2018 Axis A24 FRUSTRATIONS

[MakeNWaves]

Just venting here, I guess, since I have a dealer appointment on the 31st.  Came to our river house on July 1 to find the boat would not turn over.  Turn the key, all 12 volt related items turn on, turn the key to engage starter, and NOTHING.  First check, charge batteries, yea fixed it.  Surfed in the morning.  Went out to take the kids tubing, NOTHING.  Tow back to launch ramp.  Bought new batteries to the tune of $350, installed them and voila.  Surfed next morning.  Went for a boat ride, NOTHING.  Tow back to launch ramp.   Wrote in to MBC, and someone said check ignition.  Wiggled it around, made sure all connections were tight, and yes it started.  Went for a surf that morning.  Family loaded up for a boat ride, NOTHING.  Tow back to launch ramp.  Was able to get it started with wiggling ignition key, so diagnosed new ignition switch.  Went and bought one from the dealer, installed it, and yes it started.  Went surfing that evening.  Moored up on our buoy, turned key off, tried to restart, NOTHING.  Tow back to launch ramp.  Also on my MBC topic, someone stated to check all ground connections.  Went around to the ones I could see, and found a very loose one.  Retightened it, and yes it started.  Went surfing that morning.  Wanted to go wake boarding that afternoon, NOTHING.  Tow back to launch ramp.  Someone else diagnosed it might be the kill switch.  Checked it out, fiddled with the switch, and yes it started.  Went to go surfing, NOTHING.  Boat was still on the trailer, so I didn’t have to tow it to the launch ramp.  I AM DONE.  GOING HOME SATURDAY.  ANYONE WANT A CHEAP A24.  My next diagnosis is starter, which the dealer can check.  SO FRUSTRATED.

[ahopkins22LSV]

Nothing happens when you go to start it? No clicks or anything? Motor turn over at all or just completely nothing?

If that’s the case it sure sounds like a faulty neutral switch or throttle. If you aren’t in neutral or something is faulting it will do absolutely nothing when you turn the key but all other accessories will work. 

The boat is under warranty, and this should be a fairly simple item to fix, it sounds like it just hasn’t been diagnosed correctly ( I know kind of a duh statement..). Do you have a local dealer you are working with to diagnose or just us?

[Whitecap]

@MakeNWaves

Don't forget, under the Forums tab, there is a section called “Maintenance, Tech, and Troubleshooting”, when you open that section of the site, there is a pinned thread called “no start troubleshooting”.  When you click on it, there is an option to click on the PDF VERSION of this document.  This is a step by step troubleshooting document for us all to print out and use in the slip, the storage facility, or on the lake.  Print it out, laminate it, and put it in your glovebox. (That’s what I did anyway).  Super helpful, and may save you time when dealing with the dealer as well, as you will be educated now on what could cause the problem.

I hope this will help you as much as it has helped me.  The link is below.

 

 

[85 Barefoot]

1 hour ago, MakeNWaves said:

Just venting here, I guess, since I have a dealer appointment on the 31st.  Came to our river house on July 1 to find the boat would not turn over.  Turn the key, all 12 volt related items turn on, turn the key to engage starter, and NOTHING.  First check, charge batteries, yea fixed it.  Surfed in the morning.  Went out to take the kids tubing, NOTHING.  Tow back to launch ramp.  Bought new batteries to the tune of $350, installed them and voila.  Surfed next morning.  Went for a boat ride, NOTHING.  Tow back to launch ramp.   Wrote in to MBC, and someone said check ignition.  Wiggled it around, made sure all connections were tight, and yes it started.  Went for a surf that morning.  Family loaded up for a boat ride, NOTHING.  Tow back to launch ramp.  Was able to get it started with wiggling ignition key, so diagnosed new ignition switch.  Went and bought one from the dealer, installed it, and yes it started.  Went surfing that evening.  Moored up on our buoy, turned key off, tried to restart, NOTHING.  Tow back to launch ramp.  Also on my MBC topic, someone stated to check all ground connections.  Went around to the ones I could see, and found a very loose one.  Retightened it, and yes it started.  Went surfing that morning.  Wanted to go wake boarding that afternoon, NOTHING.  Tow back to launch ramp.  Someone else diagnosed it might be the kill switch.  Checked it out, fiddled with the switch, and yes it started.  Went to go surfing, NOTHING.  Boat was still on the trailer, so I didn’t have to tow it to the launch ramp.  I AM DONE.  GOING HOME SATURDAY.  ANYONE WANT A CHEAP A24.  My next diagnosis is starter, which the dealer can check.  SO FRUSTRATED.

What's amazing in all this is that the "easy" fixes are working.  I find it completely implausible (though I'm not disputing OP that his boat won't start) that he has bad batteries, bad ignition, bad kill switch, and bad ground.  Something else is causing this intermittent issue.  

 

...O and I'm happy to buy a cheap A24!  If serious, let me know!

[MakeNWaves]

Totally agree 85, these were not fixes.  However, it is showing the absolute randomness of the problem.  One minute it starts, the next turn of the key it doesn’t.  For instance, this morning, it started on the trailer in front of the house, towed it 1/4 mile to the launch ramp, and NOtHING.

[85 Barefoot]

are gauges fluttering?

[shawndoggy]

Is the boat cranking but not firing or not cranking at all?

If you are getting the "boat is on" BEEEEEEEEP on key up, but it's not cranking at all, when you turn the key have you tried messing with the throttle a little to be extra sure you are in neutral, or grounding out the neutral safety switch on the transmission, just to make sure it's not that?

[MakeNWaves]

Gauges are solid (went through the gauge fluttering on my 2002 vlx).  No crank, no nothing.  Have fiddled and adjusted everything from throttle to kill switch, to battery selector switch to engine grounds.  Just today started up on the trailer, 10 minutes later nothing on the launch ramp.  Dealer looking at it on the 31st.  Have to tow it 3 hours from our river house to home.

[Mikecourchene]

Hey I had similar issue on my2009 VLX ended up to be a spade connector  behind panel (fuses by driver seat), the wire harness is heavy behind that panel , just reach behind and feel if you have any loose spade connectors to the ignition fuse, just a thought 

[Mikecourchene]

Meant to say harness is heavy and if not mounted properly and tied up it pulls on wires connected fuses

[agarabaghi]

Check you relays in that little box above the engine.

[shawndoggy]

1 hour ago, MakeNWaves said:

Gauges are solid (went through the gauge fluttering on my 2002 vlx).  No crank, no nothing.  Have fiddled and adjusted everything from throttle to kill switch, to battery selector switch to engine grounds.  Just today started up on the trailer, 10 minutes later nothing on the launch ramp.  Dealer looking at it on the 31st.  Have to tow it 3 hours from our river house to home.

try musical relays.  IIRC PCM uses plain old bosch 5 pin relays.  The cheap kind.  Available everywhere.  I had an issue where my starter relay went bad on a pcm ex343 motor and had this same issue.  $5 fix.

 

[MakeNWaves]

Really appreciate all the advice, however, I’m not doing jack anymore.  It’s been almost a month, should have surfed at least 75 times (only surfed 4 times).  The dealer gets the boat on Wednesday and I’ll let you know what they find.

[Nacibound]

If I had to guess something is loose. This sounds electrical, which are the worst kind of issues to diagnose. Let us know what they find. If they don't find anything you may want to ask them to check the connections, but sometimes something just being loose is enough to cause the issues and its hard to figure out whats causing the issue.

[boardjnky4]

I'd bet it's a failing or loose relay.

[boardjnky4]

I know you aren't interested in troubleshooting anymore, but when it's acting up and you turn the key on, do you get an indication on the engine temperature on the dash? Do the engine hours populate on the screen?

If above is yes, do you also hear the fuel pump run for 3 seconds?

If above is yes, the next thing to check would be to hold the key to start the boat and check for positive at the starter solenoid. If you have power there, then you have a bad starter. If not, gotta work backwards from there, and then I would guarantee it's the starter relay.

[shawndoggy]

4 minutes ago, boardjnky4 said:

I know you aren't interested in troubleshooting anymore, but when it's acting up and you turn the key on, do you get an indication on the engine temperature on the dash? Do the engine hours populate on the screen?

If above is yes, do you also hear the fuel pump run for 3 seconds?

If above is yes, the next thing to check would be to hold the key to start the boat and check for positive at the starter solenoid. If you have power there, then you have a bad starter. If not, gotta work backwards from there, and then I would guarantee it's the starter relay.

zactly.  

[MakeNWaves]

Update to the story.  Dealer called today to tell me it was the neutral safety switch.  Part had to be ordered so boat won’t be ready until next wek.  Thanks to all who gave responses.  You can bet I’m going to start the engine 100 times, in all scenarios, before I tow it 200 miles back to my river house.

[85 Barefoot]

On 8/3/2019 at 1:22 AM, MakeNWaves said:

Update to the story.  Dealer called today to tell me it was the neutral safety switch.  Part had to be ordered so boat won’t be ready until next wek.  Thanks to all who gave responses.  You can bet I’m going to start the engine 100 times, in all scenarios, before I tow it 200 miles back to my river house.

May want to ask him to show you how to bypass it too (in a pinch).

[MakeNWaves]

Yea, thought about that.  if the first one lasted a year, it makes sense that the new one may last the same.  Don"t want another repeat of my nightmare July.

[85 Barefoot]

1 minute ago, MakeNWaves said:

Yea, thought about that.  if the first one lasted a year, it makes sense that the new one may last the same.  Don"t want another repeat of my nightmare July.

I wouldn't let that concern you.  but, ...(insert the more you know gif here)