posted 06-23-2006 12:10 PM ET (US)        

It also jumped at two other points but I was unable to see the tachometer as it is flush mounted and I was standing up due to the choppy water.

This was noted in another thread but I thought it would get more visibility here in its own thread.

posted 06-23-2006 07:26 PM ET (US)         

Let me see if I got this right.

This engine is introduced in Miami 16 months ago as the best thing since sliced bread. After several false "they're being shipped" notices on various websites,
resulting in many boat show orders, this fellow finally gets his engine 5 months late.

Now the BRP insiders are telling him he got one of the "earlier ones" with the "old style throttle cam" and old software, on this brand new, just produced, engine that he waited for for 5 months! This sounds more like a work in progress, complete with test dummies, rather than a finished work.

And the BRP dealer doesn't return calls.

posted 06-23-2006 08:01 PM ET (US)            

quote:

---

Having any "I shoulda bought a DTS 4-stroke Verado" nightmares?

---

Absolutely not!!!!!

For the price of the Verado I was quoted, I could have purchased a kicker motor as well.

posted 06-23-2006 08:25 PM ET (US)            

Usually the cam shape of the connecting lever is designed in a fortuitous manner so that the operation of the remote throttle lever--which itself is linked to the cable via a cam shape of its own--produces an agreeable rate of change in engine power with change in throttle position.

It sounds like Bombardier engineers have made a small change in the cam shape of the lever in the throttle linkage so as to improve the feel of the remote throttle actuator.

The remote throttle actuator may be used with all sorts of engines, and it may be necessary to adjust the rate of change of movement produced by the remote throttle--which is common to all engines in the brand--so that it works better with a particular engine.

All we are talking about here is replacing a plastic lever under the cowling in the throttle linkage. It is not like we have to put an all new power head on the engine, replace the entire fuel rail distribution system, or replace all the injectors. It's just a minor change in the shape of a piece of plastic. And coupled with some firmware updates it makes the feel of the remote throttle better with this particular model.

Now if the entire throttle system were an electro-servo arrangement linked to the remote control via a digital data bus, it would be possible to tweak all of this in software and firmware.

posted 06-24-2006 06:15 AM ET (US)            

The lever in the linkage connected to the remote throttle is usually designed in such a way that the linear motion is translated back to an angular rotation of the engine's throttle control shaft. The engine throttle shaft may require a range of rotation of 90-degrees, that is, to be able to open the throttle plate fully from a closed position. The linkage has to convert the linear motion of the actuator cable into a angular rotation of the throttle. This is where there can be some adjustment of the couple so that the rate of change of the remote throttle and the rate of change of the actual throttle plate. The coupling does not have to be entirely linear. By using a cam shape, the engine designers can adjust the rate of coupling so that the remote throttle lever movement has better feel.

It may be that a particular engine may have much faster throttle response than most operators are accustomed to, and in order to make the remote control have a better feel, the rate of change in actual throttle movement might have to be varied in certain portions of the throttle range. In doing so it will give the operator more control.

I have run many motors where the remote throttle controls do not have much engineering built into them, and you can push the throttle forward quite a bit without much engine response. Then a threshold is reached and the engine response becomes very rapid, giving the throttle a very sensitive and hard to control feel.

posted 06-24-2006 08:38 AM ET (US)            

It expressly states in the owner's manual that one MUST NOT move the throttle/shift lever when the motor is off. Why? I do not know.... I assumed it must have something to do with the computer and it knowing "home" position. Just an uneducated guess. Due to this warning, I am reluctant to take the cover off and view the movement of the throttle.

posted 06-24-2006 08:52 AM ET (US)            

When an ouboard is running, the gears are rotating and the clutch dog will then "fall in place" when shifting.

posted 06-24-2006 08:59 AM ET (US)            

This sounds more like a work in progress, complete with test dummies, rather than a finished work.

Hi there,

Wouldn't that be similar to the 2 year late Verado being delivered to customers and then finding out that the original motor covers and cowlings allowed saltwater to get into the enignes and sometimes damaging the supercharger? Like all companies when introducing a new product and things show up, Merc got busy and redesigned the cowlings and got them out to the owners of the early models.

posted 06-24-2006 11:10 AM ET (US)            

It does this again above 3000 rpm's and again above 4000 rpm's. I can't tell you exactly the range on the higher two points as my tach is dash mounted and I was having to stand to operate the boat. The water was quite rough and I could not watch the tach and navigate safely.

posted 06-26-2006 11:40 AM ET (US)            

I was informed that my dealer would have to speak with the people in technical service and that I could not. He did say there was a software revision but had no info on a cam update. It was the first he had heard of it.....

posted 06-26-2006 07:02 PM ET (US)            

Talk to your tech and explain what was suggested and ask him to talk to the factory techs about it.

posted 06-26-2006 08:42 PM ET (US)            

I did not hear back from the dealer today.
I'll be sitting in his office tomorrow afternoon if I do not have a call before noon.

posted 07-07-2006 05:13 PM ET (US)            

Cam issue effects 175 HP E-TEC as well...

If you try to order a replacement, you will get the old model. The only way my dealer claims to have been able to get the new one was through the factory production line.

Hope that is helpful to some of you.

posted 07-09-2006 10:04 PM ET (US)            

hear from yours?
Stefan

posted 07-10-2006 09:34 AM ET (US)            

Dealer claims just a small number of motors were shipped with this cam issue. Somehow, I doubt it were just a few as I have heard of others with the issue as well. Wonder how many of the 150 and 175 need this upgrade?

posted 07-10-2006 09:56 PM ET (US)            

It's a whole new world man!!!!!!!

posted 07-14-2006 01:42 PM ET (US)            

I dropped it off on Monday per their request. The replacement cam and the I-Command stuff was to be there Monday or Tuesday. Here it is Friday and I had to email, voice-mail (still no response)and then call again to find out the status.

Dealer did not order all the necessary components for the I-Command and I'm stuck waiting still. The additional cables the ordered will not be in until Monday or Tuesday.

Arghhhhhh!!!!!!!

They offered to get it to me today with the new cam installed but I would have to bring it back again next week. Considering it is a 2 + hour ride there and back, I passed. Can't afford to drive 5 hours time just to have the boat for a couple days.

posted 07-20-2006 01:52 PM ET (US)            

Two calls and an e-mail to him today and I can't get ahold of him. When the wife gets home, a trip to the marina is in order....

posted 07-28-2006 07:09 PM ET (US)            

That's how long it took them to figure it all out, receive the correct components and get the I-Command installed... Hard to believe!

Trailered it home this afternoon. I was supposed to get a call earlier today informining me as to when it could be picked up. I did not so at 2:00 I drove over to the marina and waited for it to be completed. I half expected to see it still incomplete. I planned on pulling it home even if that were the case.

Now to find another service center....

Pics to follow. They did a clean job and hopefully the new cam is in there too.

posted 07-29-2006 03:01 PM ET (US)            

Not sure what the date on the upgrade is. Can I check that with the I-Command tach?

posted 07-30-2006 11:15 AM ET (US)            

I am not going to return to that marina for ANYTHING!!!!!!

Very disappointed with their service and customer relations. Even the woman who answers the phone has the phone etiquette of a 5 year old. She has on many occasions hung up without even a "bye".

I don't trust them to do anything correct and I would like to ensure they upgraded the software as they said they did. Due to a conversation when I picked up the boat, I suspect they didn't.

When I picked up the boat, the old wiring harness was on the floor under foot and under the roll around tool bow. The systems check tach was neatly secured away in a box in the mechanics tool chest. When I arrived at the boat yard, it was still in the boat on the console. When I returned from a trip to my truck to check on my sons it was gone as was the mechanic. I had to search the area to find it. Mechanic looked awful disappointed when he found me with it in my hand.