Really weird issue need help. Engines overheating randomly Yamaha/Dealer says it’s not happening

[Scottintexas]

and I really think it could be in the exhaust pipe since your pee hole is indicating good flow,
douggottschalk post on Jan 27 and 28 of this thread

Yamaha Jet Boaters • View topic - Replaced Exhaust Hose - Boat still Overheating. Waterlock??

 

[Beachbummer]

These are the MR-1's right? Does the YDS available on eBay work for this boat? If so that may be another good investment so you can read the codes and see the temp values without the dealer.

 

[the MfM]

I’m going to go at this project myself. Trying to figure out which of the 3 parts might be causing this false overheat. Thermostat, thermosensor, heat sensor. And I will try these flushing things myself. That crankys flush seems pretty intense. I may try Salt away vinegar or clr before going that route. Not saying I won’t do it though as I want the boat to run right. There have been no true overheats that I know of that actually read to the computer. These 5-10 times didn’t even read to the computer which makes me think a part is faulty not the cooling slight blockage causing this problem.

The computer may not have logged it but you should not assume faulty parts with that much corrosion in the water jackets.

 

[brokitansky]

I don’t boat in salt water and I’m not familiar with all the normal flushing procedures, the salt away products, and what not, but I’m curious why people think that Yamaha would be off the hook for repairs here. Assuming you are still under original Yamaha warranty, I cannot see why this would not be covered. Does Yamaha specifically state in the owners manual to use “salt away” or similar after every salt water use? A 2 year old boat should not have that type of corrosion inside the motor, period. There would not be very many boats out there past 5 years old if every motor they made corroded like this after 2 years of salt water use. If that was me, I would be asking Yamaha why they think a $4000 repair after 2 years is normal. If their response continued to place blame on me after telling them I followed the flushing procedures specifically as dictated in the manual, I would tell them they would promptly be contacted by my lawyer. Terrible customer service if you ask me.

 

[the MfM]

I don’t boat in salt water and I’m not familiar with all the normal flushing procedures, the salt away products, and what not, but I’m curious why people think that Yamaha would be off the hook for repairs here. Assuming you are still under original Yamaha warranty, I cannot see why this would not be covered. Does Yamaha specifically state in the owners manual to use “salt away” or similar after every salt water use? A 2 year old boat should not have that type of corrosion inside the motor, period. There would not be very many boats out there past 5 years old if every motor they made corroded like this after 2 years of salt water use. If that was me, I would be asking Yamaha why they think a $4000 repair after 2 years is normal. If their response continued to place blame on me after telling them I followed the flushing procedures specifically as dictated in the manual, I would tell them they would promptly be contacted by my lawyer. Terrible customer service if you ask me.

There’s a reason salt water boats are worth less money...these pics show why.

Either OP had one of the first boats made after Yamaha decided to switch to making engines out of pure chinesium pot metal and this will be a future problem for almost all boats made since. (Not likely). Or the engines weren’t flushed well enough for the conditions in which they were used.

 

[Beachbummer]

Brokitanski, I don't disagree, and it's worth pursuing, but until it's fixed you are wasting boating weekends.

How do you prove you flushed every weekend? Yamaha will say, there's corrosion, so you didn't. Nobody else that flushed had this corrosion. You can argue, but times awasting. Lawyers are not free either.

I agree it should be pursued, but economically... Keep complaining, but trying the flush at home and checking yds if there's a problem costs less than $200 and has you boating now.

Sure, consult a lawyer, but it will be slow and painful most likey.

 

[haknslash]

FWIW the owners manual states to flush with plain water. However anyone boating in salt water should be more proactive with their flushing, ensuring they use something that will break down salt crystals and buildup. I’m not sure if the owners manual saying only to use water would be enough to get you a warranty fix but this is where you have to use your judgement and decide if the manual is really suggesting the best flush method (it’s doesn’t) to protect your investment. If you boat in salt water you really need to use something other than just water.

If it were my boat I’d try to press Yamaha and if they don’t budge I’d do the work myself or if you don’t feel confident I’d take it to another shop that specializes in PWC’s to see if they quote you a better price. They’d likely be more knowledgeable than your dealer.

 

[Ancient canoe]

Is that level of build up and corrosion consistent with what you'd expect to see with a freshwater flush only after a couple of years? Seems there could be other factors at play. The OP isn't the only person who followed the manual and freshwater flushed only.

 

[Beachbummer]

There are 3 distinct issues at play.

1) How to get the boat fixed in the most economical and efficient way possible (Both TIME and Cost out of pocket)
2)Current Dealer and Yamaha's response to the issue, and leverage of owner now in this situation.
3)Desired Dealer behavior in this case.

I think a couple of flushes and retrying is the fastest way to #1 without affecting 2 and 3

 

[NewBoater]

I have a question. The most recent overheat that went off was the very first outing of the year. I literally backed the boat off the trailer and the boat had not been running five minutes in a no wake zone when it started overheating. That’s what makes me think it’s just a sensor or something. Could the boat truly be overheating after just five minutes of being on? Granted I did give it a hard reverse to back it off the trailer. But it was less than 5 min of being on.

 

[haknslash]

Yes if it's not getting water flow it will certainly overheat within 5 minutes. Ever run your boat on the hose pipe without water or weak water pressure? Yea... it doesn't take long for the alarm to sound.

IMHO your passages look bad/clogged. That's where you're at this point. Quit messing around and go buy some real salt flush solution. You'll need it anyways moving forward so you are actually doing something when it's flushing. I would first try to flush a lot of times back to back with Salt Away and then you'll need to inspect the exhaust again to see if they still look as clogged as they do now. If they don't look to have improved you'll likely need to remove parts for a thorough cleaning.

 

[Sbrown]

There is a way to safely clean out the deposits using extremely diluted muriatic acid, but it takes care and attention to do right so a lot of people don't recommend it. You can search it though and decide for yourself if the process is right for you.

 

[Julian]

Those cooling passages are clogged not corroded. Yamaha wont cover clogging. This is definitely your problem. Perhaps you also have a logging issue to the ECU, but this clogging must be cleaned out if these engines are to run properly.

 

[haknslash]

There is a way to safely clean out the deposits using extremely diluted muriatic acid, but it takes care and attention to do right so a lot of people don't recommend it. You can search it though and decide for yourself if the process is right for you.

If you go this route you must be sure it is VERY diluted. We used to make "muriatic acid bombs" as teenagers using muriatic acid and slivers of aluminum foil. Just a small amount creates enough of a chemical reaction to cause a loud explosion of the 20 oz plastic bottles. Your block is made of aluminum so....yea don't mess around with it unless you know what you're doing!! I know people like to us it to clean tools but I'm not sure I'd feel safe using inside an engine.

 

[NewBoater]

Yamaha denied the claim which i was pretty sure they would.

Talking to the dealer trying to work out a more fair price in labor to get me back out on the water.

Question, if this gets resolved and cleaned and say I drop $2,500 for the repair what should I expect from the dealer? To diagnose and fix it again at their cost this time? Would a refund of the money I paid be in consideration or would you never ask for that because either way the salt build up was bad enough it needed to be done. Just wondering where everyone’s thoughts would be if for some reason this did not solve the problem. Thanks again for all the help

 

[Beachbummer]

It's a tough spot, but you are paying to remedy a visible problem. It doesn't mean it's the only one, but it certainly is a problem. If there is something lingering after it may need to be checked as well. Why not take a stab at it yourself before shelling out that kind of money?

 

[NewBoater]

Boat is taken apart still and it’s up there at the Service department and I’m not near as handy as some of the people on this site.

 

[Beachbummer]

Talk to them to see what type of warranty they are willing to give you. From their side I would be weary to promise too much for a set price with no clear knowledge of what else is going on.

 

[Julian]

Question, if this gets resolved and cleaned and say I drop $2,500 for the repair what should I expect from the dealer? To diagnose and fix it again at their cost this time? Would a refund of the money I paid be in consideration or would you never ask for that because either way the salt build up was bad enough it needed to be done. Just wondering where everyone’s thoughts would be if for some reason this did not solve the problem. Thanks again for all the help

I would expect the dealer to charge you again to do this in the future. Salt like that doesn't build up for no reason. If you are saying that you used salt away every time you went out and ran it for a decent amount of time....then this is indeed strange. If that is the case, I'd be selling the boat and moving on....

The only way I'd cover it again as a dealer is if you agreed to bring the boat to the dealer to have them flush it after every outing (for a fee). And even then, who's to say you always would?

 

[Scottintexas]

I also would try to fix it myself but I have time, lack of money and lack of fear (or possibly wisdom)

I'd want to know what their procedure is to fix it, are they going to pull the engines and get in the passages with a pipe cleaner or are they just going to hit the visible areas with a drill on a wire brush and flush it a few times ???

and how many of these they have fixed previously, or is this their first one to tackle ?

I would hate to get $2k in and then find out you've got other issues, these are the same guys that so quickly wrote you off before when they could have easily pulled the thermostat and seen the condition,

I would even be calling a few PWC shops to see what they say,

I wouldn't expect them to clean it again in a few years if the condition reappears,