Continual alarm beeping

[Reo]

Hi all,  EPIC 22 with 310 hrs. I've had a few instances where the alarm goes off continuously for no apparent reason. Pressure, temp and all other gauges all working fine and in normal range. Check tranny oil and it's fine. Nothing seems to be wrong. Usually happens after a few minutes of pulling at around 3000 rpm. Sometimes stops after a minute or two, sometimes does not stop. If I disconnect the 'unknown' red device (looks like a large shotgun shell beside the buzzer) with the two white connectors into it, beeping stops and all still runs just fine. I've attached a pic of the part I disconnect to stop beeping. Any ideas? Thanks.

[Sammamish Skier]

Those alarms are the over temp and low oil pressure buzzers. You can determine which is going off by unplugging one side at a time and seeing which color wires are feeding the side that is buzzing. The alarms rely on the proper resistances in the gauges and the senders to function, when I changed to analog gauges on my boat they no longer worked. It's possible that your gauges or sender are not quite in spec when the voltage drops at 3000 RPM. If you are ok not having the alarms you can remove them from the harness IIRC and plug the two plugs on either side of the alarms together. That is what I did on my E22.  I'd check your battery and alternator as I'd suspect them as a cause for this.

[Reo]

Thanks will check the alternator charging when back at boat this weekend.  I am thinking its fine as the battery is good and never needs to be boosted even though kids are using stereo all the time at the dock, but will check.  I didn't think those two plugs would plug into each other, but will check thas as well.  Does it makes sense that the gauges would be working properly (ie, showing reasonable temp and never over temp - always  raises up to and then stays at 160) and oil pressure fluctuates from 1/4 to 3/4 full scale (always has for last 12 years) depending on rev/load.  What is that red brick beside the bzzer in the photo that looks like a shotgun shell?  Its fully potted (encapsulated resin) with just the two connectors on the top.(one connector has "50" written in marker on it, the other has '250" on it.

[Sammamish Skier]

It's possible that the gauges are far more permissive than the alarm or that the alarm is actually toast. The shotgun shell is the brains of the alarm. It has two sets of connections. One side for oil pressure one for temperature. I don't recall which side is which but our boats do follow standard marine wiring coloring so the color of the wires should tell you. On my boat after the swap to analog gauges the oil pressure side of the alarm went off continuously even though the gauge read properly whatever the resistance of the analog gauge was it was different from the MDC causing the alarm to go off.

[Reo]

Great info.Much appreciated.  btw, checked the alternator, 12.4 volts engine off, 14.1 V engine on idle - so alternator seems ok.  I've just winterized for the season (always sad), and changed the oil & filter.  Oil wasn't bad, only 65 hrs since last change, but maybe old oil, low pressure or plugged filter, high pressure??  Is it possible the alarm is toast? Can you buy this part if so? Will see next year what happens and if same, 1st thing will be to check the side that is alarming. Fist issue in 12 years with the boat, and really can't complain about this.  And winterizing really is easy!!!