Need some direction before I spend to much on this issue. Purchased this motor used and installed with no issues. Motor initially ran great. WOW up to 5500 RPM, smooth from take off. Only one issue was the throttle interrupt switch (code 28) out of adjustment. Took a bit to figure it out and get it adjusted so not to setoff the alarm while operating. It would go off at just about any throttle setting.
After about 2 hours of total operation the motor just shutdown, no warnings or alarms. Could not restart after that. Took it a Evinrude mech and they were able to get it running again and read all the codes. I was not surprised to hear that the throttle adjustment code had tripped 28 times before I got that corrected, Just sitting at the dock it would go on/off. Anyway the other was a low voltage code (26) which had trip 3 times immediately during the shutdown. Not sure if that was the cause of the shutdown as no alarms rang out.
Since then I have gotten no codes but the engine slowly has been going down hill. When I first got it back from the shop I never could get the RPM's I had originally. During operation at one point it cleaned up for about 10 seconds and the rpm's jumped up at cruise and then it dropped off again. We could hear the popcorn popping above 3K and below could just feel/hear the misfire. Idle even had a slight miss to it. Took it back to shop and they could not find anything wrong. No new codes and it ran fine in the shop. They never water tested.
So I finally decided to take this matter into my own hands and started to educate myself on this motor. (I'm a licensed auto & aircraft mechanic as will as licensed engineer, which means I'm educated enough to know when I'm out of my element and need get help). Reading all the info I have found that this motor is a mystery to most which has brought me to the folks reading this post as I have read it takes a collaborative effort to solve the mysteries of this motor with the few that have experienced or have taken part in issues with this motor.
I got the boat on the water again and now the motor did not want to respond, Throttle up and hesitated but eventually got it up to 4K maybe a little over.
I got the software and plug, read all the codes and operational info that it can provide and found nothing. I started to run troubleshooting on the fuel system and found that the VST pump was running very hard and you could hear the motor whining and surging just turning the key on. As this was something new I checked the fuel pressure and found that it was cycling with the pump. Replaced the pump (ouch!!!), it was bad and the VST lid was also broken (popped up). Anyway, took it back out and still RPM's below 5K and have the popcorn popping above 3K, below you can hear the misfire just as before.
So the VST/pump was not the issue but it was bad. So now I'm back at the original issue and at a loss on what to do next. I don't trust that the Evinrude shop has the experience to figure this out in which case I would be throwing money at them to do what I can do. It was suggested I look at the stator with regard to the one time (or 3 repetitive times) the low voltage code tripped. Nothing on this motor has been replaced other than the fuel pump and regular maintenance items. Plugs are new and indexed, new fuel filter both internal and external. Water temp is a little cold at idle and below spec (105F).
So what do you all think, any ideas or directions? I just don't want to become a remove and replace Troubleshooter, that doesn't make sense and with this motor ends up costing a small fortune.
After about 2 hours of total operation the motor just shutdown, no warnings or alarms. Could not restart after that. Took it a Evinrude mech and they were able to get it running again and read all the codes. I was not surprised to hear that the throttle adjustment code had tripped 28 times before I got that corrected, Just sitting at the dock it would go on/off. Anyway the other was a low voltage code (26) which had trip 3 times immediately during the shutdown. Not sure if that was the cause of the shutdown as no alarms rang out.
Since then I have gotten no codes but the engine slowly has been going down hill. When I first got it back from the shop I never could get the RPM's I had originally. During operation at one point it cleaned up for about 10 seconds and the rpm's jumped up at cruise and then it dropped off again. We could hear the popcorn popping above 3K and below could just feel/hear the misfire. Idle even had a slight miss to it. Took it back to shop and they could not find anything wrong. No new codes and it ran fine in the shop. They never water tested.
So I finally decided to take this matter into my own hands and started to educate myself on this motor. (I'm a licensed auto & aircraft mechanic as will as licensed engineer, which means I'm educated enough to know when I'm out of my element and need get help). Reading all the info I have found that this motor is a mystery to most which has brought me to the folks reading this post as I have read it takes a collaborative effort to solve the mysteries of this motor with the few that have experienced or have taken part in issues with this motor.
I got the boat on the water again and now the motor did not want to respond, Throttle up and hesitated but eventually got it up to 4K maybe a little over.
I got the software and plug, read all the codes and operational info that it can provide and found nothing. I started to run troubleshooting on the fuel system and found that the VST pump was running very hard and you could hear the motor whining and surging just turning the key on. As this was something new I checked the fuel pressure and found that it was cycling with the pump. Replaced the pump (ouch!!!), it was bad and the VST lid was also broken (popped up). Anyway, took it back out and still RPM's below 5K and have the popcorn popping above 3K, below you can hear the misfire just as before.
So the VST/pump was not the issue but it was bad. So now I'm back at the original issue and at a loss on what to do next. I don't trust that the Evinrude shop has the experience to figure this out in which case I would be throwing money at them to do what I can do. It was suggested I look at the stator with regard to the one time (or 3 repetitive times) the low voltage code tripped. Nothing on this motor has been replaced other than the fuel pump and regular maintenance items. Plugs are new and indexed, new fuel filter both internal and external. Water temp is a little cold at idle and below spec (105F).
So what do you all think, any ideas or directions? I just don't want to become a remove and replace Troubleshooter, that doesn't make sense and with this motor ends up costing a small fortune.