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

[NewBoater]

A couple of weekends ago I took my wife daughter and a friend out tubing the engines overheated twice in a two hour span and I turned the engines off and a couple minutes later turned them back on no problems at all. Fast forward to the next weekend we went out with two more kids tubing and the engines probably overheated about five times in an entire day. Always started back up couple min later and always worked good. Put the boat on the trailer took it off the lift took it to the dealer they said there are no overheat alarms in the past 100 hours that are registered on the computer. They called Yamaha Yamaha suggestion was to run the boat with no water and see if the engine overheat would come on (which it did ). And then see if it registered in the computer system which it did. I am not blind or crazy it was definitely engine overheats as it said clear on the screen. Happened 5 to 10 times in the past three weeks and none of them registered on the computer system and the one that they got to overheat by running the engines without water did register. What could be causing this intermittent issue as I do not want to have to keep dealing with this if it keeps happening. And why is the computer not reading all of these overheats?

This is becoming a pain in the butt on the water to deal with the boat is a 2015 SX210 with approximately 125 hours. Getting ready to head to Lake Gaston for a week and don’t want to deal with over heats every hour.

On a sidenote I hope it did no damage to run the boat with no water until it overheated and then they said it turned it off as soon as alarm went off.

 

[Coheeba]

When it happens again take pictures and then bring it in with proof. Have you checked clean outs/intakes for obstructions/seaweed? Also look at cooling water lines for kinks.

 

[NewBoater]

Thanks for the response I told him I would take videos the next time it happens because they are acting like it’s not happening and acting like I’m kind of crazy. I said I know the difference between a low-water warning and an engine overheat warning. It says engine overheat not low water.

 

[NewBoater]

Also on a low water warning you can rev the engines. On check overheat you don’t have full thrust which should tell him I know the difference. Yamaha told him they were probably low water warnings I was hearing. I said trust me I know the difference.

 

[Scottintexas]

do you have a connx screen ? what engines do you have ?

since it's not storing them in the ECU I wonder if there's a problem/short at the dash that's causing it to flash, but it's also limiting your rpm's ???

Are all you indicator holes peeing when it's happening?

maybe get a infrared thermometer to monitor the motor/exhaust when it happens, also maybe the indicator water temp (maybe take a jar to catch some and measure it)

 

[Beachbummer]

If the code is not being stored, maybe something else is happening. I agree pictures and video recording when it occurs may assist in bridging the gap with the dealer that's thinking you are making this up and it's not happening (Not quite their allegation...but you know what I mean)

 

[buckbuck]

My boat has done the same. Over temp and limit the rpm's and it never records to the computer. But my boat is quite a bit older than yours.

 

[NewBoater]

My boat has done the same. Over temp and limit the rpm's and it never records to the computer. But my boat is quite a bit older than yours.

Does it just randomly do it each year now? Any idea what causes it to happen? Tubing?

 

[swatski]

Tubing?

In short - yes.
It has to do with pump loading and not enough water getting into the cooling system. When whipping a tube around and making aggressive turns with no cruise in strait line in-between you are basically starving the engines of cooling water.
When that happens, it is best to not turn the engines off but slow cruise/high idle to help cooling them down. I know it is annoying, I have had that happen once or twice in my 190, but I do not think it is harmful to the engines.
If you really want to fight it, I would start with making sure your pumps/impellers/wear rings/tunnels/intake grates are in perfect condition and there is little to no cavitation, then would suggest installing L13 cones which help keep pumps loaded.

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[waterboy]

what he said ... I have had this happen before after aggressive tubing. Give it a minute at idle to cool down before shutting off and all will be good. I had this happen my first year and never again since

 

[greg]

I had this happen from day one with my 2014 sx210. It would go into limp mode on one engine or the other. Could be a hour or two or in the first 10 minutes of boating. They changed all the sensors on the boat many times. For the first year i had boat 6 months of it, it was at the dealer for repairs. They finally pulled all the heads and said that there was corrosion in the engine. I was like this boat is new and was only fresh water??? They said it needed 2 new engines. Summer was coming and wasn't going another 3 months with a boat i am paying maria fees on that is sitting at dealer. I had a 2 month battle with Yamaha but they bought it back and I got a Ar240. So much better

 

[swatski]

I had this happen from day one with my 2014 sx210. It would go into limp mode on one engine or the other. Could be a hour or two or in the first 10 minutes of boating. They changed all the sensors on the boat many times. For the first year i had boat 6 months of it, it was at the dealer for repairs. They finally pulled all the heads and said that there was corrosion in the engine. I was like this boat is new and was only fresh water??? They said it needed 2 new engines. Summer was coming and wasn't going another 3 months with a boat i am paying maria fees on that is sitting at dealer. I had a 2 month battle with Yamaha but they bought it back and I got a Ar240. So much better

Hopefully some MR-1 experts will chime in!

EDIT: Can someone tell us how bad is the corrosion in those cooling channels, please. I can't tell - I remember @CrankyGypsy posts where his where nearly obstructed, those (in @greg's post ^^^pics) don;t look nearly as bad... IDK.

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[mrmeaniemeateaterman]

I had this happen this weekend as well on a 2014 AR210. Also at 125 hours. I was tubing and being quite rough with kids back there. Both pee holes were peeing. They had been going quite a while, one kid fell off. I pulled around to pick him up, shut down engines (without an 'extended idle' cool down), about a minute later turned it back on and got alarm. So I got out checked screens, checked under boat for obstructions, etc. Boat cooled down and we were back at it in 10mins. This seems to happen about 2-3 times a summer for me. I try to do the extended idle cool down after a long run but with a kid wanting back in boat couldn't.

Of course now @greg has me paranoid.

 

[buckbuck]

I have never had tubing cause an overtemp on my boat. My overtemps were caused by incorrectly manufactured parts from Yamaha. I don't recall having an overtemp since then.

 

[NewBoater]

Just an update fellas we were tubing all day long today and I left the blower on the entire time and I didn’t have a single problem. I think the blower definitely helps and it’s seems to happen the most on a sharp turn around to go back and pick her up and then turning the engine off and then within two minutes turning them right back on. I think in slow speed thrust turning and lots of tubing run the blower a lot or all of the time. It’s seemed to work great today with blower on whole time. What worries me there is will the blower go out way prematurely if I run it this much every weekend when we do a lot of tubing? Thanks everyone for chiming in and the help so far, glad it didn’t happen today!

 

[Gym]

Ok so I don't do the water sport thing so maybe somebody can educate me. Why do you need to turn off one or both engines while picking up a skiier/tuber? Whenever you turn off an internal combustion engine the temp climbs a little. I'm not saying this is the cause of the overheat but may be one of several contributing factors.

I also wonder if the engine compartment vents are clear and water cooling lines are flowing freely.

 

[greg]

Why would you turn off a engine. We have jets. Not like you are going to get chopped to pieces. I have never turn off engines with a downed wakeboarder or tuber.

 

[haknslash]

Perhaps they didn't want to risk sucking up a rope while the other person climbs on? Idk

I have learned never to shut down the engine when running it hard and always run the blower if you're going to push it hard, especially when you come to idle or plan to sit for a while if the engine will be off.

 

[NewBoater]

We turn it off just to be safe rather than sorry but it’s probably unnecessary to be honest. I’m also wondering if the fact that I put regular gas in it for the very first time ever in 2 1/2 years had anything to do with it. Just yesterday I refilled it back up with the gas at the boatel as it was much more convenient and they use midgrade gas which I have been using their gas for the past couple of years. Wondering if the regular gas from the gas pumps I put in (to save a few bucks) had anything to do with the overheating issue.

 

[haknslash]

I run regular gas all the time but I also run stabil in my tank.