2019 R27 outboard CO detector alarm issue

[Blueboy#1]

The CO monitor alarm in my boat seems overly sensitive. It sounds when I am taking fuel and the Yamaha F300 engine has been off for a minute or two.

In addition the alarm sounds (loud and distractingly obnoxious) when the boat is leaving the dock or taxiing slowly around the harbor—even with the door to the afterdeck and all hatches and windows closed. It sounds continuously for minutes on end not stopping unless I speed up and open all hatches, and even then it sounds for a long several minutes. This makes slow boating really aggravating especially when near wildlife.

Does anyone else experience this problem? Any suggestions for a better solution than running fast to clear the air? Thank you Tug Nuts for your help!

Steve M

 

[Bsmith]

The CO monitor alarm in my boat seems overly sensitive. It sounds when I am taking fuel and the Yamaha F300 engine has been off for a minute or two.

In addition the alarm sounds (loud and distractingly obnoxious) when the boat is leaving the dock or taxiing slowly around the harbor—even with the door to the afterdeck and all hatches and windows closed. It sounds continuously for minutes on end not stopping unless I speed up and open all hatches, and even then it sounds for a long several minutes. This makes slow boating really aggravating especially when near wildlife.

Does anyone else experience this problem? Any suggestions for a better solution than running fast to clear the air? Thank you Tug Nuts for your help!

Steve M

 

[Bsmith]

Likely the the sensor needs to be replaced. Channel Surfing has a video on how it’s done. We had to do it on our 2023 R27 as the alarm was sounding far too often and for no good reasons.

 

[Blueboy#1]

Thanks B!

 

[abastos]

Hi Steve,

One thing that stands out is that opening the hatches and speeding up eventually quiets it down. That makes me wonder if there could actually be some CO buildup in the cabin during low-speed or idling situations, even with the engine off for a bit. At the same time, the alarm triggering so easily (like when fueling or taxiing slowly) also makes me think the sensor itself might be getting overly sensitive or starting to fail.

I’d pick up a separate, handheld CO meter and taking some readings inside the cabin during the exact conditions where the alarm goes off. That way you can get a real sense of whether the levels are actually elevated or if the boat’s monitor is just being too twitchy.

It’s cheap insurance either way, since CO is no joke on a boat.

Best

Alex

 

[Blueboy#1]

Thank you Alex—I’m on it!

 

[Blueboy#1]

Thank you Alex!

 

[NorthernFocus]

If it's the original one that came with the boat it's probably just at the end of it's life. 5-7 years is typically.

 

[Blueboy#1]

Thanks Dan!

 

[NorthernFocus]

Thanks Dan!

They're supposed to chirp every once in a while when they go bad similar to house smoke alarms when the battery needs to be replaced. At least the few that I've had experience with. But in my experience with CO/Smoke/gas detectors on boats they tend to alarm when anything goes wrong.

 

[Blueboy#1]

Thanks Dan!