G23 loss of power while surfing

[jamesmh]

Yesterday while surfing we experienced an unexpected loss of power that quickly dropped the rpms down and shut off the motor. No faults or alarms. Restarted the motor and started surfing again like normal. After a few minutes the same thing happened, engine lost power and shut off. Scary because the boat slowed down very fast and the surfer had to dive out of the way to avoid hitting the boat.

Never had a problem with this boat, she's run like a top. Approximately 460 hours on the 550 motor.

This is weird because we did 2 wakeboarding sessions prior to the surfing event without any issues. Then afterwards ran back to the dock at 25 mph with no issues.

Fuel filter?
Fouled plug(s)?
Computer issue with NSS?

Anyone experience this before? or have suggestions on how to troubleshoot?

[Scooter G]

We've had this a few times this Season. Very random, but never at surf speed (except the time a wasp landed on my Son's knee while pulling a surfer and his knee jerk slammed the throttle back to neutral, lol) it seems to happen at lower speeds like in the no wake zone for example, just dies. No codes on the Linc, always starts back up. We run non-ethanol 90% of the time. Might hit 400 hours this year, getting close, last week was lake run 38 for the year. I'll do a complete filter change and tune up this winter, see if anything changes.

[jamesmh]

Thanks, very random indeed. I'm going to do a complete fluid/filter change and probably spark plugs and see what happens.

[xrichard]

If it just shuts off, I'd be suspicious of the kill switch below the throttle. If the rpms run down and then it dies, it's probably not that switch.

[99bison]

Sounds electrical, like kill switch related, subscribed

[Scooter G]

Thanks xrichard, I was thinking potential kill switch issue. Little clues before it really starts to give you a fit. Every once in a while we have to bump reverse and back to neutral to activate the start. Doesn't happen often enough to have me concerned, yet...
If I had surfers slamming into the back of the boat, different conversation.

[jpwhit]

Changing fluids and spark plugs isn't going to improve the issue you're seeing.

You need to have someone hook diacom up to the boat and see what is stored in the ECM about what happened. The LINC screen diagnostics only reports a subset of what Diacom can read from the engine ECM.

Scooter G's issue is due to a failing Throttle Base Assembly. And it's pretty common to have the no-start because the TBA is telling the computer the boat is in gear when it's actually in neutral. And moving the handle around will typically clear that condition for a while, and then it'll just all of a sudden go out completely. Then you have to get a tow back to the dock / ramp.

TBA's also often fail such that you get random and sudden power reduction on the engine. Like someone suddenly yanked the throttle lever back to neutral. But, they don't cause the engine to shut off. So it's unlikely the issue is the TBA in this case since the engine actually shutdown. This issue is likely an ECM / Engine Sensor electronics issue.

[Scooter G]

So I have a question. If you pull the lanyard on the E-Stop, the engine does a complete shut down like on a jet ski, correct? Is the safety lanyard/clip part of the TBA system or seperate?

[jpwhit]

Engine kill switch is separate from the TBA and is in the power feed circuit for the engine's ignition system. The kill switch doesn't talk to the engine ECM, it directly shuts off power to the ignition system. The TBA communicates to the engine ECM and provides data on the % commanded throttle, and whether the throttle is in Forward, Neutral, or Reverse.

[Gtsum2]

Control panel likely bad. Ours did that (20 g23). Surfing and boat just stopped. Surfer almost ran into the boat…seems they are having some control panel issues. Mine was replaced under warranty


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[Scooter G]

So when you say control panel, you are referring to the..?
Panel with the number codes, start, bilge, blower?

[Gtsum2]

Quote removed by Admin for not following the Guidelines for Quoting Previous Posts in a Thread.

Yes. They just replaced mine about a month ago. It was also getting hard to start. Push the start button and it would hesitate to start. Haven't had an issue since (with that anyways…we always have electrical issues with ours since the 25 hour service)


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[Scooter G]

Interesting, you wouldn't think that to go south on a '20 G. I wonder what your build month was (just curious), I know things started to get a little sub-quality in all directions circa Covid. Not a cheap replacement for those of us out of warranty. I'll have to look around, seems like I read a way to test those, but I think it was an outsource test (someone can chime in on that one). By the way I have that same start hesitation on occasion.

https://nautiqueparts.com/keypad/

[Scooter G]

Engine kill switch is separate from the TBA and is in the power feed circuit for the engine's ignition system. The kill switch doesn't talk to the engine ECM, it directly shuts off power to the ignition system.

What's the chance of an engine kill switch going bad or randomly throwing fits. Don't know that I have encountered any posts on issues here.
A lifetime or so ago, a buddy had a new Glastron, bad kill switch left him in the middle of Lake Powell until we MacGyvered it.

[jpwhit]

They do fail sometimes, but not very often. Never seen or heard of one being intermittent.