I have often seen breakers with a broken cover or reset lever that still function normally.  A faulty breaker would more likely prevent the surfgate actuator from moving, but I have seen loose connections on the breaker studs cause some problems.  Loose connections on the port power distribution post or on the engine ground cables can also cause problems. 

The port surfgate actuator has two connectors inside the boat along the transom near the aft stringer access hole.  There is a large connector with two 12 gauge red/blue and red/green wires for the actuator motor, and there is a small connector with 18 gauge black/white and black wires for the reed position sensor.  The Reed position sensor in the actuator will create very low resistance between the small black/white and black wires when the actuator is completely retracted, and there will be very high resistance between the wires when the actuator is not fully retracted.  If there is high resistance between those wires when the actuator is fully retracted, then it will cause a surf gate alarm and can result in the problem you described.  High resistance on that circuit when the actuator is fully retracted can be caused by a faulty sensor in the actuator, or damage to the wires or connectors (especially at the seal where the wires pass through the transom).

The six-pack relay is located behind the port aft breaker panel.  If a relay in the pack has an internal failure, then it could also cause a surf gate alarm and the problem you described. 

The system isn't difficult to test and I would expect any experienced technician could find the problem.  A quick and easy way to narrow down where the issue may be is to connect the port surfgate plugs to the starboard surfgate boat harness plugs, and vice versa.  If the problem moves to the starboard surfgate then I would suspect it's caused by the six-pack relay box (or its wires/connections).  If the problem remains with the port surfgate then I would suspect the actuator Reed switch is the issue (or its wires/connections).

Hey there, it sounds like you're having a bit of a hassle with your tower springs on the VLX. It's frustrating when adjustments don't seem to do the trick, especially when you're eager to get out on the water. Waiting to hear back from the Malibu dealer and reaching out to Bakes are smart moves, and hopefully, they can provide some helpful solutions. 

25 minutes ago, Gr1ng0 said:

Weird, they are the best dealer in the area and still family owned. No VC’s, no bulls***. If you dont like people telling you how it is, i could see you having an issue😂

Nice first post, 27 mins after joining. 

So, I was helping out a buddy with his 18 A22 and noticed this cool Dash Closeout Panel that covers all the wires and stuff under the dash. Then, I looked at my 21 VLX and realized it didn't have the same panel. I'm wondering if the 18 VLX actually came with this panel and if so, what's the part number? I checked Great Lakes Skipper and found a panel for the 2018 24 LSV, but I'm not sure if that one would fit my VLX. Any ideas or suggestions?

When I was looking to do the same I was told the newer models used 1" thick HDPE.  It was not cheap, but neither is Coosa.  Regardless of what you use, if you have the clearance between it and the fuel tank I'd definitely consider 2 pieces of square tubing secured underneath at 1/3 distance fore/aft with thru-bolts countersunk on top to really firm it up.