor safe.

Tuck

Sounds like this isn’t an isolated problem…

Regards,

Joe

I was told today that Charlie Johnson from Evinrude will be back to us shortly. I was told it was not that the motor is not getting enough oil, but a sensor that is too sensitive. If you shut the motor down, and restart, it gets a double shot of oil, and will usually re-set. He will advise what the fix is.
Tuck

Chris:

Thanks for the update, keep me posted on what you find out.

Regards,

Joe

The following is the reply I got from Charlie Johnson at Evinrude:

Chris, I do remember meeting you. Thanks for your concern over warning
lights
and horns. There is no pat answer for this condition. Anyone trying to
diagnose an E-TEC problem on the internet is looking for trouble. Anyone who
has any questions or problems should return to the dealership and have
someone
there inspect the engine. The technician can then work with our service
department to resolve any issue.
Charlie

OK – so I have been biting the tip off my tongue for several days and have refrained from posting here because I have nothing constructive to add so take this for what it’s worth.
—

Per the infomercial, isn’t that alarm a feature to remind you that you aren’t using any oil – that’s how the motor was designed…

—
now I said it and can sleep better.

Yep. I was told it was a sensitivity issue of a sensor. Regardless, it is a pain when it happens. You go into safe mode, and just troll, troll, troll. If you turn it off, and restart it, you get a double shot of oil, and for me the situation rights itself. Any more than that, you have to ask Evinrude.

Chris, after restarting the motor, how long can you run before the alarm goes off and shuts the motor back down to idle?

Speaking only for myself, when I have shut it down and restarted it, it ran fine.
This is only a cold weather situation. I had the same thing happen with my Ficht last year. Most people that don’t fish in the dead of winter and early spring, and will never see this problem. After 40 degrees, you wont see it happen either.

Sounds like I better take her in. In my case, it just all depends. I have been able to run for as long as 45 minutes or as little as 10. I had no probs until I took it out last December. I didn’t say anything back then, but it did the same thing this past Sunday on my maiden 2005 voyage in similar cold weather conditions, so I thought I’d see if others have the same issue.

I hear what you’re saying Chris, but as an engineer by profession, I am dissapointed in the response Evinrude gave you and also in the assessment that its a cold weather problem-and basically we should just deal-if I understand your post. That type of advice, at least IMHO, is totally unacceptable. Avoiding running in cold weather is not an option. I remember last year when I decided to go the E-tec route one of the big selling features was a hyped-up motor field test by some native dude way up in northern Canada that was running the motor day in and day out in some harsh cold-weather conditions.

By the way, I am not mad at you, even though it might seem so in my post. Just a little torqued at the whole situation. As far as I am concerned, it is up to Evinrude to make this right. I am no pro-fisherman, guide or tournament angler, just a weekend warrior that likes to get out and enjoy his days on the water. I don’t mind paying top $$$$ for my gear, but I expect it to not let me down and to get what I pay for. Thank God I’ve got that 7 year non-declining warranty. Until they fix this, I cannot recommend this motor to anyone. As far as I concerned, this appears to be a design flaw in the engine and Evinrude must commit to fix it, out in open with full accountability.

Regards,

Joe Jiacinto

KK, I am forwarding your post to Evinrude. Can’t blame you. But please understand…New motor, new technology, and the motor is trying to help you keep from wrecking it. I feel your pain! LOL!
I said when I took on the deal with Evinrude that I would report the good and bad. Everything we see gets reported back and fixes are made from it.
Tuck

Chris,

I appreciate your openess and candor. I guess if I wasn’t an engineer, I might not get so worked up. I know too, it sometimes isn’t up to the engineers. They have to follow what their bosses let them do…been there and done that too. I hope they come up with a lasting fix to this problem. I know its trying to keep people from wrecking the engine, but if the sensor is so whacked that it won’t let you use the motor in its intended application, that is powering your boat in varied conditions, then there is something wrong with their design, plain and simple. Fail-safe modes and lock-outs are all very good design paradigms, but they need to take into account varied operational conditions and be fully tested to cover many scenarios to be truly effective. An over-conservative fail-safe system is just as bad as one that is too liberal and does not provide adequate protection. Either way, the end-user is faced with un-planned downtime.

Feel free to pass on any of my info you wish to share with them. They have me in their system, I got the 7 year warranty on it when I bought it last spring. I will probably be taking it in to have someone look at it.

Regards,

Joe

That is why we are running this engine on IDA as a Pro Staff motor. They know we run motors year around. I have faith that the fix will be good.
Tuck

I just purchased a 75 hp E-tec, fist day out I got a no oil alarm several times in the AM. This was a warm day in California 70 degrees. The dealer said it may of been air in the line. The second day out same problem. I’am taking it back to the dealer to get checked out!