Posted: Mon May 11, 2009 3:57pm

Hi there, When I turn my ignition key to warm the plugs, I get a warning bleeper, as I indeed should. This goes out after ignition. However, it comes on again after about 5 mins of engine running. The engine (Beta Marine) only gets to about hand-touch hot before the bleeper kicks in. Both oil and water are filled correctly. Also when heating plugs, the bleeps pick-up in frequency and fade into a high-pitched whine. What on Earth could this be?! Thanks :)

Posted: Mon May 11, 2009 6:35pm

Dear Jeff, All the audio warning devices I have heard normally make a high pitched whine and not bleeps - I wonder it you have a lose connection somewhere. They often also monitor more then just one thing and I doubt it has anything to do with the glow-plugs. However I can not be sure about your particular engine without its manual and wiring diagram. Normally the buzz when you first turn on is indicating the alternator is not producing any output (it would not anyway because the engine has not yet been started). Once the engine starts and is revved sufficiently for the alternator to start to charge the buzzer stops at the same time as the ignition/charge warning/lamp goes out. Now the buzzer is often monitoring the oil pressure, engine temperature and on wet exhaust boats possible the exhaust temperature. It could be a very lose alternator belt or faulty alternator, a fault oil pressure switch/sender unit, low oil pressure (but i doubt it), a faulty temperature sender, and exhaust overheat or even a wire chaffing through the insulation and shorting to metal. You probably have a large multi-way connector block in the engine to instrument panel harness. Some of the points in this may be loose , dirty or it could be full of water. I am sorry not to be any more help and I know Beta are very good on customer service so try giving them a ring where you can discuss what is going on. Please also comer back and tell us what you eventually find. Tony brooks

Posted: Tue May 12, 2009 12:34pm

Thanks Tony, I'll follow up some of the possibilities you mentioned and post a reply if my findings are useful. Jeff

Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2009 5:56pm

Well, It's finally sorted out! One candidate was a faulty alternator. I took this off and had it tested - it was fine. A friend of mine, and someone who is good with electrics, finally popped around to check it out for me. After about 2 hours he found the problem - I've got two isolator switches, one for the the starter battery, one for the domestic batteries. At some point, the previous owner must have disconnected the two wires going to each of these two switches (4 wires in total) and accidentally swapped two of them over. This effectively linked both alternators and both battery systems. Case solved :)