Throttle issues

Cljbeck

Cadet
Joined
Aug 16, 2016
Messages
25
Hello,

We just took the plunge and purchased a used Cobalt 190. When we test drove it, the throttle felt stiff and difficult to push, but the marina selling it said that it would be greased and/or adjusted for us. We picked it up last week, and are still finding it very difficult to adjust the throttle, especially when we want to make minor adjustments to the speed while tubing and skiing. It seems to stick, and needs a lot of force to move, then the speed change is more severe than we want because of it. We asked the marina about it, and were told it was greased, works fine, and is just the way it is designed. This doesn't seem right to us. It actually took two hands to move at one point when I tried to adjust down from 30 miles an hour to a slower speed. I was hoping for any thoughts or advice you might have.

​thanks
 

jkust

Rear Admiral
Joined
Aug 2, 2008
Messages
4,942
I'm presuming the Cobalt is older as they haven't made a small boat since I think 2002ish or so. What year is it? It should be a smooth forward and reverse motion so to me we are left with a shift cable or a throttle cable replacement depending on how it is acting.
 

tpenfield

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 18, 2011
Messages
17,620
If the marina committed to resolving the stiff throttle/shifter as part of the sale, then hold them to their commitment.
 

R055

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jul 13, 2015
Messages
579
100% not normal if it requires 2 people to pull it. Go to the marina and ask them to try all the other throttle handles and to make yours like any other boat on their yard.
 

Cljbeck

Cadet
Joined
Aug 16, 2016
Messages
25
Turns out it was a mechanism of the shift assist that was jamming up, so they bypassed the shift assist and took it out. It works much better, and I'm thrilled to have a working boat, but I can't help but wonder what the shift assist was supposed to do, and if we'll miss not having it. Can anyone explain what it does, and if it is ok long term to just remove, or should be eventually replaced instead?
 

09TNRT

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jun 26, 2017
Messages
104
The shift assist is designed to intermittently cut fire to the fm coil when returning to neutral to help the lower unit disengage. It's not much of a drop but it's there. I'm new to boats myself but the reading I've done on the site suggest that it could prematurely wear out the dog clutch. I'm sure a more experienced person will give you a more detailed description.
 

briangcc

Commander
Joined
Jul 10, 2012
Messages
2,089
Turns out it was a mechanism of the shift assist that was jamming up, so they bypassed the shift assist and took it out. It works much better, and I'm thrilled to have a working boat, but I can't help but wonder what the shift assist was supposed to do, and if we'll miss not having it. Can anyone explain what it does, and if it is ok long term to just remove, or should be eventually replaced instead?

Found this...

http://www.boatfix.com/merc/bullet/89/89_04.PDF

From looks of things, and I'll freely admit I'm not expert, the shift assist is a "ram" of sorts to help put the drive back into Neutral. Reading through the PDF it looks like Merc added it to assist with an issue with the drive not returning to true neutral. From what I read, I'd look into getting it added back just on the off chance that the shifter is in neutral but the drive isn't.
 

Bondo

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 17, 2002
Messages
70,464
From what I read, I'd look into getting it added back just on the off chance that the shifter is in neutral but the drive isn't.

Ayuh,.... Welcome Aboard,.... I completely agree with this,..^^

'n considerin' the Throttle is a completely different cable, which has nothin' to do with the shift assist,...
I'm guessin' there's really something else wrong with the throttle cable, or the controller,....
The controller should move the shift cable 1st, through 'bout 1/3rd of the lever travel, 'n then 2/3rds are the throttle, 'n it's cable only,....
 

Cljbeck

Cadet
Joined
Aug 16, 2016
Messages
25
Thanks for the information. This makes sense. Since they removed the part, the throttle moves much better when we want to adjust the speed of the boat, so it did address that problem, but we have noticed a few times we put the boat in neutral and turned it off, then tried to start it back up again, it won't turn over until we jiggle the handle a bit and try again, like the boat wasn't really in neutral. I guess that is what the shift assist helps with?
 
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