Check engine light 1999 230 VRS 5.7 Vortec

[Bruce]

Before anyone jumps me yes, I have done a search.
Check engine light should come on when ign. is turned on. It does not.
Mechanic jumped it to check bulb. It came on. So bulb is good. All gauges read normal boat runs fine. He is a good marine mechanic but not an MC mechanic per sey. I don't have a MC dealer close by. My guy says just run it and don't worry about it unless it starts to act up. He is probably right but I am the type that likes thing right. Anyone encountered this?

[bigmac]

Before anyone jumps me yes, I have done a search.
Check engine light should come on when ign. is turned on. It does not.
Mechanic jumped it to check bulb. It came on. So bulb is good. All gauges read normal boat runs fine. He is a good marine mechanic but not an MC mechanic per sey. I don't have a MC dealer close by. My guy says just run it and don't worry about it unless it starts to act up. He is probably right but I am the type that likes thing right. Anyone encountered this?

If it's EFI, then the boat should have an ECM - in which case that unit can be interrogated for engine history and trouble codes. AFAIK. Did your guy hook up a scananalyzer?

[Bruce]

Thanks Mac it is EFI(1999 Maristar 230VRS) Do you know where ECM plug in is located? I do not know if he has scananalyzer. Would the same reader my mechanic use on my chevy truck work?(same engine in 1998 C1500) It is probably some mickey mouse problem since engine runs great but the light is good insurance.

[bigmac]

Thanks Mac it is EFI(1999 Maristar 230VRS) Do you know where ECM plug in is located? I do not know if he has scananalyzer. Would the same reader my mechanic use on my chevy truck work?(same engine in 1998 C1500) It is probably some mickey mouse problem since engine runs great but the light is good insurance.You'e probably right, but if the check-engine light isn't lighting for whatever reason, it might be worth knowing whether there's a trouble code in the hopper that you're not being notified of. AFAIK, an OBD I-capable scanner should be able to read it, however that EFI is open loop. I don't know where the DLC plug might be located in your 1999, though...sorry.

[sada]

are you anywhere near lafayette? I have a rinda code reader your welcome to use

[JimN]

Get a new mechanic. That light is to keep you from damaging the motor if there's a problem, not so you have something to look at. He should have been able to find out if the wires were continuous from the light to the ECM- it only takes a multi-meter and knowing how to use it.

The ALDL connector is at the rear of the motor and has a cap on it with a black wire keeping the cap and plug together. If the dash light goes on with the key ON, the plug is wired right. If it doesn't, disconnect the main harness from the boat harness and trace back through the boat harness to the light and check for continuity. You want to look for the brown wire with white tracer on it at terminal E on the plug and if you have a test light (LED preferred), you can connect terminal E through the test light to terminal F (12V) on the plug. This has an orange wire. Turning the key ON with a test light connected from E to F will illuminate the test light and if you have a code, it will show up. DO NOT CONNECT THE E AND F TERMINALS WITH A WIRE!

You don't need a scan tool, either. A paper clip works fine, just like in a car or truck. Look for terminals A and B and insert a paper clip into both to connect the two wires. The light should flash 12 three times (one flash, short pause, two flashes, longer pause and repeat this for a total of three times before showing any codes. If it only flashes 12 repeatedly, you have no stored codes, with the possible exception of 51, which is a bad EEPROM and if you have that, the boat won't run at all.

There were some boats that had mis-wired boat plugs. Call MC and see if they'll cover the repair- there was a service bulletin for that.

[bigmac]

Get a new mechanic. That light is to keep you from damaging the motor if there's a problem, not so you have something to look at. He should have been able to find out if the wires were continuous from the light to the ECM- it only takes a multi-meter and knowing how to use it.

The ALDL connector is at the rear of the motor and has a cap on it with a black wire keeping the cap and plug together. If the dash light goes on with the key ON, the plug is wired right. If it doesn't, disconnect the main harness from the boat harness and trace back through the boat harness to the light and check for continuity. You want to look for the brown wire with white tracer on it at terminal E on the plug and if you have a test light (LED preferred), you can connect terminal E through the test light to terminal F (12V) on the plug. This has an orange wire. Turning the key ON with a test light connected from E to F will illuminate the test light and if you have a code, it will show up. DO NOT CONNECT THE E AND F TERMINALS WITH A WIRE!

You don't need a scan tool, either. A paper clip works fine, just like in a car or truck. Look for terminals A and B and insert a paper clip into both to connect the two wires. The light should flash 12 three times (one flash, short pause, two flashes, longer pause and repeat this for a total of three times before showing any codes. If it only flashes 12 repeatedly, you have no stored codes, with the possible exception of 51, which is a bad EEPROM and if you have that, the boat won't run at all.

There were some boats that had mis-wired boat plugs. Call MC and see if they'll cover the repair- there was a service bulletin for that.


Uh...yeah...that's what I meant to say....:D

Jeez Jim...you just know this stuff off the top of your head? Impressive.

[Bruce]

I am about 90 miles east of Baton Rouge so it would be a little long. I should be able to find one around here bit, thank you so much for your kind offer.

[JimN]

I had to look up the E and F terminals but the rest I know. I was a MC tech, after all. And I am still teachable.

"Mind like a steel trap- nothing gets in".

[Bruce]

WOW JIM i'm impressed! I thought you must be a tech. Even still to have that info at your fingertips is awesome. I very much appreciate the info and the fact you went to the trouble.You mentioned mis-wired boat plugs. Is that sparkplug wires? I am the third owner but the boat was serviced every year by a MC dealer. As you may guess I am mechanically impaired. Thanks again

[JimN]

The plug I mentioned is the one where the boat harness connects to the motor's harness. The brown/white wire wasn't located correctly and since there was no connection to the light, it showed nothing.

The MC dealer should have caught this if the problem is what I think it is. '99 is about when it was happening, too.

Personally, I don't think I would have been very useful as a tech if I didn't remember this stuff. It's easy enough to look up but I was charging people to fix their boats, not read. Trouble? My manual is right here near my desk. If I see more problems with the newer motors, I'll bring that manual up here, too.

[PendO]

EVERYONE (esp. new members), Please meet JinN, and thank him for being "THE MAN" ... if you have joined team talk this fall/winter you may not have had the pleasure of letting him teach you to fix your boat problems ... I'm not Catholic, so meeting the Pope is no big deal to me, but someday I'd like to buy JimN a few beers:)

He is to fixing boats, what UMP is to making polls

[jraben8]

If he is close to Texas, let me be first in line... His resource is invaluable.