keviseeb

As a dealer for Sea Doo sport boats since their inception we agree with BRP in their decision to exit the boat market. The problems had nothing to do with product quality or engineering, it had everything to do with the wrong dealer network and too many unqualified dealers selling a product they couldn't represent or service properly. There are other behind the scenes reasons such as once per year ordering and poor options choices for the consumer. Having to order millions of dollars in inventory in September of each year was a crap shoot as we never knew if we had second guessed the market 9 months ahead accurately. If we ran out of a particular model we found ourselves trying to find it at another dealership who typically did not have what the customer wanted. By BRP selling engine package systems directly to the manufacturers through their MPS (marine propulsion systems) division BRP, dealers, and the consumer will be better off overall. RBH (Rec Boat Holdings) will offer a comparable (Glastron) or better (Scarab) product which will be sold by marine dealers only, not powersports dealers. Chaparral will be equivalent to the Scarab in terms of fit and finish and is equally determined to have the right dealers represent them. Being able to initially purchase a representative sample of the product line and then order boats as we need them will help us during this economic depression we are in and give the consumer a better choice for options. You may have to travel a little bit further to a dealer however, when you get there, the dealer will be better qualified to handle your needs. Neither Chaparral nor RBH purchased any hulls, RBH purchased the rights to manufacture the "Venus" project which is now known as the Scarab 195. I had the pleasure of driving the prototype at the Sea Doo test facility in August of 2012 and was impressed with it's features. Scarab has only improved the design since they have been working on it. The Sea Doo boat may be gone but it's heart will live on for many years to come in the Glastron, Scarab, and Chaparral.

Any dealer that says any washer from any year needs to be replaced at 60 hours is simply lying. The fact is there was NEVER a published service interval for the generation 1 or 2 ceramic washers. The only exception if that dealer check the torque value and it was below specs. Although its rare a lot of wave jumping without practicing throttle management or running dirty oil could easily reduce the life of any washer including the generation 4 moly washers. The 2012 boats have the moly coated steel washer which has a 200 hour service interval. It is tracked by the ECU unlike earlier model boats which are not. Regardless of how many hours you have on the engine the torque value of the nut on the shaft containing the washers varies a little based on the type of washer but is typically 70 in/lbs. WAKE model boats are usually a little harder on any type washer because of the constant acceleration and de-acceleration. Having said that remember that the major cause of washer failures is lack of throttle management in high rpm situations and dirty oil. The washers are bathed in engine oil so please change oil every 50 hours or yearly at the least. It is critical to use an oil designed for wet clutches. The cost is another matter, the rebuild kit itself retails for $332.00 plus tax. Sea Doo does NOT offer the washers by themselves consequently our average bill to a customer is $550.00 to $600.00 for a rebuild. The only good news is that ALL parts are replaced whether it needs it or not. The Greenhulk option is a good one if you just need the washers.

As a dealer I can only answer No. 5,the maintenance light is simply a timer set to go off at preset intervals, on older models it is set at 10 hrs., then 50 hrs, etc. On newer models the first light is set at 25 hrs. then on from there. We know of no way to reset it other than by using B.U.D.S., the dealer diagnostic software.

Early yesterday BRP had an interactive "product update" with 11 US and Canadian dealers all of whom were either on the technical committe or dealer forum group. As a member of the technical committe we were invited. Obviously the decision was difficult but was based on numbers and not emotion. Four years ago Sea Doo was producing over 5,000 boats per year, some years nearly 7,000. Last year the production number was under 2,000. That level of production cannot sustain the manufacturing plant. In the usual BRP manner the employees will be well taken care of as they transition to another beginning. It is important to understand that all warranties will be honored, in fact extended warranties up to 5 years are still available if your boat is currently in warranty. The other parts of the boat will, according to BRP, be available through as of yet unnamed suppliers. As Sea Doo sport boat enthusiasts we are upset, pissed off, in a bad mood, and generally not happy but we will support the boat and BRP in any way we can and highly recommend that if you are planning to get a new sport boat you do so before the current supply runs out. To demonstrate Sea Doo's commitment as well as our own we are offering the 5 year warranty package good at any Sea Doo dealer for no extra charge. Please feel free to email me if you have any questions at KNSeeber@comcast.net.

We do not yet have any pictures of the 180 with the catalytic converter installed. Regarding pricing you will not find it listed on our website or theirs so it would be best to give them a call directly. Ask to speak with Kevin Seeber and he should be able to fill in the gaps.

Kevin, enclosed are the pictures for the 180 catalytic converter taken of a boat in our showroom. Keep in mind this is only one element of the 2013 model. I do not know what changes will be made to the boat or other engine components for 2013 at this time. Seadoo has always tried to keep price increases bearable consequently there may be cost savings measures being considered to offset potential 2013 price increases. Considering the decrease in fuel consumption and extended emission control warranty period the benefits seem to outweigh the cost long term.

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Engine starts well. After 2 min warming, when I want to accelerate I
get 1 long beep. Oil level is ok, fuel level is ok. Fuel gauge doesn't
work. I checked for obstruction at incoming water. This can last for 30
minutes. And for some crazy reason, all of a sudden it is ok for the
rest of the day. During beeping, I cannot accelerate; it doesn't take
its gaz; 3 sec beeping will occur sometimes at 10 sec intervals or at
one minute interval. Has done it for two seasons now. I have asked for
plug-in computer at dealer and result only indicated low battery
message. During problem I have put voltmeter and got 13v reading.
Has anyone ever had this problem before? Any ideas?

First of all I assume that you have the Sea Doo DI engine, if so there is no engine mounted oil tank as there is on a Mercury. The fuel gauge not working could be a bad baffle pick up in the fuel tank and is probably unrelated to the running issue. The key fact is the voltage, the DI engine is a power hog and should have somewhere between 13.9 and 14.1 volts. It is possible that the battery has a cell going dead or the rectifier is bad or going bad. Have you replaced the battery in the last two years?

Kevin Seeber
Kingsland Marine

This dealer isn't a normal dealership..They are known to be a lil shady... But its the only one round here...and I love my DOO!! Trust me if VA was a lil closer my boat would go there! I just wanted to get my first 10 hr. service done there for warrnty reasons. from now on it goes to my local boat shop.

I'm sorry to hear that but keep in mind that the 10 HR service does not have to be done by a dealer to maintain warranty coverage! In your owners manual it is recommended not mandatory. Keep records if you do your own 10 HR service even if you do it yourself. I know most people use the 10 HR service to get warranty items performed, if the boat was water tested and checked out as they all should be then the warranty claims should be none or almost none anyway. For anyone who does their own maintenance or has it done at a non Seadoo dealer please check the rear cone correctly, i.e. pressure test it. Water leaking into the thrust washers and bearings never ends well!

Kevin Seeber
Kingsland Marine

You may not believe this, I know we were surprised when we got 57.6 MPH out of the 2008 Islandia. We checked it twice, upwind and downwind and that was the average. With the 310 HP package last year you were lucky to get over 48 MPH. We have found that speed to be consistant with all of the 2008 models we have sold. That is the same speed almost to the tenth that the 230 Challenger SE recorded as well. We also found that at cruise of 29 to 32 mph the 430 HP Islandia was running nearly 1,200 RPM less than the 310 HP package making it quieter. I'm guessing there is very little fuel consumption difference because of that fact as well. The bottom line is the 430 HP engine package is worth it!

Kevin Seeber
Kingsland Marine

Unfortunately the only way a key can be programmed is to have the boat present at a Sea Doo jet boat dealer in order to hook it up to the B.U.D.S. computer. We charge normal retail price for the key ($27.97 plus tax) for anyone whether they bought the boat from us or not. It takes about 5 to 10 minutes.