Patent ID: 8657638
Filing Date: 2014-02-25
Classification: B63H

Abstract:
1. A system for determining oil level in an outboard motor, the system comprising an internal combustion engine that drains oil to a sump, a control circuit, and a sensor that senses oil level, in the sump, wherein the control circuit determines whether oil has drained into the sump from the internal combustion engine, determines a trim position of the outboard motor, and then after the oil has drained from the internal combustion engine into the sump, calculates a characteristic of the oil level in the sump based on the trim position; wherein the control circuit determines that the oil has drained into the sump when more than a predetermined amount of time has elapsed since the internal combustion engine was last operated; and wherein the time elapsed since the internal combustion engine was last operated is determined via a global positioning time stamp.