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neutral lockout broken


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Problem:   Boat can be put into forward and reverse without having to push the center button down.  (Very dangerous I know)

The boat is a 2008 malibu vlx and I believe has the zf command control that is shift by wire, its all chrome with nuetral button in the center on top.

Was working fine until one day my wife moved the boat back closer from drifting, im not sure if its just a coincidence or not, but im thinking she just wasnt aware that the button had to be pushed and forced the shifter and possibly broke the safety lockout.

I got a qoute to have it fixed and they said it was $670.00 just for the parts, I'm assuming they are just wanting to replace the entire shifter with a new unit.

Surely the one I have now can be fixed or atleast I'm hoping.

 

What says the CREW??????

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not really any way to fix it or any parts but the 3 micro switches inside that can be replaced. I took apart a bad ski command throttle a couple weeks ago and it is a bunch of unserviceable plastic that mostly isn't designed to come back apart without destroying it.  Only usable spare parts I pulled off of it was the shift button a couple springs and the back plate that contained the TPS.

WP_20160811_06_27_03_Pro.jpg

If the lockout button is up and the shifter is shifting then it would be some broken plastic inside the unit.  Wish I'd taken a picture of the guts, but basically the rod in the shift lever causes a collar to move towards the back plate of the shifter and allows the shifter to move.

Edited by oldjeep
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The button is up while shifter allows movement, but I can see that the rod doesn't move when the button is pressed. Probably going to end up replacing but I'm still going to look inside of it before buying a new one 

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39 minutes ago, Twitch02x said:

The button is up while shifter allows movement, but I can see that the rod doesn't move when the button is pressed. Probably going to end up replacing but I'm still going to look inside of it before buying a new one 

If the rod is stuck down then it is possible that the lower spring is stuck/broke.  Good luck taking it apart, make sure you lay it shifter/face down so that you see where the wave washers fall out from.

Only way to get to that spring is to remove the shifter button (nearly impossible to do without breaking it) and then take out the 4 tiny screws that hold on the shift ball

Another thought would be to try to use a right angle needlenose to grab the rod from the backside of the lever and try to pull it up.

 

I should also mention that the lever does not come off as a separate piece.  The lever and the spindle that everything pivots on are all one big piece of plastic.

Edited by oldjeep
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47 minutes ago, oldjeep said:

 Good luck taking it apart, make sure you lay it shifter/face down so that you see where the wave washers fall out from.

And take lots of pictures of every step.

I've had luck in the past fixing stuff like your shifter by replacing plastic parts with similar size (but bendable) metal - or repairing broken plastic by drilling, tapping, and screwing.

  • Like 1
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33 minutes ago, Twitch02x said:

Got the shifter apart without destroying anything. Found the problem, the e clip that holds tension on the lower spring was broken ( this spring returns the rod back to the upper position ).

Got another clip from work and will re assemble tonight.

Would have been a big waste of $680!!!!!

Post pictures!

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I've always found that it never hurts to take something apart if I think I need to replace it anyways. Normally find a cheaper/easy repair like you did!

  • Like 2
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42 minutes ago, Twitch02x said:

Got the shifter apart without destroying anything. Found the problem, the e clip that holds tension on the lower spring was broken ( this spring returns the rod back to the upper position ).

Got another clip from work and will re assemble tonight.

Would have been a big waste of $680!!!!!

Congrats - cheapest piece in there.

 

WP_20160817_09_30_19_Pro.jpg

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18 minutes ago, Kmfish87 said:

I've always found that it never hurts to take something apart if I think I need to replace it anyways. Normally find a cheaper/easy repair like you did!

yup; if it's broken / doesn't work then what can i hurt by taking it apart prior to tossing it in the trash?

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Well I got the clip replaced and everything put back together, seems to be working correctly.

I will put it back in the boat tonight and make sure all is good.

 

what exactly is the point of that wave washer?

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13 minutes ago, Twitch02x said:

Well I got the clip replaced and everything put back together, seems to be working correctly.

I will put it back in the boat tonight and make sure all is good.

 

what exactly is the point of that wave washer?

Wave washers are for tension and act as a bushing.  Keeps the end of the shift shaft from rubbing directly on the end plate and keeps it a little tighter

Edited by oldjeep
  • Like 1
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Got the shifter installed, everything is working good except the throttle. Seems like I have to move the shifter a lot further than I did previously before the engine comes up from idle.

 

the last black ring is the one that goes with the tps, I could have it upside down. Going to change it and see if that helps. 

I accidentally turned the key on before connecting the shifter and it thru 3 codes all of which are related to the shifter, I cycled battery switch a few times to get the service required message to go away but will that clear the codes as well??

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Final update

 

flipped the last black ring over and that made it worse so I put it back how I had it originally and tried it again and all is good. Works perfectly and best of all the neutral lockout is working properly again!!!!!!

  • Like 2
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  • 9 months later...
  • 4 months later...

I have the same problem (ZF shifter).  I am in the process of complete disassembly.  Could one of you who has done this please tell me how to remove the handle and then the rod that has the broken spring?  I would be happy to swap pictures...

Thanks

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  • 2 months later...

I currently have the same problem, how do you get the shaft with the springs out of the throttle. Do you prise the top off the button or take the whole unit apart. Would really like to know.  Please pictures would be fantastic.

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  • 6 months later...
On 11 October 2017 at 11:39 AM, OskiD said:

I have the same problem (ZF shifter).  I am in the process of complete disassembly.  Could one of you who has done this please tell me how to remove the handle and then the rod that has the broken spring?  I would be happy to swap pictures...

Thanks

Is anyone able to help with how to remove the handle and rod to repair broken spring? Pictures would be great.

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  • 10 months later...
  • 1 month later...
  • 2 weeks later...

I had the same problem with mine this week. Unfortunately, I completely disassembled it, when all that I needed to do was to remove the knob at the top. Here's what happened:

A week or so ago, the button popped out of the throttle/shifter knob. Upon inspection, the side barbs were snapped (cheap plastic)! I procrastinated and didn't order a new button right away. Instead, I just used some flexible, waterproof medical tape to keep the old button and spring in place. (Of course, my wife pointed out my flaw in thought of saving $35 on a part for a $70k boat...) I suspect that without the barb clips on the button, the neutral safety release rod extended too far and maybe allowed the e-clip to hang up on the structure that the knob screws to. Then, when I pressed the button, it broke the e-clip and the neutral safety rod did not return to the top position.

If you have this problem, here's the fix:

  1. Remove the button and the button spring (if it's not already out).
  2. Remove the 4 screws holding the knob to the throttle handle/stick.
  3. Buy a new 1/8" e-clip. I couldn't find a copper one, so I used a steel one. I bought it at Home Depot from the specialty fasteners drawers.
  4. Raise the rod, depress the neutral safety spring, and push the e-clip into the groove on the rod. I did this by holding the clip with a pair of needle nose pliers.
  5. Re-install the button spring and the button.
  6. Go wakeboarding!

If you're reading this after you've completely disassembled the throttle, and having issues getting it all back together, here are a few things that may help:

  1. To replace the back cover of the throttle: First place the split plastic ring into the back cover. It'll slip into the smallest recess, and the gap of the ring will be closed. Next insert the wave spring in the inside the split ring. After that, you should be able to coax the back cover on and install the screws. If your throttle is tight after this, move the throttle to wide open forwards and wide open reverse, and something will click into place and it will move freely.
  2. If you removed the allen key bolt on the underside of the throttle, and then replaced it, you may notice your throttle is too tight. The allen key bolt is a friction bolt, which adjusts the friction of the stick. Unscrew it a bit to reduce the friction.
  3. If you turned your boat on while you had your throttle removed - like to listen to music - then you probably got a service warning about intermittent signal when you cranked the boat. I chose to 'Hide the alert' and it went away. Probably still in the computer memory, and I'll have the dealer clear it out if necessary.

Good luck, we're all counting on you!

Frank

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I have a 2014 vlx-the black lock out button on the shifter broke again-broke a few years back while under warranty, dealer replaced the entire shifter.  it looks like the two tabs that hold it in place have broken off.  Can i just replace the black button, it looks like if i got a new one i could just pop it back in????

  • Like 1
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On 7/25/2019 at 1:37 PM, FrankC said:
On 7/25/2019 at 1:37 PM, FrankC said:

I had the same problem with mine this week. Unfortunately, I completely disassembled it, when all that I needed to do was to remove the knob at the top. Here's what happened:

A week or so ago, the button popped out of the throttle/shifter knob. Upon inspection, the side barbs were snapped (cheap plastic)! I procrastinated and didn't order a new button right away. Instead, I just used some flexible, waterproof medical tape to keep the old button and spring in place. (Of course, my wife pointed out my flaw in thought of saving $35 on a part for a $70k boat...) I suspect that without the barb clips on the button, the neutral safety release rod extended too far and maybe allowed the e-clip to hang up on the structure that the knob screws to. Then, when I pressed the button, it broke the e-clip and the neutral safety rod did not return to the top position.

If you have this problem, here's the fix:

  1. Remove the button and the button spring (if it's not already out).
  2. Remove the 4 screws holding the knob to the throttle handle/stick.
  3. Buy a new 1/8" e-clip. I couldn't find a copper one, so I used a steel one. I bought it at Home Depot from the specialty fasteners drawers.
  4. Raise the rod, depress the neutral safety spring, and push the e-clip into the groove on the rod. I did this by holding the clip with a pair of needle nose pliers.
  5. Re-install the button spring and the button.
  6. Go wakeboarding!

If you're reading this after you've completely disassembled the throttle, and having issues getting it all back together, here are a few things that may help:

  1. To replace the back cover of the throttle: First place the split plastic ring into the back cover. It'll slip into the smallest recess, and the gap of the ring will be closed. Next insert the wave spring in the inside the split ring. After that, you should be able to coax the back cover on and install the screws. If your throttle is tight after this, move the throttle to wide open forwards and wide open reverse, and something will click into place and it will move freely.
  2. If you removed the allen key bolt on the underside of the throttle, and then replaced it, you may notice your throttle is too tight. The allen key bolt is a friction bolt, which adjusts the friction of the stick. Unscrew it a bit to reduce the friction.
  3. If you turned your boat on while you had your throttle removed - like to listen to music - then you probably got a service warning about intermittent signal when you cranked the boat. I chose to 'Hide the alert' and it went away. Probably still in the computer memory, and I'll have the dealer clear it out if necessary.

Good luck, we're all counting on you!

Frank

I had the same problem with mine this week. Unfortunately, I completely disassembled it, when all that I needed to do was to remove the knob at the top. Here's what happened:

A week or so ago, the button popped out of the throttle/shifter knob. Upon inspection, the side barbs were snapped (cheap plastic)! I procrastinated and didn't order a new button right away. Instead, I just used some flexible, waterproof medical tape to keep the old button and spring in place. (Of course, my wife pointed out my flaw in thought of saving $35 on a part for a $70k boat...) I suspect that without the barb clips on the button, the neutral safety release rod extended too far and maybe allowed the e-clip to hang up on the structure that the knob screws to. Then, when I pressed the button, it broke the e-clip and the neutral safety rod did not return to the top position.

If you have this problem, here's the fix:

  1. Remove the button and the button spring (if it's not already out).
  2. Remove the 4 screws holding the knob to the throttle handle/stick.
  3. Buy a new 1/8" e-clip. I couldn't find a copper one, so I used a steel one. I bought it at Home Depot from the specialty fasteners drawers.
  4. Raise the rod, depress the neutral safety spring, and push the e-clip into the groove on the rod. I did this by holding the clip with a pair of needle nose pliers.
  5. Re-install the button spring and the button.
  6. Go wakeboarding!

If you're reading this after you've completely disassembled the throttle, and having issues getting it all back together, here are a few things that may help:

  1. To replace the back cover of the throttle: First place the split plastic ring into the back cover. It'll slip into the smallest recess, and the gap of the ring will be closed. Next insert the wave spring in the inside the split ring. After that, you should be able to coax the back cover on and install the screws. If your throttle is tight after this, move the throttle to wide open forwards and wide open reverse, and something will click into place and it will move freely.
  2. If you removed the allen key bolt on the underside of the throttle, and then replaced it, you may notice your throttle is too tight. The allen key bolt is a friction bolt, which adjusts the friction of the stick. Unscrew it a bit to reduce the friction.
  3. If you turned your boat on while you had your throttle removed - like to listen to music - then you probably got a service warning about intermittent signal when you cranked the boat. I chose to 'Hide the alert' and it went away. Probably still in the computer memory, and I'll have the dealer clear it out if necessary.

Good luck, we're all counting on you!

Frank

Same thing happened to me this morning.  I've got 2011 Sunscape.  Was barefooting and when my driver pulled back on throttle when I dropped, it slipped into reverse and he nearly flipped the boat.  How do I remove the button and button spring?   I couldn't figure it out, afraid I'd break something else and make it worse.

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