Thanks for asking....!
The truth is I have been so busy enjoying my rebuilt 230SP, I haven't taken the time to update the forum.
My last update talked about how the dealer recognized that the supercharger disintegration was responsible for the metal throughout the motor. At first, they wanted to press pause on my boat and use it as an opportunity me into a new(er) one. When I made it clear that I was not ready to throw in the towel on my boat with only 80 hours on it (and accept $10k less than I had into the boat since I bought it last year), they got the message and quickly worked to get my boat repaired.
The dealer is owned by a dealership group - including a dealer in GA that is an authorized through BRP. Through them, they obtained a new 215hp Rotax for my boat. After dealing with this nightmare for almost 6 months, the dealer had the new motor running in the boat with a new supercharger in less than 10 business days. The general manager of the dealership simply put forth the effort to take care of me and things began to change...quickly.
They also loaned me a 2016 Yamaha 242 for the two weeks, although I only drove it for about 1 hour total. Frankly, I wouldn't trade my 230SP for the Yamaha.... too much noise and vibration, less power, no more seating than I already have and WAY less control in reverse and while docking/trailering at slow speeds. I thought I would like the electronics, but found the screen driven menus to be a distraction when driving the boat.
So.... I retrieved my boat with one brand new engine...one brand new supercharger....one rebuilt supercharger and a freshly serviced motor with 70 hours on it. Here are my likes/dislikes and lessons -
Likes -
1. The new motor has a 1-year warranty from BRP.
2. Together, the two motors are hitting sync nearly ALL THE TIME. The RPM's come up together and stay at the same level....and likewise, sound harmonically in tune. Maybe it is the luck of the draw regarding the pairing of the motors, but the new combination of motors are working together from 1000 rpm to 8000 rpm. The green SYNC light is almost always ON. Never had that before....
3. Experience with another boat that I "thought" might have been a better choice. For me...I now know I do NOT want a 2016 Yamaha 242 to replace my 2012 Sea Doo 230SP. My boat is more controllable, quieter, less vibration, easier to use and is just as comfortable for the same number of people. I also think my Wetsounds stereo system spanks what was in the Yamaha. The upgrade would have cost me twice what I paid for my Sea Doo..... simply not worth it.
Dislikes -
1. The overall experience with the dealer. So much to learn here: always engage the general manager as soon as something goes sideways with the service or sales group. Go to ownership if you can get there. Could have saved me months of waiting...and lots of angst.
2. Don't pay a dealer to do a supercharger overhaul. Experienced techs that know how to service BRP motors, let alone know how to overhaul a critical part like a supercharger ...they are becoming nearly impossible to find. The dealer wants the work and will tell you they can handle it...but as my experience proves: they simply do not know what they are doing. The dealer charged me $1800 for overhauling both...and then one trashed my engine. For that price, I could have bought two rebuilt superchargers. Instead I had to wait 6 months so get my boat back....and luckily the dealer covered the supercharger failure/toasted motor when they screwed the job up. IF you are going to own a supercharged SEA DOO, Get to know PWC Muscle....and JOE who is a moderator of this forum. Next time I will pay the dealer a few bucks to pull and reinstall superchargers that I personally send to PWC Muscle for the overhaul. If you are concerned about a potential supercharger disintegration, buy the warranty that is offered with the rebuild.
3. The new motor takes about 5-10 seconds to start when being cranked while the old motor fires up almost immediately. To keep from being spun sideways from 1-engine's thrust, I start the new motor first, and then quickly start the old motor. That way I have equal RIGHT/LEFT thrust within 2-3 seconds. I'll have this looked at the next time I pull my boat off of my lift and drive it 1.5 hours back to town. Otherwise, I'll use the above process.
4. After getting my completed boat back two weeks ago and driving it for an hour, I put it on my lift, swam up behind the boat and pulled the drain plug. I detected a little oil, perhaps some coolant but most certainly FUEL coming out of the drain. The first time was probably a cup total. Since the motor had just been replaced, I chalked this up to fluids that may have been inadvertently drained into the boat and not fully cleaned up by the service techs. However, I drained the boat two other times and was still detecting some fuel odor in the water after two weeks..and several hours running the boat. I am careful to vent before I start, and lift the back deck to assist the venting after the boat has been on the lift for several days. However, if I still smell fuel coming out of the drain this weekend, my concern may escalate into thinking the new motor has a fuel leak. That will require a revisit to the dealer...again...
That is my update...and as always I am happy to answer your questions. Also, I truly appreciate all of the advice I received during this process form the Forum participants. Armed with the knowledge you shared, I was able to hold the dealer accountable and drive the outcome that I wanted. In the end, I lost the spring boating season, but am enjoying the summer with an entirely new appreciation for the boat I have.
No wonder why the bearing failed. Never, ever put grease on those bearings, it will burn them up. That tech should know this.
