1 reply to this topic

[Ben Brainis]

All, I have a situation, and thought I would reach out for any help if you were willing to assist. I bought a 180 SE HO on Friday brand new, and yesterday we took it out and within five minutes a piece of wood got logged in the impeller as we were at wake leaving the dock. The exhaust overheated and the big rubber tube that takes exhaust out of the boat melted and the boat filled with water. I was able to swim back over to the dock where we launched it, and got it back onto the trailer out of the water. It took a good ten minutes for the water to drain from the bilge hole and drain plugs, to give you an idea about the amount of water we took on so quickly, as all this happened within half an hour! I doubt few have ever had this scenario, and it all happened rather quickly as I described. I immediately took it to the dealer where I purchased it, where they found a piece of wood in the impeller and they were going to order the parts for it. They checked the oil with the dipstick and did see any obvious signs, but the air filter was wet. How can I be confident that water didn't get into the engine from any point, including the air filter, thru the intake and into the cylinders from anywhere else? I think it all happen so fast, that the sensors kept shutting the engine down to avoid any other damage, but what is the best way to deal with this situation? Should I go to another dealer after it's repaired and pay them to do a full inspection? Should I call BRP and get another boat? I did read their exclusions in the warranty that I have for five years which doesn't cover anything related to debris.

I took some pictures, should keep my lawyer in the loop?

[Kevin Leclair]

Ben, this is always a bummer when some like this happens. We had some a similar experience in our 210 Wake during our first outing, http://seadoosportbo...e-bogging-down/, but not quite a severe.

I personally believe dealers need to take more time during the point-of-delivery inspection (PDI) explaining what to do in these kind of situations. Best thing to do in this situation is to cut the engine(s) until you can find out what the problem is. In our situation we had two engines so I knew which engine had ingested something so we limped back on the other engine. In your case, with a single engine it makes this situation much more challenging but the key to remember with these boats when something is ingested in the intake do not push the engine(s) as they will over heat pretty quickly. Best to get a tow back, rather than risking further damage.

It is hard to say what kind of damage may have been done without physically seeing the boat, but please post the pictures you took if you do not mind. You did the right thing, by getting it out of the water quickly and getting it to your dealer as soon as possible. Let the dealer make the necessary repairs and have them inspect the engine thoroughly. Make sure they document everything so that BRP/SeaDoo is aware, you also have the right to open your own case by calling the main BRP headquarters in Canada, so you can ensure that your dealer is documenting everything properly.

Like you say too, you are entitled to a second opinion so if you feel that something is still not right after the repairs then take it to another dealer to also have them have a look.

Probably not what you want to hear, but it is not likely that BRP/SeaDoo would cover the damages or offer a new boat since no part of the warranty would cover anything that has been ingested. You see from our post, we had to pay for the damages (new wear ring and labor in our case). It was very frustrating on a brand new boat, but this is one of those things it was just a unfortunate accident. It is very similar to if we bought a brand new car and then as soon as we drove it off the lot and got four flat tires - it is just one of those things the warranty would not cover.

I personally do not think a lawyer is necessary, but this is totally your call. Just work closely with your dealer, follow up with BRP/SeaDoo directly for piece of mind, and keep us posted of the outcome.

Sorry to hear about the bad experience on the first outing, but hopefully things will get much better from here on out.