My 2000 SAN problem with video

[crobi2]

Definitely get someone to check that main power solenoid than is under the ECM. I tried to look at mine last night but you really have to pull up the rear seat back and look past the pylon mounts to even see it under there and it was too hot for me to get into all that.

If I remember correctly though, the main cable from the battery goes to it and then a smaller cable continues directly on to the starter. A wire from the front control box (I guess) activates the solenoid which apparently powers up the ECM and fuel system.

It sounds like the main wire and starter wire on yours are rock solid because you've never had trouble cranking - right? If the wire from the keypad/breaker box that activates the solenoid is corroded or loose or the take-off power connection to the ECM/fuel system is corroded or loose, that might explain all of the problems (tach spiking, ECM/fuel acting weird, crank but no start, restart while something clicks on and off)

Good luck and please keep us posted.

[Chexi]

There should be a wire from the ignition switch/keypad to the starter solonoid. Once that is energized, it closes the main ignition circuit to the starter motor, which cranks the starter motor until you let off the key and de-energize the solonoid. I have never had a problem cranking (except when my battery was low or battery cable was loose). The power line to the ECM could be the problem though.

[crobi2]

Yes, that is what I was thinking because the heavy lug on the starter is energized as soon as you hook up a battery and a separate wire from the dash activates the starter solenoid.

The other solenoid under the ECM has a connection to the battery pos wire and just passes another wire on to the starter heavy lug that stays constantly energized as long as a battery is hooked up.

When this solenoid is activated from the dash (accessory on) I think it energizes the ECM/fuel system. If there is a problem with either of those two connections (wire from dash to solenoid or solenoid to ECM/fuel) it might explain the problems.

On our boat the accessory/run position also fires up the gauges and perfect pass but I suspect it does that from the dash/breaker box and not from that solenoid in the back. It probably is that same circuit though.

When you are having trouble and the boat has died with the ignition still in acc/run position, is the perfect pass still on or do it and the other gauges have trouble? We know that the tach bounces but that could be from the engine side. If perfect pass is acting crazy it might indicate something wrong with the acc/run position of the keypad. If the dash is working correctly except for the tach needle bouncing then it would seem that the acc/run position of the keypad/breaker box is ok and point back toward that solenoid.

It's hard to see under there though and you have to lift out the rear seatback to gain a position to even look at it.

[Chexi]

Possible success. I picked up my boat from Tyler Ski N Sport on Saturday. They replaced the kill switch and lanyard (and hooked it up), tweaked the idle (I assume the screw), and adjusted the perfect pass connection at the throttle cable. They also temporarily replaced the distributor with a working one so I could test the boat to see if that was the problem and sent me off with a spare ECM/ECU or whatever you want to call it to try if the distributor did not fix the problem. I was only able to test the boat for about 2 hours on Saturday, but during that time I did not stall at all, I had no tach bounces, and my idle performed as it should (i.e., no seeking and idle in gear in the 600's and idle out of gear in the 700s). I did not hear any misfires (although I did not hook my timing gun up). The boat responded great, handled great, and was a joy to drive. Without a few all day tests under my belt, I'm still holding my breath a bit, but maybe... just maybe the issues have been solved. If that is the case, then my problem was either the bypass of the kill switch or far more likely, something wrong in the distributor. The dealer's theory was that something was intermittently sending AC voltage, which was messing with the computer and the tach was showing it as a symptom. The most likely things that could send AC voltage if they were faulty were: (a) TFI module (which had already been replaced), (b) distributor, (c) ECM/ECU, or (d) alternator. We may have gotten lucky with (b).

Attached is a picture of my nasty distributor.

One more thing I noticed, the voltage gauge NEVER got above the high 12's. If I recall correctly, my stalling problems always happened when my voltage gauge was reading above 14. It is possible that even after running at 20 plus mph that I had not fully charged the battery (and it was showing amber... less than full charge) when I put the boat up in storage; however, perhaps the gauge could have been showing high before because it was getting AC voltage. Might be nothing more than a coincidence... but that gauge always would go up past 14 before, and would do so in less than 2 hours of boating, and I don't recall a single stall where the voltage gauge read less than 14. I'm not saying it didn't happen, I'm just saying that when I stalled and looked, I remember it being above 14.

[AirTool]

They also temporarily replaced the distributor with a working one so I could test the boat to see if that was the problem and sent me off with a spare ECM/ECU or whatever you want to call it to try if the distributor did not fix the problem.

This is great news.

This is the nicest, smartest, most productive thing I've ever seen a shop do.

The GT40 book callis it an ECA.

Now what, do you start swapping parts the loaner parts out until the problem repeats or doesn't?

That distributor doesn't look bad to me. Make sure the PIP plug and wiring are good.

That AC voltage is nonsense. The AC voltage is rectified to DC in the alternator and is not getting out.

I'll have to re-read your story on the voltage gage and battery.

Gotta go now.

[Chexi]

I need to talk to the shop more to figure out exactly what their thoughts were/are. Perhaps I misspoke about the AC thing.

I believe the plan is to let me borrow those two parts for further testing this weekend, and assuming we have id'd the problem as the distributor, then to order a new or reman'd distributor. I'm hoping it's the same as a GT40 car distributor, as those are plentiful and not that expensive. I suppose I could try to hook my distributor back up to test to see if it was the kill switch. At any rate, if everything continues to work well, then if there is time before my family reuninion to order and get the necessary parts, we will do that. If not, I believe they are going to let me continue to borrow these parts until my reunion is over (ends August 21st). I agree, this is incredibly nice of them to do and above and beyond what almost anyone else would be willing to do. I believe these parts are off the shop owner's own boat, meaning his boat is not operational for the period I am borrowing them. It helps that his lake is 6' down and too dangerous to use at the moment, but nevertheless, this is really A+ service.

[Chexi]

Tested the 2000 SAN again on Saturday for over 4 hours, including wakeboarding pulls and wakesurfing pulls. Not a single stall. Not a single TACH bounce. So, I think it is safe to say that the problem was either the kill switch or the distributor (or maybe PIP in the distributor). I told my wife that this means that the problem is either a $5 part or a $500 part, and that I could pop out the temporary replacement distributor and find out. She looked at me, and said, "no". In that one word, what she conveyed was, "it's working now, it's fun for her when it's working, it's not fun for her when it's not working, and it's only $500... so be happy it's fixed and leave it alone." The scientist in me says no, I must find out what the actual problem was, but I'll probably leave it be... although maybe I'll test it out next week when my family is town after they are tired of boating. I'd hate to spend $500 unnecessarily, and I really do want to know what the culprit was.

Note, the only thing I'm getting now that is not perfect in my opinion is that when I am just in gear and apply just a touch of throttle, it revs a little unevenly. It's like pumping a little bit. This would be at about 1-2 mph. Anything more than that is silk.

[AirTool]

Tested the 2000 SAN again on Saturday for over 4 hours, including wakeboarding pulls and wakesurfing pulls. Not a single stall. Not a single TACH bounce. So, I think it is safe to say that the problem was either the kill switch or the distributor (or maybe PIP in the distributor). I told my wife that this means that the problem is either a $5 part or a $500 part, and that I could pop out the temporary replacement distributor and find out. She looked at me, and said, "no". In that one word, what she conveyed was, "it's working now, it's fun for her when it's working, it's not fun for her when it's not working, and it's only $500... so be happy it's fixed and leave it alone." The scientist in me says no, I must find out what the actual problem was, but I'll probably leave it be... although maybe I'll test it out next week when my family is town after they are tired of boating. I'd hate to spend $500 unnecessarily, and I really do want to know what the culprit was.

Note, the only thing I'm getting now that is not perfect in my opinion is that when I am just in gear and apply just a touch of throttle, it revs a little unevenly. It's like pumping a little bit. This would be at about 1-2 mph. Anything more than that is silk.

The base timing was set when the distributor was installed....right?

Seems like a no brainer but thought I would check. Some sharpie an alignment point for the base and rotor and stab the new one.