my 7 yrs warranty

[macojoe]

My friend Pete has his boat getting a new e tec put on right now!

With all this computer stuff, I wonder if they are programed to die at a certin point? just to keep them needing parts?

[cterrebonne]

I would call DFI technologies out of alabama first. They might be able to repair it for half that price.

http://www.dfitechnologies.com/index.html

[spareparts]

I've wondered about the death code in some of these engines, consider me a conspiracy theorist, I'll put my tin foil hat on in case they are listening. Consider Mercury diagnostic computer system. It has to be connected to Merc Net each month or it will default. When you hook it up to Merc net, it checks all the recent activity on the computer. It can tell which engines it has been hooked up to, and its history(age, hours of use, etc). Say if a person put a bug in the system if it notices a lot of out of warranty, high hour engines coming in for service. In theory, those engine could have the parameters reset(newer ecu's are field reflashable) when the diagnostic computer is hooked up. The parameters could be changed so its getting a little more timing, a little less fuel so the next time out, it goes bang and some ones looking for a new engine. With the price of electronic controls, people don't switch brands when re-powering newer boats, especially if its a multi engine set up. I'm just saying...

[Striper80]

Originally Posted by spareparts

I've wondered about the death code in some of these engines, consider me a conspiracy theorist, I'll put my tin foil hat on in case they are listening. Consider Mercury diagnostic computer system. It has to be connected to Merc Net each month or it will default. When you hook it up to Merc net, it checks all the recent activity on the computer. It can tell which engines it has been hooked up to, and its history(age, hours of use, etc). Say if a person put a bug in the system if it notices a lot of out of warranty, high hour engines coming in for service. In theory, those engine could have the parameters reset(newer ecu's are field reflashable) when the diagnostic computer is hooked up. The parameters could be changed so its getting a little more timing, a little less fuel so the next time out, it goes bang and some ones looking for a new engine. With the price of electronic controls, people don't switch brands when re-powering newer boats, especially if its a multi engine set up. I'm just saying...

Do they offer any scanners in the aftermarket or is it strictly a dealer thing? I know there isn't a standard thing like obd 2 for boats.

[spareparts]

They've only recently had aftermarket for verado's. yamaha, the rest of merc, zuk, honda, and most In Boards have ahd simple systems out for a while. The newer epa stuff has changed everything. Yamaha is dealer only right now on their new stuff. Its getting harder and harder for independents like myself

[bradford]

All by design I think. Spare you're on to something I'll bet. Planned obsolesence.

[Destroyer]

Originally Posted by spareparts

They've only recently had aftermarket for verado's. yamaha, the rest of merc, zuk, honda, and most In Boards have ahd simple systems out for a while. The newer epa stuff has changed everything. Yamaha is dealer only right now on their new stuff. Its getting harder and harder for independents like myself

You are seeing the same thing in the automotive trades... The down the street garage mechanic is just about gone... Only dealers can fix the newer cars. Computers are putting the independents out of business... and you can bet that it's deliberate.

[THEFERMANATOR]

Originally Posted by Destroyer

You are seeing the same thing in the automotive trades... The down the street garage mechanic is just about gone... Only dealers can fix the newer cars. Computers are putting the independents out of business... and you can bet that it's deliberate.

Alot of it has to do with the fact people want so much in modern cars, that datacoms had to advance. And every manufacturer uses there own code. Now you can understand why small shops now have to charge $65-80 an hour just to keep the doors open. Between the taxes and government hurdles to overcome as a small business, then to keep up with current technology and tools, you spend more than you could ever hope to make.

[Destroyer]

Originally Posted by THEFERMANATOR

Alot of it has to do with the fact people want so much in modern cars, that datacoms had to advance. And every manufacturer uses there own code. Now you can understand why small shops now have to charge $65-80 an hour just to keep the doors open. Between the taxes and government hurdles to overcome as a small business, then to keep up with current technology and tools, you spend more than you could ever hope to make.

Yep. Heck in NJ if you want to be an inspection site you have to buy a special exhaust analyzer... $24-30,000 outlay just for the machine... and that's before you get the first customer through your door. I totally understand. Oh, and here in NJ most shops are charging 75-95 an hour. It's actually getting cheaper to swap out an entire engine rather than fix one...

[reelapeelin]

As soon as I read Slinger say it puked just out of warranty, it dawned on me; being computers, they can be programed to die at any time...and there seems to be a lot of support here for that idea.My Honda ECU crapped just INSIDE the warranty which they replaced no questions asked...dealer had just gotten a bulletin on them when mine went...he said at the time (2007 or so) it would have been around a grand if I had to pay for it.

Sorry to hear yer etec went down...like the others, I think Bombardier will step up due to low hours...they oughtta be a little embarrassed about it...