Re: Which Motor? 130-150HP
Salty Spray,<br />Yes I've had problems, and yes, I love the motors. <br />I run off shore, never more than about 5 miles from land, mainly because of the proximity of the Islands. I have had my boat out in some stuff that could make a grown man cry. 35+ and 8-12, hawaiian style, stacked close. Engine failure in those conditions is nearly life threatening. So far so good, God bless.<br />The first year, 2000, I ran my Suzuki's we generated $50k in gross ticket sales. That's a bunch of Whale Watches on a 13 pax boat.<br />The first problem I had was, no one the island had time or inclination to hang and wire the motors. So, I did it myself. The whole time local dealers were giving me stink, about my choice in motors, and the fact that i bought'em on the mainland.<br />Stubborn girl that I am, this adversity inspired me. So, I hung my motors, refit my 88 Avon, and made em'eat my wake.<br />The first mechanical problem I had was caused by trim tab wires in my Suzuki control box. At a certain position the shift leavers would contact a shafed (bare) wire in the helm and short the EMC (brain).<br />The only Suzuki guys I could talk to were in Oahu. Eventualy, (after I bought a third motor) ,they flew over and got me back on the water. Replacing the brain, solved the problem. I had to go thru every system on my boat three times to prove it wasn't operator error. Eventually I found the wires in the control box. <br />What I learned is how important it is to isolate house power, and keep the motors completly seperate. A bad ground on a bilge pump can send juice, hunting for ground into your motor and cause big problems. That's the difference between mechanical and electronic I guess. This wouldn't have changed the trim wire problem, but it was a good lesson. <br />The effect of this electrical problem was the motor shutting down without a sputter at full speed. It would restart, with the shifters in nuetral. I was running the boat (charter business) and talking to the techs in Oahu. After a few of these sudden power changes the leg went out on the good motor. The techs said one motor suddenly stopping would not damage the remaining motor, but, I heard the leg go, and I am confident of the cause.<br />Then I broke a camshaft, at the keyway for the oil pump drive. This evidently is not uncommen.<br />The leg that was rebuilt under warrantee has given out again. I have a spare motor and changed the leg so I'm not out of action.<br /><br />I will have to fight hard for warantee coverage. The Suzuki dealers in Hawaii are Suzuki of Japan, the motors were purchased in Washington State, waranteed by Suzuki of America. My husband (soon to be x, bless his heart) bought an extended six year warentee, but forgot to mention the motors would be used commercially. I have never had much faith in warentees and don't plan my life around them, so I son't expect much help there.<br />How, after all that can I love the motors. I have had maybe ten down days in two years. I've been to the shop four times, and always left the same day, ready to rip.<br />I have driven mostly deisels and I don't believe in gas boats for charter. To attempt to run commercialy on outboards would be insane if not for 4-stroke technology.<br />I run five, two hour trips a day in the winter, and use 37 gallons of gas, unheard of. My motors are so quite I am constantly asked if they are running. They start with increadable ease, and don't smoke.<br />I have taken a Suzuki training course (light weight) and have the equipment needed to run their diagnostic program. I stock filters, sensors, and impellers. Living in Hawaii, has forced me to be independant. My motors work hard, I take responsibility for maintainance, changing fluid and generaly paying attention. <br />I've had fewer problems with these motors than I would have expected from outboards. Running boats commercially is not easy, you have to love it, and want it bad to put up with the bs. I don't regret a second of it.
