2003 250XS Water Pressure

[JWolff]

What would be the expected result of running too low of water pressure for an extended time? Alarms and then shut down? Motor meltdown with no alarms? Something else?

The reason I ask, I have been trying to figure out why my motor keeps shutting down with no warning or alarms. The issue seemed to start after I got rearended in June but that might just be coincidence (impact was only at a couple mph). Dealer says motor is fine and prop shaft run out is great. I am running motor elevations similar to the rest of 2+2 owners are running (even to 1/2" above pad). I still have old school gauges and they have always read low but since everybody else is successful at those motor levels I was hoping it was just my water psi was off so I ran it. Also, since I am usually with friends and family I am usually under 60 mph which, from what I have been reading, will also keep the water pressure gauge reading low even though you are OK.

 

[Dave Hensley]

Get the PCM read with a DDT. It will show fault history and cause.

 

[JWolff]

The first time it shut down was a week after the rearending. Then it went to the dealership which showed no faults.

 

[Tim Powell]

The engine will run on 8 psi @ WOT...12 psi is recommended minimum, anything lower will result in guardian. When guardian is activated, you get a system fault and horn.

Sounds like something is loose somewhere. It shouldn't just shut down without a horn.

 

[Dave Hensley]

If it is going into guardian mode the DDT should read faults, cause and length of alarm.

 

[JWolff]

So i was hoping that the issue was an old or underrated starting battery so i replaced it with an agm $400 bad boy this winter. First trip last month had no shutdown issues. Take the kids out today to tube and all is good for a couple miles then bam, it is back. Voltage on humminbird shows 12.0 on idle. Sometimes drops to 11.9 or 11.8 on take off. Once the shutdowns started it kept going. Had to idle a couple miles back to the ramp. Idles fine but once you hit the throttle it shutdowns sometimes in the middle of the launch, sometimes at break over, sometimes a few seconds after planing out. So frustrating. No horns or alarms. No faults. Just quits like you pulled the kill switch. I am thinking something loose or exposed wire or something like that.
We are so angry my wife even asked how much for a new motor and what ours is worth on trade in. Mine only has around 130 hrs on it.

 

[JWolff]

Dealer read it last summer when it all started and they said zero issues that we can tell. Of course that is just running the motor in their shop tank which does not replicate the load that causes the shutdown.

Taking it to a different dealer this time.

 

[Tim Powell]

Any chance the kill switch is having issues? Corrosion, loose wire, short, etc?

Have you verified ground connection on Stbd side of block? Power connections on Stbd side of block?

If guardian was shutting it down, you would have system faults on your SC gauge, warning horn, etc.

 

[JWolff]

Took it to a different dealer today to look at it. If they cant find anything there is one more place to take it. Wish i knew more about outboards to be able to dig into them. Have not checked those items Tim.

 

[Tim Powell]

Check them just to be sure...you can do it yourself. Pull the cowl and on the stbd side just below the starter you should see a red terminal cover, pull it back and make sure the nut is tight. It'll have some black liquid goo on it.

The ground is harder to get, its down below the starter but back behind the oil pump. The ground bolts to the block. It'll take an extension to get to but you can do it without removing the lower cowl.

I would also check all of the ECU connections, make sure they are snapped in and secure, and I would check the main harness connection too....all of these are on the stbd side of engine.

 

[scj]

So i was hoping that the issue was an old or underrated starting battery so i replaced it with an agm $400 bad boy this winter. First trip last month had no shutdown issues. Take the kids out today to tube and all is good for a couple miles then bam, it is back. Voltage on humminbird shows 12.0 on idle. Sometimes drops to 11.9 or 11.8 on take off. Once the shutdowns started it kept going. Had to idle a couple miles back to the ramp. Idles fine but once you hit the throttle it shutdowns sometimes in the middle of the launch, sometimes at break over, sometimes a few seconds after planing out. So frustrating. No horns or alarms. No faults. Just quits like you pulled the kill switch. I am thinking something loose or exposed wire or something like that.
We are so angry my wife even asked how much for a new motor and what ours is worth on trade in. Mine only has around 130 hrs on it.

John,

I had battery issues this past winter and it drove me crazy as I thought in no way could my new $400 AGM be bad. It was and they replaced it and no issues since then......
Check it to see how it handles a load.