No battery Charge, No Tach reading -150hp

[Rob33]

I have a 2001 Merc outboard 150hp. A couple of months ago the tach stuck at 3000 rpm and no longer would move and since then the batteries started to lose charge. One battery is completly dead and the other is wearing down. The engine is a 40 amp system with two parallel 20 amp systems. Does anyone have any ideas or had this happen to them. Does it sound like a regulator problem or a stator problem? Or something else?

 

[cell]

Re: No battery Charge, No Tach reading -150hp

I think your rectifier(not sure if you have one),or regulator affects your tach and charging.

 

[CharlieB]

Re: No battery Charge, No Tach reading -150hp

It could be either, or both.

You will need to remove the rectifiers and test them seperately with an Ohms Meter to determine if one or both are bad.

Your stator actually has two sets of charging coils built in, you will need to test each set.

Search these forums for stator tests and rectifier test for step by step directions.

 

[j_martin]

Re: No battery Charge, No Tach reading -150hp

That system actually has two independent systems. Each has a coil in the stator, and a regulator module that includes the rectifier. Both modules have a grey tach wire coming from them. One is used, and the other is capped off. You can move the tach wire to the other module, and if it's good, the tach will work. (I'll bet it won't)

Usually what happens is one module will fail, then the other will follow after a period of time (minutes to months) because it's overloaded.

If the modules have the transparent potting and look burnt, that's the problem. You can disconnect the red wires (in pairs) from the regulator and measure the stator voltage with any ac voltmeter. It should be 15 volts or so at idle, up to about 90 at 6000 rpm.

If, as I'm guessing, you have 2 transparent 5 wire modules, and the stator checks out OK, then replace them both with the newer black potted 6 wire modules (if you can find them used) or CDI modules if you must buy new. (Cheaper and better)

Don't just throw parts at it. Take some measurements first to define the bad part. There's help here if you need it.


hope it helps
John

 

[Rob33]

Re: No battery Charge, No Tach reading -150hp

Thanks for the help.

I will check the regulators and stator and post what I find. I like the idea to move the gray tach wire to the other regulator, but like you I doubt that it will be working.

The tach stuck a while ago and the charging system hasn't been working well and now it finally quit (Wish I would have check when the tach stoped), so it seems like the other regulator was overloaded.

This may be a dumb question, Is the ground wire considered one of the five wires on the regulater. The regulators have two yellow, two red, one gray and one black for what I believe to be the six wire regulator.

Thanks,
Rob

 

[j_martin]

Re: No battery Charge, No Tach reading -150hp

Yep, yer right. The 6 wire version grounds reliably through a wire. The 5 wire version grounds unreliably through the frame.

Check out the stator with an ohmmeter. It should be pretty low between the wires in each pair of yellows, and open to ground and to the other pair.

If that's good, then test each regulator live. It should raise the battery voltage at fast idle and higher.

The other thing is that the bullet connectors they're running 20 amps through are really good for about 10. The ones on the yellow wires often burn enough to make a bad connection. I usually cut them off and solder those connections and insulate them with liquid electrical tape and heat shrink. Usually the heat generated when they fail travels down the wires and gets the regulator.

The addage is "A stitch in time saves nine." Good luck fixing it up.

hope it helps
John

 

[Rob33]

Re: No battery Charge, No Tach reading -150hp

Thanks John, I appreciate the help.

I tried switching the grey tach wire to the other regulater and as suspected, it didn't work so I went out and got a multimeter to test the regulators and the stator.

I going to test this wekend and I'll post what I find.

Rob

 

[Rob33]

Re: No battery Charge, No Tach reading -150hp

Thanks for all of the help. After all of the test, it turned out to be the regulators. The tach is now working and it seems like it will take some time to get the batteries recharged.

Thanks Again,
Rob