"Do Not Operate if Light Remains on Above 1200 RPM"

[hollister]

I have a 2000 SAN with the Ford 5.8L engine. When running, the "Do Not Operate if Light Remains on Above 1200 RPM" light remains lit up to about 3000 RPM. I just had my annual done and the fluid levels are all good. Any ideas on why this light is staying on? My first thought is that it may be a bad sensor or the pressure port is plugged.

[skinautique]

Bad sensor would be my guess.

[tryan]

i could be air in the intake tract or SOMEBODY forgot to plug something back it. take it back in.

[hollister]

It was doing the same thing before the annual. I checked around for a loose wire or plug and didn't find anything. I am assuming that the only function that light has is to alert the operator to low pressure in the transmission. Fluid levels check out OK, so I am leaning toward a bad sensor.

[skinautique]

When you say fluids, did you check the Vdrive fluid too? Or just the transmission? This really doesn't have a whole lot to do with the transmission itself. It is geared more toward the protection of the vdrive unit.

[tryan]

are your gauges reading normal for temp and pressure? does the engine feel hot? i would not drive it untill i was sure. you might get a little heat soak if you have been running and shut off the motor, but it should cool down after 30-40 seconds when you fire it back up.

got a strainer? check the o-ring. you might be sucking some air.

[skinautique]

An overheat won't register on that guage at all. In fact, it won't register on any guage except for the digital guages on the 2003 and newer boats. There is someting you can disconnect to see if it is a bad switch but I can't remember what it is off the top of my head.

[tryan]

if it's a logic driven circuit, i would reboot. (disconnect the battery for a minute)

[dirtweed]

That light has NOTHING to do with the motor or transmission. Unpluging the battery, checking every part of the motor and transmission will not help at all. It is simply the V-drive oil pressure sensor. If the V-drive oil is full, it's a bad sensor. Pretty common and very easy to replace. It is two wires on the left side of the V-drive, top main oil line. Brass sensor.

Just to be certain, when is the last time that you had the filter (actually its a screen) in the V-drive cleaned? Not worth doing every year, but something to check while you are looking at the sensor

[hollister]

Dirtweed,

V-drive oil checks out OK. I'm ordering a new sensor this week. Thanks for the tip.