Opinions on the Mercury M2 250 OptiMax and 240 EFI for 2001 Challenger 2000

[SeaDooFan19]

I am considering buying a used 2001 Challenger 2000. This will be my first boat, I currently have a 1997 SeaDoo GTI.
The dealership let me know there is not an hour meter on it so they have no idea how many hours there are but according to the mechanic says, "It looks great for 10 years old". But what dearlership mechanic is going to say otherwise?
They have pulled the engine and are replacing all the gaskets right now, not sure what else they are doing to it, but am finding out.

Is this a boat you would recommend?

 

[Mmitchum]

I have the 250 Opti and was told that the hour meter is tracked by the computer, and has to be read by the diagnostic reader. Not sure if the same holds true for the 240 EFI.

"Looks great" means absolutely nothing... at the very least I'd have a compression test done, filters replaced, belt checked, etc. Maybe ask them for a proper 300hr service just in case. Also take a good look at the impeller, stator, and wear ring. I'm sure someone (much) more knowledgable than I am will reply, but that would be the minimum I would do to check it out.

Which engine does it have?

 

[SeaDooFan19]

I just found out it has the 240 EFI engine. Thanks to your post I emailed them that I wanted everything you said checked out and/or replaced if necessary

 

[Racereddie]

I am considering buying a used 2001 Challenger 2000. This will be my first boat, I currently have a 1997 SeaDoo GTI.
The dealership let me know there is not an hour meter on it so they have no idea how many hours there are but according to the mechanic says, "It looks great for 10 years old".

I have a 2002 240EFT and I took it down to the local boat place and right there in the parking lot they hooked a handheld MATCO reader by disconnecting one wire on the starboard side of the boat, connecting the reader to the boat battery, turning the key to the on position and not only did it give me the hours 165, the reader broke it down to how many hours at different RPMS, I remember that it had 71.1 hours between 4000-4500 (which is the best MPG for my engine) and 1.1 at 5500-6000 and then all the other ranges, also told me that I had an overheating alarm at 147hrs, SO I would wonder why your dealer says he has no way of telling the hours when it appears to be such a simple evolution. Merc engines are too common out there, a powerhead is a powerhead, it is the pump that makes them a jet boat.

To add to that, they did it all for free, it took all of 7 minutes.

Eddie

 

[El Toro 33809]

Eddie,

Which boat place did this for you? That is something I'd like to have done with our Challenger. I have no idea how many hours our 10 year old boat has that "looks great" too.

 

[SeaDooFan19]

Perfect! thanks for the info!! I don't know if there will be any difference between the 240 EFI, and your 240 EFT.

There is a good chance they will be doing that anyway. The salesman is not exactly a rocket scientist and when he said they had no way of knowing the engine was out of the boat when he went to check.

I will definitely bring this up and make them do it, if the mechanic isn't already.

 

[Racereddie]

Eddie,

Which boat place did this for you? That is something I'd like to have done with our Challenger. I have no idea how many hours our 10 year old boat has that "looks great" too.

Old Salt Marine, right off of I-4 and SR-98. Head south on 98 when you leave I-4, go past Home Depot and it will be on your right about half a mile past the Race Trac gas station.

Eddie

 

[SeaDooFan19]

El Toro~
How long have you had your 2001 Challenger? Any problems? Recommend or don't recommend?

 

[Racereddie]

Perfect! thanks for the info!! I don't know if there will be any difference between the 240 EFI, and your 240 EFT.

There is a good chance they will be doing that anyway. The salesman is not exactly a rocket scientist and when he said they had no way of knowing the engine was out of the boat when he went to check.



I will definitely bring this up and make them do it, if the mechanic isn't already.

Sorry mine is an EFI, no such animal as an EFT, my fingers went too fast :dupe:

 

[El Toro 33809]

SDF, I just got it in the middle of May. It "looked great" and we purchased it from the original owner. Started and ran great on the hose in his driveway. The first time out it beeped at us, but it was due to the small oil tank being low. Got that handled and ran it the rest of the evening. When we were switching out kids tubing, it wouldn't restart. Cranked and cranked but acted as if it wasn't getting fuel. My son climbed in the engine compartment and manually advanced the throttle some and it fired right up. When we got the boat the prior owner had disconnected the steering assist. After that evening our son reconnected it and now if it acts like that we give the wheel a tug and it fires right up. He also fixed the fuel gauge, with instructions from this forum. We replaced the hydro surge grate with a fixed grate. This is odd, but the second or third time we had it out we sucked up a beer can. It acted as if the grate was covered with weeds, but when checking it wasn't. After idling back to the ramp and loading the boat we found the culprit. We haven't run it all that much so far, maybe 6 times or so. Haven't been out with it in 5 or 6 weeks. We went on vacation (without our boat) in mid June and I just got back a week ago. Eddie lives close by and we are talking about getting together for some boating when he returns from vacation.

 

[biffdotorg]

I must be the only Merc with an hour meter in the engine bay. Did certain models come with this as an option? All the mercs from what I was told would give off all that diagnostic info if hooked up too. There is a ton of info stored. Otherwise, check right near your battery switch on the starboard side of the engine compartment. That's where my hour meter is located.

Good luck!

 

[Double07]

The previous owner of my utopia installed a smartcraft meter.
I have found them to be very helpful, especially if you dont have access to DDT.
It shows engine temperature, cooling system water pressure (PSI), RPM, battery voltage, and I understand it monitors the oil level as well.
Oh and an hour meter also.
The temperature and water pressure monitoring alone can help diagnose cooling system issues.

 

[Racereddie]

The previous owner of my utopia installed a smartcraft meter.
I have found them to be very helpful, especially if you dont have access to DDT.
It shows engine temperature, cooling system water pressure (PSI), RPM, battery voltage, and I understand it monitors the oil level as well.
Oh and an hour meter also.
The temperature and water pressure monitoring alone can help diagnose cooling system issues.

Hey do you have any pictures and info on that smartcraft meter, all that info would just make so many rides that more relaxing? :hurray:

Eddie

 

[Double07]

Sure.
I will fire up the boat this weekend and take some pictures.

 

[Double07]

Smartcraft system monitor

Some pictures of the smartcraft gauge..
When you first turn the key to the on position, it displays the total hours for a few seconds and then goes to display RPM.
Pushing the "Mode" button allows you to cycle through all the functions that are monitored.
It has a monitor for trim and oil pressure as well, but there are no trim and oil pressure sending units, so those are always 0.
picture 1: gallons per hour, picture 2: engine temp, picture 3: water pressure, picture 4: battery voltage, picture 5: total hours.
.

 

[Double07]

Smartcraft system monitor

Another picture to show where it is mounted on the dash...

 

[Murph_13]

Double07,

Thanks for posting the info and pics on the Smartcraft System Monitor. I have a 2002 Utopia 185 and I'm very interested in the Smartcraft gauges. Again thanks for posting about it, I didn't even know such a thing existed.

I have a couple questions about it, do your analog/factory gauges still operate normally? I've done a little searching to try and figure out how this is installed and there's not much out there, but it looks like there are different "junction" boxes and harnesses available for the Smartcraft gauges that I'm guessing would allow the factory gauges to still function?

I know that you mentioned that the previous owner had installed the system, but do you know if it's "plug and play" once the right combination of harnesses and possibly junction box are used?

Thanks in advance for any insight that you have on this subject.

 

[Double07]

All the factory gauges work. The connection looks straightforward. There is a blue connector cable running from the gauge to the engine.
I believe the gauge pulls its data directly from the ECU. It looks like with the right cable and junction box, it will be plug and play.
Here is a link to the user manual for the gauge: http://www.mercurymarine.com/_media.../smartcraft_manuals/System_Monitor_Manual.pdf

 

[Murph_13]

Thanks for the info, I wanted to make sure the factory gauges still worked before I went any further.

I had pulled that pdf from the Merc website, but I couldn't find any info regarding the install and what additional items (harnesses/junction box) might be needed. I also compared my engine harness (I have the 210HP carb motor) to the 240HP EFI engine harness and found that the harness from the motor/ECM to the front of the boat/instrument cluster had the exact same wires and pinouts (which surprised me). I also found that they had similiar inputs/outputs from the ECM. This gave me some hope that the Smartcraft system may work on my motor (may be a bit more limited, but still useful...thinking my motor/ECM may not be "smart" enough though).

I have to contact Mercury now with my engine S/N to see if my motor is Smartcraft capable or not (I'm still a little skeptical as to whether or not it is...I'm thinking not, but I'll know soon enough).

Thanks again for the info.

BTW, did you re-work your stator and if so, did you get any improvement in your MPH?

 

[Double07]

Sorry for the delayed response. Been very busy for the past few days...
I did not rework the stator. Probably will do so next season. I decided that since we are in the middle of the boating season, I will only do work that is absolutely necessary.
Just dont want to spent too much time in the garage when I should be out having fun.

 

[Murph_13]

No problem...I completely understand, during boating season it only makes sense to go with the old "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" mentality.

As I suspected, my boat isn't "smart" enough for Smartcraft systems. Only boats with the Motorola 555 (a.k.a. triple nickel) ECM are Smartcraft capable.

Enjoy the season!