210 Challenger

[knmrtn]

My wife and I saw the new 210 Challenger and immediately decided this is the boat we were looking for. It is the perfect size for our lake and for entertaining our grandchildren and friends. However, the nightmare begins.........

We bought the boat on March 30, 2010 and have yet to use it other than first putting it into the water. The boat pulls to port very profoundly when operating at more than 3,000 rpm. To compensate it takes as much as 1/2 turn of the wheel to starboard. I have taken the boat to 2 different service departments and they have done everything they can think of including realigning the pumps and new impellers. According to the phone call I received last night the dealer has not been able to resolve the problem and does not know what is wrong with the boat.

I know Bombardier is a good company and will stand behind their product, but my question is how wide spread is this problem. I have heard of one other similar problem with the 210. We really like the boat and just want one that works correctly, but we don’t want to go through this again. I would like to hear from people that have bought the 310hp 210 SE and have not had any problems. This will help us decide how to proceed from here.

 

[Sikiguya]

Wow. That is really weird. Sounds like a lemon. I will trade you my Utopia straight up. Let me know...just kidding!!!

We probably need more information. When it happens, is there a drop or increase in the rpm of the engine? Do you hear anything with the boat? Did the dealer take it out on the water and confirm the problem?

If they are not going to do anything else, you will probably have to call BRP directly. Be prepared for a long wait. Do it sooner rather than later. My boat is at the dealer and it has been there for 3 weeks while waiting for BRP to respond.

Call and give them the information. They will get it to a 'rep' and hopefully they will respond.

 

[knmrtn]

I have only used it for about 20 minutes (from the trailer out to my dock and back to the trailer twice). The RPM of the engines matched perfectly according to the tachs, and there are no noises such as when a twin engine airplane's engines are out of sync.

The dealer has had it on the water twice that I know of, the latest was yesterday afternoon. It was BRP that suggested replacing the impellers which had little affect according to the dealer.

It is my intention to contact BRP next week, but I really wanted to hear from other 210 SE owners before I called them.

 

[Sikiguya]

When you said profoundly...does it go straight and then suddenly turns? Or is it gradually turn but dramatically so at 3000 rpm? Does the hull look straight? I wish you luck.

It is an absolutely beautiful boat and am very envious!

 

[knmrtn]

It is a beautiful boat, and we really want this model because it is perfect for our needs. The turn is gradual - it is not all of a sudden or jerky. After the dealer made adjustments he said it would turn 360 degrees in one minute (6 degrees per second).

 

[Sikiguya]

Well, these boats are pretty simple. There isn't a lot of different factors such as trim and such. If the engines and the impellers are all in sync, the problem sounds like it may be a hull issue. Whatever the issue is, get it fix. It isn't right to have a boat that goes left...even moderately left!!:rofl:

 

[dvcamm]

Same thing

I am the other 210 challenger owner that is having the same problem that knmrtn was referring to. I bought the boat in mid March and have used it several times. I posted a thread earlier about other problems with the electronics which I am still having. I brought it to my local dealer who stated they fixed everything. To my surprise when I got home they hadn't fixed any of the electrical issues nor the pull to the left. I have driven this boat and find the same thing. You must turn the wheel between 1/4 to 1/2 rotation to keep the boat straight. When I am alone or with my family the boat tilts to the starboard side. If I let go of the wheel the boat will flatten out and turn to the port side. It is not a weight issue because it happens regardless of where everyone is sitting. Plus I believe it would pull to the right when I am the only one on board but it still goes left. I would be curious as well to hear from other owners. I have the same model 310hp 210 Challenger SE. I am in the process of bringing it to another dealer.

 

[Sikiguya]

Spoke to a BRP rep today and mentioned this problem. He thinks it may be the steering cable.

 

[Craigmri]

Steering

I agree with Jim....Its either a cable or nozzle hardware that's messing up the steering.

My 310hp Utopia didnt do anything like your describing. I cannot believe its hull related. They are all made out of a single mold.

Craig

Spoke to a BRP rep today and mentioned this problem. He thinks it may be the steering cable.

 

[knmrtn]

Thanks, I will mention the cable to the dealer. He checked the nozzle alignment while I was there so I know it isn't that. They have been through just about everything they can think of in the last three weeks though.

I do appreciate the responses from you both. I will update when I know anything further.

 

[knmrtn]

Here is an update to this saga. BRP has offered to go to the dealer and pick up the boat, take it back to the factory in Benton, Ill (the dealer is about 100 miles from Benton), fix it, and bring it to my home in the Kansas City area. They said they knew what was wrong from pictures the dealer had taken and can fix it like new with no problem. The engineers want to see the boat to determine what happened to make sure it doesn't happen again!

I jumped at their offer since all I really wanted was for the boat to work right. They promised to have the boat at my house by next Friday (5/21). I will update with exactly what they had to do to fix it as soon as I get it back. I would sure like to end this thread with a positive report!

 

[RFoster130]

I think someone else on here had to have their boat taken back to the factory and worked on but I dont remember what it was for.I think he was able to talk them out of some stuff for the inconvenience. You should try that, tell them to throw in a new cover or something.

 

[knmrtn]

Thanks for the recommendation.............I'm still in discussions with BRP about it.

 

[knmrtn]

Nightmare is Over

I wanted to close this thread by reporting the outcome of my new boat's trip back to the factory. I must say that once the techical team at BRP took over from the dealer, things happened quickly. This is not to say the dealer was not responsive, in fact the technical representitive from BRP told me they were in daily contact with them. Anyway, the BRP tech rep called me numerous times just to update me on what was going on with the boat. They fixed the problem which turned out to be the ride plate wasn't installed properly and was causing drag on the left side at higher speeds. They returned to boat to my house as promised on 5/21, and I put the boat on the water yesterday.............the problem has been resolved!

I know there are others on this board having problems with warranty issues but my experience was a positive one. Granted, my boat was brand new which probably had an impact on how I was treated.

The last couple of years has been very difficult for the recreational boat industry, and many dealers and borderline boat manufacturers have gone out of business. I have been around for a while, and I realize that there are always going to be problems with the things we buy and use. The true test of a company that we buy things from is how they deal with the customers issues and resolve problems.

Other issues with the boat: I mentioned to them that there was a missing screw on the bimini top bracket, they gave me a whole new top! I mentioned that the tech at the first dealer I took the boat to tracked grease all over the boat, they installed new carpet throughout. Then as a gesture of good will, they gave me a $600 cover for my trouble. As of this moment, I am a very satisfied customer with confidence that BRP stands behind their product.

 

[RFoster130]

Glad to hear they took care of you :cheers:

 

[jimraab]

Glad to hear that BRP can through for you!

 

[rexsteiner]

not too often you hear a story with the outcome that this one has. you are a Lucky Man

 

[davo]

I crawled over one of these yesterday & was blown away by the design, happy to purchase the 180, I'm seriously putting this off a couple of months until I have a go on this one. Just a bit put off by gas usage. Congrats on the outcome its the best boat I've seen yet, you're very lucky. Interested to hear a user review sometime soon.
cheers

 

[rshakir]

I recently got a 210 SE 430 HP. My problem is similar..boat pulls slightly to the left, which is probably because my starboard engine runs at about 400 RPMs higher than the port engine. My sync light does not display inn the right tachomter either...I just dropped off boat to dealer for 10 hr service...any suggestions?

 

[knmrtn]

My suggestion is to maintain a good relationship with your dealer if you can, because they are the key to getting things done right. BRP is well aware of the "pulling left" problem with the 210 so if your dealer calls the BRP tech rep they will tell them how to fix it.

They reinstalled the left ride plate on my boat, and it tracks straight now. I don't get the sync light either so I will be interested in what your dealer tells you about that. Please keep us updated

 

[rshakir]

thanks...just spoke to dealer and he is waiting for Seadoo to call him bac. Do you remember if your engines were running at pretty much the same RPMs? Are they now even though your SYNC light doesn't come on?

 

[knmrtn]

I only had the boat on the water about 20 minutes before I took it back to the dealer, but the the starboard engine was 100 - 200 rpm more than the port engine, if I remember correctly. They must have made some adjustments because the port engine is now slightly higher rpm at crusing speed. They (BRP) maintain that it was the ride plate causing my problem, not the engine rpm. Makes me wonder though.

 

[rshakir]

Glad to report that my issues have been resolved and the boat runs like a dream. Thanks to the guys down at Bermuda Marine (Seadoo dealers) they were in contact with BRP and only needed half a day to reset my ride plate and correct the RPM issue. The engines now sync (with orange light coming on) and boat steers straight. Thanks all for the help.

 

[knmrtn]

Glad they were able to fix it for you! It's a super boat.

 

[SteveDoo]

My situation starts similar to original post. My wife really liked the 210 challenger. Took about 5 months for local dealer to find a Beige boat from another dealer willing to give one up. Appears like a January 2010 build. I find myself having similar problem. Boat pulling to port. Had to fight the steering wheel a bit to keep it straight. Also noticed port engine running 200-400 rpm's less and engine sync coming on occasionally. Took boat back to dealer. They contacted SeaDoo tech support. Got boat back, still turning to port (not as bad as before). Noticed port engine ~200 rpm less and still somewhat sluggish. Engine sync light coming on less than 40% of time even when cruising. Looks like I'm still having problem. SeaDoo tech rep told dealer tech that they weren't concerned with 200 rpm difference. Of course the SeaDoo tech didn't shell out over $43K for a boat that's supposed to have computerized throttle sync and specific sync indicator to tell you it's working.

Makes me wonder when folks in this post said they brought it back for service and it's fixed, I'd like to know what fixed is? Are you seeing sync light less than 40% of time and engines off by 200 rpm when not in sync?

At this point, I need to know if I'm chasing ghosts and if my expectations are too high regarding a boat that has a marketing selling point where boat is supposed to electronically monitor to sync engines. Should this only work less than 40% of the time? And, if 200 rpm difference is still considered sync'd, then why doesn't programming say it's sync'd and the light come on. Maybe I'm just thinking too logical, or maybe the SeaDoo rep is giving my dealer the run-around.

I understand the older twins without sync logic could be off a couple hundred rpm or so, but I tried to avoid that by purchasing a boat that's touted to have engine sync and further have a specific indicator to say it's in sync.
I appologize if I seem to be on a rant, but really need to understand from the folks who had the problem and they've said it's resolved. What should I expect to see. Appreciate in advance your responses. Thank you.