2001 Wakesetter Indmar 350 Stalls in Reverse, intermittant start and engine cut out

[bnewberry]

Hey there,

Hoping someone might be able to help. I seem to be having multiple issues with my 2001 Malibu Wakesetter. It's Indmar 350 engine. I'm hoping you all can help.

Problems:

1. Intermittant Start - Sometimes it starts, sometimes it doesn't. I can tell when it will start because the gauges come to life, but sometimes the gauges don't come on and then other times they do. This seems to happen independent of anything I do. I tried replacing the ingition. I disconnected and bypassed the kill switch. I checked terminals on the battery and made sure wires to the battery were tight. Still intermittant starting. All power to the boat remains in tact. I can turn on the bilge, blower, stereo, lights, etc. even when it's having an episode where it doesn't start.

2. Stalls when I put it in reverse - When it does start, I try to put in reverse (to launch off of trailer) and it stalls. I've tried throwing it in to neutral and reversing the throttle and it dies. When I put it in neutral and forward the throttle, it's smooth acceleration.

3. Intermittant stalling when driving/pulling - When I have it out on the lake and am driving, the boat cuts out intermittantly. Sometimes I lose gauges as well. I tried replacing the fuel filters and that doesn't seem to have an effect. Tried fuel treatment and Supreme unleaded...still no effect.

Next on the list to try is replacing the distributor cap, wires, spark plugs and rotor. I noticed some carbon on the rotor contact today when I pulled off the cap.

What else am I missing? Could this be transmission related?

Thanks for your help,

Brian

[RTS]

This is a prime candidate for a problem with your canon plug. That's the electrical connector that hooks your engine wiring to the wiring of the boat.

Follow the wires from the engine until you see a large (maybe 2" diameter x 3" long black connector secured with a hose clamp.) Disconnect the plug and clean out any excess silicon type crap you'll find in there. Use a small screwdriver and GENTLY and SLIGHTLY bend the pins. This will allow better contact in there when you reconnect the plug.

The intermittant cutting out and loss of guages when running is leading me to this conclusion. Especially since you've previously bypasses your kill switch. Same thing happened to me, and the canon plug 'surgery' fixed everything, and I haven't had the problems for about three years now.

Edited September 4, 2009 by rts

[wienrdog]

Don't forget to mark/index the canon plug before you unhook it. It can go back on multiple directions.

This definitely sounds electrical - not mechanical.

The gauges not coming on typically indicates kill switch/lanyard issues.

Could also be an issue with the wiring to/from the ignition - a bad contact there, loose wire or flaky fuse.

Also check the positive connection point near the starter & the engine grounds as well as the under dash ground.

The bend/flex in the throttle cables when going into reverse could be bumping a wire under the dash that flexes in a different direction when going into forward.

[Surfin247]

Don't forget to mark/index the canon plug before you unhook it. It can go back on multiple directions.

This definitely sounds electrical - not mechanical.

The gauges not coming on typically indicates kill switch/lanyard issues.

Could also be an issue with the wiring to/from the ignition - a bad contact there, loose wire or flaky fuse.

Also check the positive connection point near the starter & the engine grounds as well as the under dash ground.

The bend/flex in the throttle cables when going into reverse could be bumping a wire under the dash that flexes in a different direction when going into forward.

If cannon plug doesn't work. Check throttle position sensor. Clues are not being able to start. If computer thinks your in gear it won't start. Problems going into reverse. Computer thinks it is in neutral won't engage transmission. These aresome common problems with a faulty TPS.

[SmoothWaterMan]

Is the kill switch still bypassed?

Peter

[bnewberry]

Is the kill switch still bypassed?

Peter

Yes, it's still bypassed.

[bnewberry]

Don't forget to mark/index the canon plug before you unhook it. It can go back on multiple directions.

This definitely sounds electrical - not mechanical.

The gauges not coming on typically indicates kill switch/lanyard issues.

Could also be an issue with the wiring to/from the ignition - a bad contact there, loose wire or flaky fuse.

Also check the positive connection point near the starter & the engine grounds as well as the under dash ground.

The bend/flex in the throttle cables when going into reverse could be bumping a wire under the dash that flexes in a different direction when going into forward.

If cannon plug doesn't work. Check throttle position sensor. Clues are not being able to start. If computer thinks your in gear it won't start. Problems going into reverse. Computer thinks it is in neutral won't engage transmission. These aresome common problems with a faulty TPS.

Where is the throttle position switch located?

[SmoothWaterMan]

If cannon plug doesn't work. Check throttle position sensor. Clues are not being able to start. If computer thinks your in gear it won't start. Problems going into reverse. Computer thinks it is in neutral won't engage transmission. These aresome common problems with a faulty TPS.

Huh?? I'm not following this at all. The TPS has no relation to being in gear or neutral, and the computer doesn't know if it's in gear or not.

[electricjohn]

I hink he is refering to the neutral safety switch.

[bnewberry]

Ok...so here's the update. Took the boat to the lake today to give her a try.

Let me go through everything I did prior to heading to the lake:

- Changed the plugs, plug wires, distributor cap and rotor

- Saw that the ignition control module was burned out (yellow dot) so I replaced that as well

- Changed the fuel filters (yes plural)

- Secured the MDAC (sp) computer up under the dash, it was loose and banging around

- Bi-passed the kill switch

- Unplugged, inspected, cleaned with contact cleaner and reseated the canon plug

The good news:

- The boat fired up no problem...at first. I put it in neutral and revved the engine. Sounds great.

- Put in to reverse while in neutral and worked fine...at first.

The bad news:

I thought maybe I'd found/fixed the problem...and then it started. First, the engine cut out while idling (idle at 600-700 RPM)

I went to restart, and gauges were off again while throttle was in the neutral position. A slight wiggle of the throttle forward before starting with the key in the ACC position and the gauges came to life again. Back in neutral and it started up. When I put it in reverse...stalled out again. Repeated this process probably 20 times. Seemed to start if the throttle was forward or reverse (while in neutral) when the throttle was giving it more gas.

So I cut the wires to the neutral safety switch and butt wired them together to bipass the switch. Same problems resumed. I launched the boat just to make sure, brought it up to speed and again, the cutting out resumed. Brought it back in, fiddled with it some more and repeated the steps above. Start the ignition, sometimes had to wiggle throttle forward to bring gauges up, sometimes it would work if put in to reverse, sometimes it would cut out.

I'm beginning to wonder if this could be choke/throttle (throttle cable)/idle related? I think when the ignition control module goes out, I also have to replace the coil and I haven't done that yet.

Any more suggestions?

[SmoothWaterMan]

I think you have an issue with the lanyard kill switch, or a loose connection on the ignition circuit breaker. The action of moving the throttle is pushing/pulling/moving something just enough in the side panel to interrupt the power. If the kill switch is not it, drop the circuit breaker panel and physically put a screw driver on the screw holding the bus bar onto the ignition breaker to make sure it's not loose.

Peter

[playhard]

This is a prime candidate for a problem with your canon plug. That's the electrical connector that hooks your engine wiring to the wiring of the boat.

Follow the wires from the engine until you see a large (maybe 2" diameter x 3" long black connector secured with a hose clamp.) Disconnect the plug and clean out any excess silicon type crap you'll find in there. Use a small screwdriver and GENTLY and SLIGHTLY bend the pins. This will allow better contact in there when you reconnect the plug.

The intermittant cutting out and loss of guages when running is leading me to this conclusion. Especially since you've previously bypasses your kill switch. Same thing happened to me, and the canon plug 'surgery' fixed everything, and I haven't had the problems for about three years now.

did you have your engine cut out when you were at an RPM of 2500 or great, my malibu sunsetter dies at 2500 or higher, i have changed all fuel filters and chcked fuel pressure, everything is good,

[orionn1]

This is a prime candidate for a problem with your canon plug. That's the electrical connector that hooks your engine wiring to the wiring of the boat.

Follow the wires from the engine until you see a large (maybe 2" diameter x 3" long black connector secured with a hose clamp.) Disconnect the plug and clean out any excess silicon type crap you'll find in there. Use a small screwdriver and GENTLY and SLIGHTLY bend the pins. This will allow better contact in there when you reconnect the plug.

The intermittant cutting out and loss of guages when running is leading me to this conclusion. Especially since you've previously bypasses your kill switch. Same thing happened to me, and the canon plug 'surgery' fixed everything, and I haven't had the problems for about three years now.

I cant seem to locate the cannon plug ? Would it be near the front of the engine or rear? do you have a picture of what it might look like?