wierd check engine/ tack problem

[seabe06@aol.com]

i have a 96 johnson modle J115tleda. my problem is that when i turn the key on, the system check does its thing, then after the lights go out the check engine light comes on. when i start the motor if the engine is idleing below 1000rpm the tach wont read. when the engine get to 1000 or above the tach will read and the constant horn will sound, keep in mind that the check engine light stays on. no for the part i dont understand. my motor does not come equiped with the check engine function. there isnt a vacuum switch to trigger it. i looked at the harness on the engine and the wire (tan w/ orange) does not come out of the side that goes to the motor. so i cut the tan/orange wire at the tach and the light stayed on as well did the horn. could this be the tach going bad.


Modified by seabe06@aol.com at 8:41 PM 7/8/2009

[SEAHORSE]

Sounds like a bad gauge.

Substitute the gauge for a known good one or put your gauge in another boat temporarily to see what happens.

[seabe06@aol.com]

well id love to be able to do that but i dont know anyone with the system check. mybe ill just buy a new guage and hope it works.

[seabe06@aol.com]

incase any one reads this and has the same problem. it turned out to be just a bad tach. replaced the tach and the check engine light stays off and the tach reads the rpm at any rpm.