steering and idle trouble, shop screwed me?

[dhud64]

This is also posted under motor repairs, double posted here for steering problem.<br />I need your comments on the following, (Especially those of you who run a repair shop)!<br />I took my boat to the local repair shop, here’s what I told them- <br />1) The boat runs rough at low idle under a load.<br />2) The steering is stiff and you have to give it a good jerk unless you are at WOT on full plane, then you can ‘one finger it back and forth’. The problem is only noticeable IN THE WATER. I disassembled the grease tube, removed light rust and greased.<br />When I picked the boat up I was pissed because no one ever called with the requested estimate before work. (I let them know it too). The bill was in excess of $500.00 They rebuilt all four carbs w/ new kits, and ‘greased the steering’. They said the idle may need adjusting after it gets into the water. If so, give them a call and they could send someone over. (The lake is only 15 minutes away). On the first outing, which was very short due to time limitations, I couldn’t really tell any difference in anything. I thought I would wait for better test conditions. The second outing, a full day on the lake, confirmed my thoughts, No improvement whatsoever on anything! In fact, I bumped up the idle, as it is a simple adjustment clearly labeled under the hood, and it still runs worse than it did before. The second outing was only one week after ‘repairs’. The shop was closed today, but I need ammo before I go back. The motor is a 1998 115 Mariner on a 1998 Procraft fish and ski.<br />I don’t think any diagnostics were done before rebuilding the carbs, is this normal protocall?

 

[Solittle]

Re: steering and idle trouble, shop screwed me?

I hope you paid the bill with a credit card. If so you may want to dispute the charges if the shop dosen't make it right.<br /><br />Here in Florida providers of a repair service are required by law to give an estimate in writing if requested before any work is done. You may have a remidy in Kansas.<br /><br />Rebuilding of carbs is often both common and needed.<br /><br />You may want to give the shop a chance to fix it right - - I would demand it (with no additional charges - understood up front).

 

[dhud64]

Re: steering and idle trouble, shop screwed me?

I did pay by credit card! <br />Further information (clarity for other readers)...The point is, I adjusted the idle which was their ONLY other reccomendation, and it still runs like crap. They did say, after the rebuild, that those motors run on one or two cylinders (?) until a certain rpm, which may be indicated by a rough idle. (If I had known this before I would have thought twice about repairs). My feeling is, they did no diagnostics and based their repairs off of what I told them. If that is the case that is BS. I spent in excess of $500 for a rebuild that wasn't needed.

 

[dhud64]

Re: steering and idle trouble, shop screwed me?

Took the boat back to the shop. Waiting on a response from them about the rough idle, but the guy told me that the .?.forgot the name of the tab on the back lower side of motor, can be adjusted for my problem. He also said the previous owner must have set it for best performance at WOT, said I can adjust it for better steering at a lower rpm. (My steering is very stiff untill I'm at WOT on full plane, then it's very easy to stear). I thought that tab was only to offset a left or right veering problem? Is he trying to feed me bull?