Steering question

[tmthunder]

I now have 30 hours on my 230 Challenger. I put 15 hours on it last year then when it was winterized they performed the first service. So far in the last two weekends I have racked up the other 15 hours cruising around the lake and learning how to handle the boat going very slow around the docks. I have had it to the dealer two times for the steering and they have not been able to correct it. The issue is that in order to make the boat go straight you need the wheel 90 degrees to the port side. They have adjusted the nozzles but it has not helped. This has been an issue since I bought the boat last August. What are your thoughts on possible causes? I am wondering if the port side pump is "stronger" and causing the boat to want to turn to the starboard when the nozzles are both pointing straight??? Also to maybe support my theory I made my first full throttle run the other evening and the starboard motor RPM's were fluctuation 2-300 while the port motor RPM's remained steady and the sync light was on so they should have stayed at the same RPM. The top speed I could get was 59MPH with full tank of fuel and about 500 pounds of people, dog, and gear. Does that seem about right? I was expecting more from 510Hp. I guess I will have to try it with less fuel and just me. Fun boat so far and tunrs a lot of heads.
Thanks
Brian

 

[gverva]

If you're experiencing the steering issue you describe at speed, I have had a very similar experience in my 210 Challenger. I have found that weight distribution, wind, bimini up/down, etc. has large effect on how the boat tracks in the water. I haven't paid very close attention but I know that my wheel is usually not straight when I'm trying to go straight. I don't usually think about it too much because the water where I boat always has some wind and chop and we keep the bimini up a lot. But if most of the weight is to one side or the other I definitely notice a big difference in steering.

If you're talking about slower speeds, I'll have to check the next time I'm out. I'm pretty sure at idle my wheel is almost straight if I want to go straight.

As for top speed, my 210 Challenger with 310HP tops out around 43-45 mph. I've heard the 210 Challenger with 430HP tops out in the low 50s. The 210 is 400lbs lighter than the 230 and has a 9 gallon larger fuel tank. So a 230 Challenger with 510HP maxing at 60 mph seems pretty reasonable to me. I believe generally speaking Seadoo favors putting extra HP towards better acceleration over top speed (by way of impeller selection).

 

[tmthunder]

Thanks for the input! I have been in many different wind/chop conditions as I also thought the first couple times maybe it was the wind causing the steering issue but it does not change with the conditions or at speed vs slower speeds. I guess might be something that I just have to get used to and live with. I will have to play around with weight distribution to see if that changes it. I do know that since I added a 2nd battery on the drivers side behind the cooler the boat has a slight list from the extra weight. I agree that the impeller selection seems to favor out of the hole performace vs top speed. I think a call to Riva or one of the performace ski places could correct that..

 

[Dr Honda]

Yep... boats aren't like cars. They can do goofy things depending on weight/drag. The first thing to do, is to move people around. That generally will fix the issue. But... I know on my boat... everyone likes to be under the top, on a hot day. That generally puts WAY more weigh on the Starboard side of my boat... and in turn... it wants to go to the right. (I just hold the wheel to go straight)


With that said... since you have 2 engines... just run one engine a little slower... and that will compensate. There's no law saying both engines have to be at the same RPM. So... slow down the Port engine... and I'm sure it will go straight.

 

[pat_180SP]

I have the same problem with my 180SP (one 255HP engine), it has been like this since I bought it new last year.

In order to go straight, I have to turn the wheel at 90 degrees right.

Last year, I took it to the dealer and they told me that "they all have the same alignment problem when they're new".
They did something to it and it helped a bit (it reduced the angle to 45 degrees), but this year it's back to what it used to be (90 degrees).

I burn more gas like this and go slower... I can't turn right as easily as I can turn left (seems like my boat has less amplitude turning right). This is so obvious that if I let go on the wheel, the boat slowly drifts left and gains up in MPH.

My friend also has a 2012 C180 (215HP engine) and I drive it often in the same waters and can confirm that his boat does NOT have this problem.

Any thoughts on what could be the cause??

 

[tmthunder]

Pat that is very intersting!!!! I will check the MPH on mine next time I go out to see if the 90 degree correction to go straight has an effect. I am scratching my head about it because I have been there with the Doo mechanic and performed the alignment holding the wheel straight and squaring up the nozzles. As for being able to run one engine faster/slower than the other I cannot do that because the newer boats have only a single throttle and the engines are syncronized via the computer. Being able to do that would confirm that one engine/jet set up is putting out more power than the other at the same RPM which I suspect.

 

[Echorama]

Hi pat -were you ever able to get a diagnosis/fix on your issues? I have a 2012 challenger 210 se and have very similar issues I am trying to solve. Holding wheel 90 degrees to the right in order to go straight...boat cuts sharply and smoothly to the left but loses power and radius when turning right...almost wants to go straight again unless I give it more fuel to get through the turn. Any help you can share would be much appreciated. Thanks.

 

[chlarson23]

It would be a quick easy check to climb under the boat and check your wear rings and impellers, there is always a chance that a slight cavitation problem is causing the issue with minor differences in RPM and wanting to turn. It may be fine but it's worth looking in to.

 

[pat_180SP]

Hi pat -were you ever able to get a diagnosis/fix on your issues? I have a 2012 challenger 210 se and have very similar issues I am trying to solve. Holding wheel 90 degrees to the right in order to go straight...boat cuts sharply and smoothly to the left but loses power and radius when turning right...almost wants to go straight again unless I give it more fuel to get through the turn. Any help you can share would be much appreciated. Thanks.

Nope..haven't found a fix to my problem yet. I recall being able to easily reach high speeds when the boat was new (between 45-50mph). Now it's a different game - the boat now has 52 hours on it and takes much longer to accelerate to higher speeds (max between 35-40mph lately).

I'm starting to wonder if it could be the wear ring.....