93 Malibu Echelon Computer

[ddresler]

My 93 BU's computer was acting up a little... after it ran for a little bit and restarted the computer wouldn't come back. Sometimes it would return and other times it would be the next day. So I decided to check all my connections the wiring harness the PROM etc. After I did that now the computer boots up and displays "Malibu Boats" like normal then it flashes "Custom Built" so fast I can't even read it and then displays "let go"... I am assuming it is in some factory reset defaults. It used to do the usual "Malibu Boats" "Custom Built" "for" "lastname" I programmed in our lastname. How do I get past the "let go" and get to the display that allows me to enter our data? Any ideas?

[h2oskibumz]

My 93 BU's computer was acting up a little... after it ran for a little bit and restarted the computer wouldn't come back. Sometimes it would return and other times it would be the next day. So I decided to check all my connections the wiring harness the PROM etc. After I did that now the computer boots up and displays "Malibu Boats" like normal then it flashes "Custom Built" so fast I can't even read it and then displays "let go"... I am assuming it is in some factory reset defaults. It used to do the usual "Malibu Boats" "Custom Built" "for" "lastname" I programmed in our lastname. How do I get past the "let go" and get to the display that allows me to enter our data? Any ideas?

If it is telling you to "let go" and you are not actually holding any buttons down, then it sounds like you either have a stuck button somewhere... which you've likely already checked... or else it THINKS you are holding one.

I saw similar behavior once on my '94 when it was fairly new (and you could still get the freakin' parts!) and it turned out that the "reciever" behind the steering wheel was bad. It was always transmitting the SS or SR button signal (I forgotten which one.) You don't have to pull the steering wheel, just a 2 or 3 screws and it lifts out. You may want totake it loose, unplug that receiver and reboot.

[Woodski]

Either of you know where to get a dash display / dash unit? I know Computron is out of business, my boat did not have the dash unit installed but the rest of the hardware is there.

[h2oskibumz]

Wait, NOW I remember, that was bad advice, sorry.

Brian Munday out in California really did the troubleshooting and I did the swapping/testing (since my dealer had NO idea about the Computron.) Brian was great to work w/ as everyone at Malibu has always been...

We only THOUGHT it was a faulty receiver behind the steering wheel, and they sent me a new one. It was an easy swap, but no dice.

When I called back to break the bad news to him, Brian said, "wait, I think I have it..." and he nailed it. We discovered that where the observer’s side Stopwatch switch plugged into the bottom of the fuse panel, the wires had been stripped back too far and the bare wires inside the phono plug were touching each other… Since a switch really just connects 2 wires, the touching wires were essentially shorting the switch, so the computer was saying “Let go”. What it was meaning was “Let go of the stopwatch switch you big dummy!!!” It was difficult to find, but an easy fix!!!

As for finding a display, I'll come back by when I have time to write up a few of my Computron tribulations.