Check Port Engine Light

[drmorley]

Purchased a new 2023 Scarab and only have three hours on it. Today the check port engine light came on shortly after startup.

Coolant was a little low so I added some and oil levels are good.

Intak grate and impellers are clear, but flushed with water just to be sure.

Port engine runs fine, but limited to 5k rpms. No error message displayed on the dash when I cycle through.

Any suggestions?

 

[Luc Lafreniere]

There really should be an error code in this case. You should go back and recheck for it. IF you have the non touch screen option, then this is where to find it. But if you have the touchscreen, I'm not certain.

I presume you purchased it from a dealer? If so, you really should talk to them to check this out.

 

[drmorley]

Thanks for the quick reply. I'll post a video tomorrow, but the Fault CO doesn't appear when I toggle through the modes.

I've called the dealer that sold me the boat, but they're ~ 9 hours from where the boat is. They didn't have any advice other than trailering the boat to check the intake grates.

The boat is on a lift and was able to crank it up and inspect the intake grate and impeller and they look great with no debris.

 

[Luc Lafreniere]

Was the boat vibrating when you were running it in the water? Especially when trying to accelerate? That is a symptom of something stuck in the grate/impeller. I'm guessing you didn't have this issue so that's probably just a distraction.

It's unlikely to be fuel or air. So your likely culprit is spark. I would verify that each ignition coil is properly seated on each plug. If they were, then consider just replacing all three. It's very inexpensive and easy to do and will at least rule that out. If that isn't it, you now have spare plugs which is a good thing.

Also (and even first), check your battery (ies) voltages. Make sure the wires are well connected. Low voltage on batteries can do odd stuff.

 

[drmorley]

No vibration during acceleration or while running. I lifted the boat out of the water and the intake grates are clear and there’s nothing in the impeller.

I’ll check the spark plugs tomorrow and will replace them.

Battery (only one) is showing normal voltage, but I put a tender on the battery just in case.

Thanks for your help and I’ll follow up tomorrow with more.

 

[Luc Lafreniere]

Sounds good. Good luck. Maybe others will chime in with other ideas.

 

[drmorley]

I've never worked on a jet boat and my wife is afraid that if I start working on the engine I'll just make it worse. She's not 100% wrong given my past history.

Nearest Scarab dealer is about 100 miles away so only option is to trailer the boat there. I should have checked with my local marinas first. None of them will touch jet boats.

Is there a way to call Scarab directly for tech support?

 

[Luc Lafreniere]

Not really. Some managed to get some sort of random contact. But people usually call their dealers.

Alternatively, they are here and request help from us. Most of us are willing to help. But you do need to touch your boat, try things out, etc.

If you need specific help, I can personally walk you through stuff depending on what you are trying. Most things are pretty easy like spark plugs.

 

[drmorley]

Thanks, I'll call the dealer again, but they're a 9 hour drive so would LOVE to fix this one myself.

I am very tech savvy and would love to get the software so I can hook up to the ECM and see what exactly the error code is referencing. Any suggestion on what software package to purchase would be great.

Based on your previous comments I too think it might be a bad spark plug and would welcome any walkthroughs you can offer. Thank you in advance for the offer--very generous of you!

 

[Luc Lafreniere]

Only two options for software: CANDooPro LLC, Diagnostic Tools (which is what most of us have) or the BUDS software. I can't speak to the latter since I've never used it.

Before even getting this, I'd just start by replacing all three plugs as I said. It's very inexpensive to do and if that wasn't the issue, you'll have spares which are good to have.

I can walk you through the changing of the plugs. But it would be better to use a quick chat program. I'll send you a private message with options.

 

[drmorley]

Luc, I was all set to roll up my sleeves today figure what the issue was. Arrived up at our lake house to find the battery totally dead. Rookie mistake and forgot to turn the master power to off before we left on Labor Day.

I was able to get a 15a charger and start the port engine and low and behold the check engine light was gone. Dealership said try disconnecting the battery as a possible solution--looks like that did the trick.

However the starboard engine would start, but idle really rough for about 5 seconds before dying. Tried it a few times and never was able to keep it running. No lights appeared on the dash. I'm running out daylight so going to leave the battery tender on overnight and try again in the morning.

 

[Luc Lafreniere]

Yes, disconnecting the battery can sometimes clear it. BUT if the problem still exists, it will come back. It just temporarily forgets the problem. But in theory, you'll know if it comes back.

As for rough idling/not running long... I'd still go with changing the plugs.

On a side note, get yourself a solar trickle charger. They are super inexpensive. I keep my boat at the cottage as well for weeks without being there. I have it connected to my battery while I'm away. Keeps it topped up in case it runs due to water in the bilge. The bilge pump remains ON even if you turn off the master switch by design. So I'd really recommend a solar trickle charger.

 

[drmorley]

Looks like the low voltage on the battery was the issue. After charging all night both engines started right up without any issue. Tried connecting the CanDoo software, but didn't realize it doesn't work on ARM processors. I run Windows 11 virtually on my MacBook that has an ARM chip.

Need to dig out an old Windows laptop and try again.

Yes, I've got a solar trickle charger on the battery that powers our lift. I'm going to get a second one to keep the battery in good shape. We've got a cover on our lift and crank the boat up all the way when we're gone so rainwater isn't an issue. Thanks for the tip though--I didn't realize the bilge was always on regardless of the master power switch.

 

[drmorley]

This summer the boat fired right up and has been running flawlessly. We're at 12 hours on the engines so past break in. I've hit 62mph when it's calm. I've gotten used to the steering and it's a peace of cake at low speeds. Really happy with the purchase.

 

[Luc Lafreniere]

Awesome to hear!