weird boat problems?

dizzyj · Soul Rider Joined: 18 Feb 2003 Posts: 485 City: Austin, Tx

So, I recently upgraded boats. From an 82 MC Stars and Stripes to a 2000 X-star, but im having some difficulty with the new boat Sad

its been bogging down randomly, the rpms dropping to below 1000. Temp reads fine. Also, while idling, every now and then it revs up.

I've also seen the guages bounce around. rpm guage, oil pressure goes from 40-60 while running, to 0-10 at idle.

I've had the boat for 2 weeks, and it did none of this during the test run.

It seems like a computer/voltage issue to me. I did kill my battery a few times (new boat, im not used to all these switches) and the negative cable was only half on the battery (but fairly secure).

I went out yesterday and cleaned the negative post and re-sit the negative cable the way it is supposed to be, and the boat ran fine.

im still seeing the oil pressure go from 40-60 while running, and 10-20 while idle.

Does any of this seem like it would simply be a bad connection to the battery? I dont have a trailer, so getting it serviced is going to be failry expensive.

boomboom · Newbie Joined: 07 Jul 2005 Posts: 11

you took the the right first step, ussually always a ground problem. as for the oil pressure, do not worry that is totally normal for your oil pressure to drop at idle. think of your car when it is hot and warmed up. While your driving you come to a stop your oil pressure drops. dont worry.

dizzyj · Soul Rider Joined: 18 Feb 2003 Posts: 485 City: Austin, Tx

well, I took her out for a test run 2 days in a row now, and it hasnt bogged down once, so im guessing that was the problem (cheap fix huh?)

the only thing that somewhat concernes me is the readout on the oil pressure guage. it varies from 60-70 psi at 3500 rps to 20 at idle. Can anyone confirm that this is ok?

pointblank12 · Soul Rider Joined: 10 Mar 2005 Posts: 313

my malibu does that...

boomboom · Newbie Joined: 07 Jul 2005 Posts: 11

does it happen happen when its been warmed or right at start. I also have a malibu and had the same thing was confirmed by a dealer that is total normal after its been warmed up. what is you pressure reading when you first fire up the boat?

dizzyj · Soul Rider Joined: 18 Feb 2003 Posts: 485 City: Austin, Tx

I retract my cheap fix solution. Im still having these problems.

since I posted this last, I have replaced the battery, and replaced the alternator. It still did it last night.

symptoms:

- engine reving witout touching the throttle
- engine cutting out while accellerating
- volt guage/fuel guage reading 0 (I even put a meter on the alt while the
volt guage read 0 and it was putting out 14)
- rpm guage randomly bouncing around.
- cdplayer starts skipping (WTF?)

bad mcx computer? any other ideas? Im getting ready to just take it back to the dealer, but all this is very intermittent. I went out on mon and had 0 problems, tues I took her out and almost wasnt able to ride at all.

NAW · Posted: Aug 17, 2005 8:54 am Post subject:

Intermittent problems are the worst. My feeling is it could be a bad ECM (I think that's the acronym). Almost every 99 and 00 MC I've come across has had it replaced. I believe it's behind the dash. The dealer should be able to plug into your computer and check it out.

dizzyj · Soul Rider Joined: 18 Feb 2003 Posts: 485 City: Austin, Tx

NAW · Posted: Aug 17, 2005 9:03 am Post subject:

Yes, I believe so. I seem to remember it being a few hundred bucks.

PendOreilleSkier · Newbie Joined: 18 Aug 2005 Posts: 3 City: Spokane

I think you may be having a fuel problem, where the flow is restricted but you do not notice it until higher RPM's when the engine is looking for more fuel to drink ... perhaps the fuel filter needs to be replaced, and you should check the screen at the fuel pump. Also, you may want to check out www.tmcowners.com as an alternate information source on troubleshooting your issue. The problem may be intermittent if something causing the restriction gets jostled around (think about drinking a strawberry milkshake, sometimes you suck up a berry in the straw, but if you know it around, it falls out, and you can go back to freezing your brain). Also, maybe it is the fuel pump failing, I have heard of that a few times. Good luck man.

dizzyj · Soul Rider Joined: 18 Feb 2003 Posts: 485 City: Austin, Tx

Update:

Boats been in the shop for 3 weeks. Now they tell me that its the ECM and its bad. I realize that I signed the "as is no warrenty" paper, but im more than a little pissed. First they told me that all this was covered, now they are saying that they are goign to try and help with some of the cost of a new ecm.

Ill find out exactly what they are going to charge me in a couple of days.

D420 · Soul Rider Joined: 21 May 2005 Posts: 279 City: NAPLES

bummer man

dizzyj · Soul Rider Joined: 18 Feb 2003 Posts: 485 City: Austin, Tx