What to do about water in gas alarm???

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wetaline

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 12, 2011
Messages
169
I have an optimax motor that has been great. Its about 7 years old and I took it out for the first time this year Saturday. I fired up fine on the muffs and I dropped it in the water and it ran fine to our first spot. I was running up the river and I started getting the 4 beep alarm, the one that stands for water in the fuel or low oil. I had just filled the oil up but I noticed two small misses as idle, very slight, but other than that it ran great. I had just filled my gas tank up and I run gas treatment in there year around. Is there a way to save the tank of gas since there is about 18 gallons in there. Would you guys just pump the gas out to be safe? This gas hasnt been run in about 5 months
 
To be safe I wold make sure the automatic oiler is working before I did anything a all.....
 
Go to BBC boards...to the Merc forum and the sub forum for Opti`s. There`s a ton of info ....may have to dig a little or just ask Don Weed of European Marine...(.He`s actually in Greenevville SC ) on that forum. Some things as simple as the oil tank cap can cause alarms. Many little nuances can caus the alarms.
I wouldn`t risk a multi $1000 motor over a few gallons of gas.
 
this happened to me years ago...if you take the coweling off and on the passenger side of the motor there is a fuel filter and at the bottom there is enough room for water to collect...look inside and you should see water...i'd just drain it but i'm not a mechanic and didnt sleep at a holiday inn express last night
 
It's a good idea to change that fuel filter regularly and clean the crap outta there while you've got it apart. Also make sure your oil tank under the cowl is FULL. Another maintenance item to consider if your rig is over 4-5 years old is to change the fuel line and bulb to the ethanol resistant parts. As for the gas, your call. There are methods to test fuel for phase separation. Either test it to confirm it's OK or dump it and start with a fresh, treated load. Regular maintenance and the use of correct fluids are the keys to longevity, IMO. Lots of good recommendations on the BBC Merc forums that Snuffy mentioned. If it was mine, I'd get in to a good Merc shop and find out for sure what's going on and get the service up to date. Bunch Marine in Harriman does great work and is a board sponsor. Good luck!
 
Also check the small oil tank under the cowling, if it's got a small amount of air it will start the 4 beep alarm. Screw off the plastic blot and start the motor, it will fill up and then screw down the plastic bolt.
 


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