5 replies to this topic

[shickey0]

Hey, guys!

I am dropping my boat off at the dealer tomorrow (under warranty) because my bilge pump does not work - neither by the manual switch, nor the automatic float switch. It looks like everything is wired correctly and yes I have checked the fuse. I believe it is just the pump itself.
However, I have an additional issue. At least once per day on the lake, the boat will simply not turn over at all when I push the start button. No fault beeps of any kind and everything appears normal beforehand. I usually resort to taking the "key" on and off, making sure I am in neutral, turn the raidio and everything else off, etc. After a few minutes of this frustration, it will usually go ahead and start like nothing was ever wrong. The last time it happened, it finally started as I flipped my blower fan off and back on again while pushing the start button?? No clue. Any ideas?? I am not even sure how to explain it to my dealer in a way that would provide any useful information.


-Shickey

[Kevin Leclair]

I believe just the way you explained it here would be helpful to your dealer. Our Challenger has actually done the same thing a couple of times, I typically do the same thing disconnect the key and then reattach. It usually starts right up when I do this, I am not having to go through the extra trouble of switching other things off. I was thinking it was just a bad connection between the key and by reconnecting it got a better connection.

[jeepster]

One thing i noticed on my 05 C180, is that last year everything was fine, and now by now this year, sometimes (usually when engine is cold) i try to start it , then it cranks ok, but won't fire up.....the only way i am able to start it is just slightly pushing the slack in the throttle cable then it fires up.....just like if the throttle cable has elongated with time and there would be a little slack there....i am planning on readusjting the throttl cable just to take up the very little slack there is there....

Other than that everything is fine...!

[shickey0]

Well here is the update. . .

The bilge pump problem was just a clogged pump. Problem solved.

My starting issue, however, is not. I explained to my dealer what is happening and he said that they have a few challengers with the same problem. He stated they have tried re-programming keys and using new keys and those with the problem are still having it.

No others on this site are having this issue?? It is a little annoying but I am afraid that, at some point, it is just not going to start and leave me stranded.

[keviseeb]

Well here is the update. . .

The bilge pump problem was just a clogged pump. Problem solved.

My starting issue, however, is not. I explained to my dealer what is happening and he said that they have a few challengers with the same problem. He stated they have tried re-programming keys and using new keys and those with the problem are still having it.

No others on this site are having this issue?? It is a little annoying but I am afraid that, at some point, it is just not going to start and leave me stranded.

I know you don't want to hear this but we have not experienced this problem with the Challengers we have sold. I assume the key is clean inside and that the D.E.S.S. post is clean as well. We have heard of dealers having that problem if they weren't using B.U.D.S. version 2.3.19 with the MPI-2 interface card. Version 2.3.20 is newer but has no effect on the sport boat line. If the dealer has more than one boat wrong then they might accidently be programming some recalled keys or possibly are not using the latest version of B.U.D.S. By the way that version of B.U.D.S. also fixes the incorrect hour meter readings and fixes the compass rose as well.

Kevin Seeber
Kingsland Marine

[shickey0]

Thanks, Kevin.

I will pass this information on to my dealer and hope this may be the solution. I will keep you posted.

Shickey