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Need help with 2012 22 MXZ. “ Bad Cats “ !!


Malibu200014

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I don’t post much on this site but looking for some advice regarding my boat.

We went from a 2000 VLX that I had for 12 years. So I wasn’t familiar with the newer boats with these Catalyst exhaust manifolds. Anyhow

I purchased a 2012 22 MXZ in 2021. Indmar 6.0 L96 engine. 
So the first year of ownership I had a few of the serviced required codes and the usual SPN codes. No biggie as it only happened a couple of times all summer. Forward to 2022 and these same faults and codes went off every outing and would go off about every 15-30 minutes.  Very annoying.

In the off season when I took it in for winterization I had the dealer check the codes and inspect the manifolds. 
They came back and told me the cats had gone bad in the manifolds and that was causing my faults and alarms. Said both needed replaced. They are quoting me $4000-$4200 to replace. That’s a lot but I understand these types of manifolds are expensive as I have researched them online.

My question is can I run my boat with bad cats and just do some type of tune kit to trick the o2 sensor . That way I don’t get the alarm and faults? Or will running with bad cats cause damage to the engine long term? 
 

Thoughts? Any advice would be great.
 

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Running the engine with failed catalyst will not normally damage the engine, unless the catalyst substrate material comes loose, blocks the exhaust, and causes water to back up and hydrolock the cylinders.  It is not likely, but still may be possible.  The only other issues will be drastically increased CO from the exhaust, just like non-catalyst engines have, and regular DTC alarm notifications at the helm, which are annoying. 

Using a catalyst delete module like the CP Performance Max Volt Catalyst Eliminator Computer may be an option, but it is around $700 and likely violates EPA laws.  They even have a disclaimer on the website that it is for testing purposes only and not for use on any state or federal waterway.

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I’m not familiar with that engine but have you consider replacing o2 sensors and see if that changes anything? They generally throw the same codes as bad cats. 
 

Or might even be worth trying o2 extenders if the cats are bad. 

Edited by Cole2001
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The o2 sensors were just replaced when I bought the boat. My dealer checked them as well and said they weren’t bad. They used a borescope to check the cat manifolds. That’s how they found that the cats were bad. Also had them check for any water in the cylinders, oil, etc. No water leaks or anything in the cylinders and my oil was good no water in it. 
The boat runs great no issues just the annoying alarms. 
 

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12 hours ago, Malibu200014 said:

The o2 sensors were just replaced when I bought the boat. My dealer checked them as well and said they weren’t bad. They used a borescope to check the cat manifolds. That’s how they found that the cats were bad. Also had them check for any water in the cylinders, oil, etc. No water leaks or anything in the cylinders and my oil was good no water in it. 
The boat runs great no issues just the annoying alarms. 
 

Call Indmar, I think they have to by law do something. Might get a discount or something. 

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what code(s) are you getting? My boat threw a catalyst related code (spn 4237) pretty much every outing last year, although no reduction in performance. Replaced all the O2 sensors as well. Manifolds show evidence of removal at some point, not sure if replaced.

I'd just assume delete the cats and run a fresh air exhaust, versus spending thousands on replacement manifolds.

Edited by 09LSV
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The pre-cat and post-cat O2 sensors are all 4-wire narrow band style on 2012 models.   The pre-cat O2 sensors will quickly change its voltage signal to the ECM between the rich and lean range as the ECM changes injector pulsewidth for fuel trim.  The post-cat O2 sensors will slowly change the voltage signal to the ECM between the rich and lean range when the catalyst is working.

If the rate of voltage change is very similar between the pre-cat and post-cat O2 sensors, the ECM will send an alarm to the helm to warn that the catalyst is not functioning.  The only way to prevent this alarm is to have a properly functioning exhaust and catalyst system or to fool the ECM by changing the post-cat O2 sensor voltage.

Common codes for inactive catalyst on the Indmar/Econtrol ECM is SPN 3050/3051 or on the MEFI6 is SPN 65675/65676.

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2 hours ago, csleaver said:

The pre-cat and post-cat O2 sensors are all 4-wire narrow band style on 2012 models.   The pre-cat O2 sensors will quickly change its voltage signal to the ECM between the rich and lean range as the ECM changes injector pulsewidth for fuel trim.  The post-cat O2 sensors will slowly change the voltage signal to the ECM between the rich and lean range when the catalyst is working.

If the rate of voltage change is very similar between the pre-cat and post-cat O2 sensors, the ECM will send an alarm to the helm to warn that the catalyst is not functioning.  The only way to prevent this alarm is to have a properly functioning exhaust and catalyst system or to fool the ECM by changing the post-cat O2 sensor voltage.

Common codes for inactive catalyst on the Indmar/Econtrol ECM is SPN 3050/3051 or on the MEFI6 is SPN 65675/65676.

On my boat, the front and rear o2 sensors were the same part number. Normal?

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I get the service required alarm and here what my fault codes are:

SPN:65563 FMI:5 current below normal or open circuit.

SPN:66020 FMI:8- abnormal Frequency or pulse width 

SPN:65566 FMI:0 Data Valid but above normal range 

SPN:65599 FMI:7 Mechanical system not responding 

SPN:65592 FMI:7 Mechanical system not responding 

SPN: 66019 FMI:8 abnormal frequency or pulse width 

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6 hours ago, 09LSV said:

what code(s) are you getting? My boat threw a catalyst related code (spn 4237) pretty much every outing last year, although no reduction in performance. Replaced all the O2 sensors as well. Manifolds show evidence of removal at some point, not sure if replaced.

I'd just assume delete the cats and run a fresh air exhaust, versus spending thousands on replacement manifolds.

l like the idea of doing the fresh air surf exhaust vs replacing entire manifold. 
I just don’t know how I would remove the catalyst material inside the manifold as my manifold and cats is all one unit. 
 

I get the service required alarm and here is what my fault codes are:

SPN:65563 FMI:5 current below normal or open circuit.

SPN:66020 FMI:8- abnormal Frequency or pulse width 

SPN:65566 FMI:0 Data Valid but above normal range 

SPN:65599 FMI:7 Mechanical system not responding 

SPN:65592 FMI:7 Mechanical system not responding 

SPN: 66019 FMI:8 abnormal frequency or pulse width 

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1 hour ago, Malibu200014 said:

l like the idea of doing the fresh air surf exhaust vs replacing entire manifold. 
I just don’t know how I would remove the catalyst material inside the manifold as my manifold and cats is all one unit. 
 

I get the service required alarm and here is what my fault codes are:

SPN:65563 FMI:5 current below normal or open circuit.

SPN:66020 FMI:8- abnormal Frequency or pulse width 

SPN:65566 FMI:0 Data Valid but above normal range 

SPN:65599 FMI:7 Mechanical system not responding 

SPN:65592 FMI:7 Mechanical system not responding 

SPN: 66019 FMI:8 abnormal frequency or pulse width 

I've seen on here that people has punched out the catalyst material from their manifold

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6 hours ago, 09LSV said:

On my boat, the front and rear o2 sensors were the same part number. Normal?

Yes, it is normal for 2009-2015 Malibu boats with the Indmar GM engine to have the same PN 596100 for all four of the O2 sensors.  I have seen a few instances where Indmar has recommended use of the PN 556162D DENSO O2 SENSOR on the MEFI6 to avoid some persistent alarms due to an abnormal frequency from the standard O2 sensors.

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4 hours ago, Malibu200014 said:

I get the service required alarm and here what my fault codes are:

SPN:65563 FMI:5 current below normal or open circuit.

SPN:66020 FMI:8- abnormal Frequency or pulse width 

SPN:65566 FMI:0 Data Valid but above normal range 

SPN:65599 FMI:7 Mechanical system not responding 

SPN:65592 FMI:7 Mechanical system not responding 

SPN: 66019 FMI:8 abnormal frequency or pulse width 

SPN:65563 FMI:5 is often caused by a faulty sensor on pre-cat bank B (port side) from an open circuit.  Replace the sensor and test run the boat.

SPN:66020 FMI:8 pre-cat bank B O2 sensor has a damaged/open heating element.  Too much moisture on the sensor is the most common cause.

SPN:65566 FMI:0 bank B is operating lean.  Lots of things can cause this, including a faulty port pre-cat O2 sensor.

SPN:65599 FMI:7 is for a random cylinder misfire.  Low compression, faulty ignition component, improper HVS cam angle adjustment, loose crank reluctor, faulty injector, low or high fuel pressure, contaminated fuel, vacuum leaks, or even drivetrain/running gear vibration can cause that.

SPN:65592 FMI:7 cylinder 2 misfire (same causes as previous misfire code).

SPN: 66019 FMI:8 pre-cat bank A (starboard side) O2 has a faulty heater circuit.  Replace the sensor and test run the boat.

There are other causes for each of these faults.  Low system voltage, poor ground connections, damaged engine wiring harness wires or connections, and even internal ECM failures can cause the same issues.

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11 hours ago, csleaver said:

SPN:65563 FMI:5 is often caused by a faulty sensor on pre-cat bank B (port side) from an open circuit.  Replace the sensor and test run the boat.

SPN:66020 FMI:8 pre-cat bank B O2 sensor has a damaged/open heating element.  Too much moisture on the sensor is the most common cause.

SPN:65566 FMI:0 bank B is operating lean.  Lots of things can cause this, including a faulty port pre-cat O2 sensor.

SPN:65599 FMI:7 is for a random cylinder misfire.  Low compression, faulty ignition component, improper HVS cam angle adjustment, loose crank reluctor, faulty injector, low or high fuel pressure, contaminated fuel, vacuum leaks, or even drivetrain/running gear vibration can cause that.

SPN:65592 FMI:7 cylinder 2 misfire (same causes as previous misfire code).

SPN: 66019 FMI:8 pre-cat bank A (starboard side) O2 has a faulty heater circuit.  Replace the sensor and test run the boat.

There are other causes for each of these faults.  Low system voltage, poor ground connections, damaged engine wiring harness wires or connections, and even internal ECM failures can cause the same issues.

Thoughts on SPN 4237? 

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I’ve not seen SPN 4237 ever come up since I’ve owned the boat which has only been 2 seasons.

My local dealer was who inspected the cats and told me they were bad and that was what was causing all of these alarms and fault codes. 
My cats do have burnt paint spots on the cat unit so I wasn’t surprised when they told me they needed replaced. 

 

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I’ve not seen SPN 4237 ever come up since I’ve owned the boat which has only been 2 seasons.

My local dealer was who inspected the cats and told me they were bad and that was what was causing all of these alarms and fault codes. 
My cats do have burnt paint spots on the cat unit so I wasn’t surprised when they told me they needed replaced. 

 

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I did call Indmar today. 
They told me that the cat manifolds for my engine are definitely water jacketed.

So, if I continue to run without replacing the manifolds I run the risk of getting water in the cylinders if the internal jacket fails.

However when my dealer inspected the manifolds they didn’t find any internal water  leaks.

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10 hours ago, 09LSV said:

Thoughts on SPN 4237? 

SPN 4237 occurs when the fuel trim has reached the maximum allowable for bank 1 (starboard side on vdrive).  This can be caused by a faulty O2 sensor, vacuum or exhaust leaks, leaking or clogged injectors, fuel system pressure out of specification, contaminated fuel, low system voltage or poor circuit grounds.

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Talked to my dealer yesterday and they called Indmar and these style manifolds are on back order from the manufacturer. 
Said Indmar isn’t sure when they will have more. 
They are checking other part sites but it’s not looking good at the moment for getting a new pair if I go that route.

 

 

 

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