2016 242 Limited S - non E Series with an E Series Tower

[jhawker21]

Hello, I'm new to the forum and new to Yamaha boats and have a couple of questions for you all. First off, I absolutely love the boat. It's a ton of fun to drive, love the quality and upscale trim and the seats in the back are so nice when coving out.

Anyway, I purchased a 2016 242 Limited S, picture attached, from a dealer down by Table Rock Lake. When looking at the boat online prior to purchase I was convinced it was an E-Series boat due to the upgraded tower. Upon seeing it in person, I noticed it did not have the push button start/stop, electronic throttles or second gen Connext but it does have the E-Series tower and solar panel charging system. The exact model is "SAT1800C-R" which is a non-E Series boat. The dealer was able to call the previous owner and indicated it was purchased new this way and had no idea what I was talking about. Has anyone run across a boat built in this manner? I figured this was an upgraded tower installed after the sale but he said it came that way new. I'm just curious since I've not run across another one like this.

Second question, apologies in advance, since I've seen this discussed a lot in other threads. Should the solar panel charging wires be wired directly to the "engine start" battery or the "house" battery? Since this is, IMO, not a factory standard boat I'd like to know how it should be wired. It's currently wired to the "start" battery and it seems it to make more sense to have it wired to the "house" battery since that is what is powering the electronics/stereo when in float mode.

Finally, I'd like to know the best way to get from both engines running/blower running to float mode without killing the stereo. If I turn off the blower first then kill the engines it turns off completely and have to push the System Ctl button to get it into float mode and if I turn both engines off first then kill the blower it does the same thing. I'd like to avoid having to kill the whole system and then reboot it into float mode.

Thanks in advance!

Eric
Kansas City, MO

 

[BigAbe75]

Anyway, I purchased a 2016 242 Limited S, picture attached, from a dealer down by Table Rock Lake. When looking at the boat online prior to purchase I was convinced it was an E-Series boat due to the upgraded tower. Upon seeing it in person, I noticed it did not have the push button start/stop, electronic throttles or second gen Connext but it does have the E-Series tower and solar panel charging system. The exact model is "SAT1800C-R" which is a non-E Series boat. The dealer was able to call the previous owner and indicated it was purchased new this way and had no idea what I was talking about. Has anyone run across a boat built in this manner? I figured this was an upgraded tower installed after the sale but he said it came that way new. I'm just curious since I've not run across another one like this.

No.... I've never heard of such a beast. @Julian may be more familiar with the 2016 offerings.

Hopefully, the price you paid was based on the S and not SE. The ethrottles, I would guess, should make up a huge part of that price difference.

@Mainah and his son may be able to assist you with adding push button start, and the @Ridesteady solution can get you close to some of the ethrottle features... if you're set on adding them.

 

[BigAbe75]

I wonder if you can determine the original dealer that sold the boat. Would there be someway to lookup the HIN# and see the boat's history? Maybe a Yamaha dealer could assist with that, as it doesn't sound like you bought from a Yamaha dealer.

As I recall, 2016 was the first year for the 242 SE/X boats. Maybe this was originally a Yamaha employee's boat that got Frankenstein'd together before the products were finalized?

 

[Julian]

It has to have been modified to end up this way. As @BigAbe75 says, perhaps someone connected with Yamaha wanted a big bimini, or the owner bought the tower from a sunk boat?

 

[jhawker21]

Thanks for all the replies and confirming my skepticism about it being this way from the factory.

@BigAbe75, thankfully I caught it before I had made the deal. I thought I was getting a steal as an E-Series boat but walking away I think I got a fair deal. With the limited inventory of used 242's across the US right now getting a good deal, under 100 hours on engines, 4 hours away from KC I was comfortable with the purchase. It also had an upgraded stereo system with 2 bow, 4 cockpit, 2 rear, 2 tower speakers and 2 10in subwoofers, system sounds really good. I budgeted to add the @Ridesteady system to the boat so in the end I'm missing the push button start/stop and ethrottles. Fortunately, I've not driven an ethrottle boat so I don't really know what I'm missing, (trying to make myself believe this anyway =).

You are correct, I bought it from the local Malibu dealer as a trade in. I may ask my local Yamaha dealer to see if they have the ability to look up the original dealer and if they have a build sheet on it. It has to have a story. I even looked to see if maybe they modified the Limited S tower to accept the E-Series bimini and it all looks factory built to me.

Thanks for the commentary, if anyone has thoughts on the solar panel wiring I'd love to hear it.

Thanks,
Eric

 

[Enduro900]

You bought a Limited S Non E-Series, which looks like it was a Factory model for 2016 (bigger Bimini and everything else except drive control was probably included). Before reading your post I also thought used 242’s with the larger Bimini’s were automatically E-Series........now we know that is not the case

 

[BigAbe75]

I’m not sure that’s right. Usually the Ltd S has the upgraded tower (Over the AR), but the bimini is the same style as the AR, and not the larger bimini frame of the E and X series.

 

[Enduro900]

I’m not sure that’s right. Usually the Ltd S has the upgraded tower (Over the AR), but the bimini is the same style as the AR, and not the larger bimini frame of the E and X series.

So then why would anyone spend $61,999 for the Limited S?

The Limited E Series is $61,999

The Limited S is also $61,999

 

[BigAbe75]

So then why would anyone spend $61,999 for the Limited S?

The Limited E Series is $61,999

The Limited S is also $61,999

Ltd E had no tower, but EThrottles . . Ltd S had tower and no big bimini and manual throttles.

Dunno. I could be wrong. I’ll still refer to @Julian as he has a ‘16 and may recall the various models better.

 

[Enduro900]

Ltd E had no tower, but EThrottles . . Ltd S had tower and no big bimini and manual throttles.

Dunno. I could be wrong. I’ll still refer to @Julian as he has a ‘16 and may recall the various models better.

Interesting......i assumed (you know what that makes me) that all the upper-end 242’s back in 2016 came with towers like they did in 2019-2020. I wasn’t following boats back in 2016 so just saw the 2016 model pricing list and thought hmmmmm.

So you are probably right.

 

[Julian]

Here is the price sheet

S Has a tower and bimini, E does not. For the same price....you chose e series or tower.

 

[BigAbe75]

Here is the price sheet
View attachment 131569
S Has a tower and big bimini, E does not. For the same price....you chose e series or tower.

Interesting. I didn’t know that. Is it still that way?

 

[Cambo]

Since the towers were so popular maybe they were adding the tower to the 242ltd that came with no tower . The demand and pre orders could have made it a way to easily convert inventory into a sellable item By adding a tower .

 

[Julian]

Interesting. I didn’t know that. Is it still that way?

OK....was late at night....not big bimini....

 

[Ronnie]

the previous owner May have been a member here or the other forum. I recall reading a thread where the owner clearly stated he had a non e series boat with an e series tower and that his dealer ended up modifying Or getting it that way for him because he (actually his wife) wanted the large fixed Bimini but not many of the other upgrades (or their costs) of the e series.