Transmission Light

[Blueliner]

This light does not come on at idle anymore. Fluid level is good (cold). Is this normal?

Does this light indicate issues for both Transmission and V unit, or just the transmission?

Regards
Blueliner

[mjr119]

Thst light is for the vdrive unit only. It should come on at idle and go off around 1000-1200 rpms. It may have too much oil in the vdrive.

[Blueliner]

Funny thing is there is some oil mixed with water now with a few bits of gunky whitish goop in the area directly underneath the v-drive. And I (no one else can...just me) can now hear a slight whine when we are up to temperature above idle speed. It sounds to me like the electric lube pumps I hear on the machine tools at work, only a little more quieter in the back ground. I plan to clean this mess up tonight and check the fluid in the v drive. Normally my boat is as tight as a drum when left in the water, I might get a pint or two of water after week if I left it at the dock. Hopefully if it was overfilled, it vented, or the folks at the marine dealer spilled something and it is finally dripping down into that area after 3 hours of use so far this year.

[mjr119]

Let us know what you find out.

The proper procedure to check the v-drive oil is to let the boat warm up to full operating temp, then shift the boat from neutral to reverse to neutral to forward and finally back to neutral. Then shut off the engine and check the fluid within 30 seconds.

This is what it says for my walter vdrive in a 2003 LSV.

[jzelt]

Bad or disconnected wire from the sensor?

[Blueliner]

Soaked up the oil, not really that much, there is a little splattered around the top of the V drive case. I checked the fluid level in the V-drive, cool at rest, no time to haul it to a lake. It was full of clean oil up to the H mark....cold. I attempted to remove the plate that surround the little light but I ended up breaking off a corner, its very brittle plastic and stuck on good, so I left it. I was hoping to jump the light out to see if it was ok. But not sure how any wires coming out of the v drive connect with that light. Ill make it a point to learn that soon. Does the V-drive have a vent somewhere? or does it relieve through the filler cap which seems to pop up easily enough.

Since I don't really know what I am doing or even know what I am really looking for I ended up dropping the boat off at a dealership repair shop who has experience in V-drives. I asked them to run it up to operating temp and check all of the fluid levels and listen for the noise, and check the shaft coupling alignment (shaft turns evenly at prop-strut bushing dry with a slight bit of tightness, Hopefully they think I hearing things well.

Thanks for your input.

[Blueliner]

The (Non-Moomba/Supra) dealer did a check over and could not find anything wrong other than the V-drive trouble light sender switch is NFG. They suggested a tune-up (declined), and possibly a circ pump rebuild (I can do that). Other than that it "sounds like a typical v-drive". I asked them to check the coupling shaft bolt tightness and check the alignment, they were a little reluctant to do that (have not heard back) as it was their opinion that that could not be the source, and rarely is the problem. The only other thing I can think is that when the fluids were changed last year maybe a slightly different grade of oil was used in the tranny or v-drive, so it makes a slightly different gear noise.

[DOCDRS]

When was the last time you changed your belt, they can make odd noises at different speeds as they age and get flat spots. Check out the alighnment procedure in the how to section, and dont forget to look at your motor mount bushings. Even if theycheck your alignment i would ask them you want to know how much its out and at what position on the clock.....this will tell you if they really know what they are doing