With all of the activity aboard a sailboat, it is very easy to miss the fact that your engine is in trouble. A complete and functioning alarm system is the only thing between your engine and a dangerous and potentially very expensive engine failure!
No high temperature alarm was present on boats built before 1990. This is potentially a very expensive omission. Water pump impellers fail regularly. A high temperature alarm is the only warning you will have that your impeller has failed and your engine is overheating. It is very unlikely you will notice the temperature gauge indicates high engine termerature before the engine seizes.
1990 and 1991 boats used a printed circuit board with built in logic to cause an alarm to sound at the appropriate time using only the engine's temperature sender and oil pressure sender. There was no need for separate engine switches to activate the alarms. Unfortunately, the company that made the printed circuit board went out of business.
Many engines including those used in in the 1990 and 1991 boats (and earlier) can be retrofitted with the newer alarm module. This will provide a To retrofit your engine, call our tech support line. Choose kit #Z2754 if you have an M2-12 or M-30. If yours is an M-18, M-25, M-25XP, or M-35 use kit #Z2753.
Important note: An alarm should sound as soon as your ignition is switched on. In fact, it should sound any time the ignition is switched on but the engine is not running. If this is not the case, investigate immediately as you do not have the protection of a low oil pressure alarm.
