Jump to content

Welcome to TheMalibuCrew!

As a guest, you are welcome to poke around and view the majority of the content that we have to offer, but in order to post, search, contact members, and get full use out of the website you will need to Register for an Account. It's free and it's easy, so don't hesitate to join the TheMalibuCrew Family today!

Right Surfgate reed valve stuck


Recommended Posts

Had an amazing day of riding today. Right about 3:30 I got an alert on my screen that my right surfgate reed valve was stuck. surfgate didn't work after that. Has anyone seen this before and what did you do to solve it? My boat is a 2016 25 LSV. It's been flawless up to this point. Yes, it is under warranty. Suggestions/Comments?

Link to comment

Just a suggestion, I would start with recalibrating surf gate.  It's an option on your 7" touch screen.   I would also completely shut down the boat and cycle batteries to reset everything. 

Link to comment

Crazy our 2016 25 LSV had the same issue today I called the dealer and we have put into calibration mode it closed but after 2 hours it’s still calibrating!  Hoping it’s resolvved tomorrow.  We had this happen on a2013 VLX it was a bad actuator hoping it isn’t forecast is awesome tomorrow!  Any input or ideas would be appreciated 

Link to comment

This is timely.  This just happened to me yesterday.  Left Surfgate Reed Switch Error.  I smile that the “Left Surfgate” is actually the starboard gate.  I guess it sort of makes sense, but it’s not what I’d have named it.  Eventually it closed and we could get moving.  But the computer seemed scattered because even with them closed and visually verified it’d throw an alarm that we were going too fast with the Surfgate deployed when we got up to speed.

Sadly I can’t put it in calibration mode because my touch screen is going out again (3rd one) and there’s a touch dead zone right where the calibrate button is.  

I could luckily put it in service mode and get it to close.  But then I noticed the Port Surfgate was about 1” shy of being fully closed.

I’m not surprised by something not being perfect here because we’ve been really struggling with the waves being odd this summer and I was beginning to wonder if I were just not remembering them from last year correctly.  Surfgates not deploying right would do it.  I remember from my SlurpeeGate experiments that just the tiniest tweaks to the angle of the gate had a pretty big impact on the wave.

The Wedge was also being odd at the same time.  It’d get stuck and bounce between Lift and one setting up according to the screen indicator.  We physically verified it was in this position.  We couldn’t get it to recover the entire time we were out even with a battery cycle.  Then it just decided to go to stow like we were asking as we were running home at the end of the day.  The sensor values are bang on and it cycles fine up and down on the dock. I think I’ll go trace out the wires looking for any grounding issues or pinched/frayed wires today.

New computer coming from the dealer tomorrow should let me get started on debugging the Surfgates.

Link to comment

Does anyone know how long the Surf Gate calibration should take? Also during calibration should the gates move? Ours has been recalibrating for hours we can hear things but nothing is moving

Link to comment

Last night I calibrated my gates. Everything went back to normal and the error went away.  During the problem on the water I noticed the starboard side gate had not quite retracted fully when we put the gates in center. Both gates are fully in center now. It would be nice to know if this was just a fluke and it's fixed, or if the problem still exists without going back out to the lake and experiencing another issue.

Our gates were both moving fully in and out during the calibration process.

Link to comment

Is the actual hydraulic actuator failing? Or the servo?  Or are they all in one? Kinda disappointing to hear this... I was hopeful the hydraulic actuators would be much more reliable than the older Lenco electric actuators.

Link to comment

To answer a few questions as I just went through this - 

Calibration is quick when normally working - probably less than 60 seconds. 

From what I can gather, it is the reed switch that fails, but it is integral to the actuator/motor, so the whole unit has to be replaced  

The actuator Malibu sent for a replacement is a Parker, which from my time researching zero turn motors is actually a well regarded brand in hydraulics.   

The “old” style used on my 2016 had a clamp type through hull connector that apparently they think would get over tightened and cause some of the issues by damaging the wiring.  The newer style though hull fitting is different.  

Last pic is the old style   Sorry, I don’t have any good ones of the new style, but there is a picture of the replacement actuator

If calibration or service mode doesn’t work to close your gate, you can bleed off pressure from the actuator to get it to close.  Alternately, if you can get the working gate to deploy, with both gates out they counter act each other and allow your rudder to then steer again so you can limp back to the dock   

 

 

 

 

141F2EC4-F2BE-411D-8C84-3D06B67BD13F.jpeg

3F900CBB-754A-45D9-8CF0-DBE7DAAE4079.jpeg

120A289D-5CEF-4C5B-A88D-5B0673985BB0.jpeg

Link to comment

@hethj7 for future reference where is the bleeder screw located on the actuator just incase I ever needed to do this while the boat is in the water.  Knock on wood my 2017 has been fine so far, but looks like these are prone to failure at some point.

Link to comment

Compact%20EHA%20Instruction%20Manual%20H

 

check out page 6, or the red screw in the cover photo.  I don’t think this is the exact manual for the model Malibu uses, but physically it looks nearly identical.   I didn’t check the new one to see if it was a screw or a bolt.  @Ronnie has posted before it is a 10mm bolt on his factory 2016 ram.  

Link to comment
On 7/7/2018 at 11:55 PM, BRS said:

Crazy our 2016 25 LSV had the same issue today I called the dealer and we have put into calibration mode it closed but after 2 hours it’s still calibrating!  Hoping it’s resolvved tomorrow.  We had this happen on a2013 VLX it was a bad actuator hoping it isn’t forecast is awesome tomorrow!  Any input or ideas would be appreciated 

 

20 hours ago, BRS said:

Does anyone know how long the Surf Gate calibration should take? Also during calibration should the gates move? Ours has been recalibrating for hours we can hear things but nothing is moving

You just watch the screen. When the end or stop button comes up it is finished. You have to press the button to make it stop.

Link to comment
On 7/8/2018 at 11:02 AM, NorNevRider said:

 

Our gates were both moving fully in and out during the calibration process.

Unless something has changed you must have been in surfgate service as i thought calibration was an internal function to actuator , when surfgate service works and moves gate out then calibration has usually proceeded it and solved the issue 

Link to comment

I

4 hours ago, granddaddy55 said:

Unless something has changed you must have been in surfgate service as i thought calibration was an internal function to actuator , when surfgate service works and moves gate out then calibration has usually proceeded it and solved the issue 

You are correct. I used service mode first. After it finished, I then used calibrate and the gates did both move in and out together.

Link to comment

I am still wondering if I fixed the problem at least temporarily or if I need to replace the actuator. I suppose I will call my dealer today and see what they say.

Link to comment
30 minutes ago, NorNevRider said:

I

You are correct. I used service mode first. After it finished, I then used calibrate and the gates did both move in and out together.

Your right after, doing a service I could often then  make  make a successful calibration. Once done your usually good 

I often have to try calibration then service , then successful calibration 

Link to comment
  • 2 weeks later...
  • 6 months later...
  • 7 months later...

@Donnie  were you able to change the actuator yourself?  I am looking for a good post that covers how to change out the old style actuators.  I have a 2014 Wakesetter VTX and the starboard actuator is getting the warning and is stuck out.  I am going to order an actuator - just want to make sure that it is something that you can do your self.

Link to comment
  • 1 year later...

Hi.  I have a 2016 Malibu VLX 22”.  I’ve been seeing lots of complains about these actuators and I’m interested in looking at a failed unit.  Does anyone have one that failed?  Love to get one and see if it’s something I can fix.  Happy to cover shipping if I can get a hold one one.  Shoot me a note if you have one with the issue folks are talking about here.  Cheers.

Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...