smartcraft alarm
 

As of last weekend my friends smartcraft gauge is indicating a constant engine alarm (little engine icon with horn) on his 496 HO. A scan tool shows no unusual codes from the engine.The smartcraft book says this indicates a low sterndrive fluid level although this is not the case. The fluid level is normal. Does anyone know of another problem that the little engine icon might be indicating. Oil pressure, temperature, etc. are all normal and the engine is running fine.

Drive oil level
 

It might be the float in the drive oil reservior. My alarm is going off (7.4 MPI) and everything (temps, levels, etc.) checks out ok. The trusted local marine mechanic where I keep my boat told me to check the float, but I haven't been out there in nearly a week to check it. I guess you have to replace the whole thing, can't just get the float.

To check the float I disconnected the two leads going to the fluid bottle so there was an open circuit. I verified this was the no-alarm condition on my own 496. He still had an alarm which told me there was another sensor for some other condition or a short in the wiring.

Read the codes and put them up here. Depending on how your boat is equiped, it's normal to see:

fuel ckt low
steering ckt
pito
fuel ckt high


If you have a digital trim limit sender and if it's failing there will be a trim ckt code. It will not cause a beep but will trigger the check engine icon/light.

Also, check all of the grounds. You could have a bad sensor somewhere... Drive oil will cause beep and guardian along with your stated alarms.