Prostar Zero Off is freaking out

[aupatking]

I had some warranty work done on my Prostar including adding the engine box vent and just picked the boat up yesterday. I put it in the water today and before the first pass, the ZO kicked up from 34.2 to 36 and changed letters on me. I changed it back and it didn’t seem to like that so I killed the engine and started over. It worked fine until I got to the other end of the lake and then it started kicking the speed back up and going to A3 and not letting me change letters. i can push the down arrows on the control panel, but not on the screen itself. I got the speed set and just decided we’d pull him at A3 but as i got near the 55’s the ZO tried to do 36 and I had to knock it back down.

Anyone ever seen that happen? I’ve got video I’ve shared below

i’m Wondering if something got shorted out or possible poor ground that is causing a low power “freak out” or whatever you guys would call it. I’ve seen that type of issue with Perfect Pass before with a power issue.

When it’s not

, it’s working perfectly and all functions are functional.

[lpskier]

Try shutting the power off at the boat’s Main power switch and then turn it back on after 60 seconds. That will do a total system reboot and may solve your problem.

[Roger]

I expect your touch screen is dying. It does all sorts of things by itself when this happens. They will replace it under warranty (do it now while under warranty, they are VERY expensive).

[aupatking]

Yeah, full power shut-downs/resets are only calming it down a little. If I watch it, I’ll see the little up/down arrows under the speed light up, as if I touched the screen. It’s not changing speeds and pull settings right now, but if it’s still doing odd stuff at all, I’d say you’re right @Roger

[Horton]

@Jody_Seal

[Jody_Seal]

yea What can I do? Seems many of these guy's take their boats elsewhere where the people that work on them are truly not qualified nor have the waterski background knowledge to address the tournament ski boat. Then for me if and when they do come to Florida Inboards Inc. I have to charge extra to go back and clean up the previous shade tree work. Vicious cycle!

[ntx]

@Jody_Seal I love it. I have to deal with this same type of thing everyday. I feel like the old Motorcraft guy. "Pay me now or pay me later"

 

[ntx]

In @aupatking defense, if it is boat under warranty, the first stop should be the dealer that sold the boat.

 

As the systems and touch screens get older, I think this will become a bigger problem. Faulty screens that are expensive to replace that wont allow the speed control system to function. I know some pretty good drivers that used to be able to hand drive.......

[eleeski]

My hand driving touch has faded with my age...

 

Can you replace the touch screen with the older head unit?

 

Eric

[LeonL]

Hand driving will remain a lost art regardless of attempts to do otherwise. Hand driving, the drivers either used the speedo or tach, both analog. I put forth the idea that driving by digital tach or digital speedo would be very difficult.

[Jody_Seal]

@LeonL No mate we used the oil pressure gauge to drive by. only want-a-B's used the tach and speedo!!!

[swc5150]

Maybe Jody knows, but in general, are faulty screens all that common? Boats have had them for quite some time now.

[aussiemc]

I've had a boat do this on me at a tournament, We replaced screen to no avail. We found a connection (joiner / plug) in the main Zero Off harness (access behind the bow seat) had a poorly installed pin. Once we corrected this issue, all problems solved.

[aupatking]

@Jody_Seal if it didn’t have to go to a dealership, it would have come to you, no questions asked. I actually asked Mastercraft if i could take it to you. I like the guy running the maintenance dept. but he admits that Prostars aren’t something he sees often and knows very little about setting up ZO. They told me to wash the screen with soapy water. I’ll report the results

[aupatking]

Got a set in before dark, and seems the screen had “ghost prints” on it. I couldn’t see them. Wondering if the service guy reset the service interval with grease or oil residue on his fingers. I tiny amount of Dawn soap and a damp paper towel, ZO worked fine. I hope this is the last post I add to this thread

[Horton]

@aupatking you are telling me ZO malfunctioned because the screen was dirty?

[skibug]

@aupatking Same thing happened to our 2015 Prostar screen. Somewhat of a common issue. They should just replace the screen/unit. Ours had the same symptoms you spoke of, speed and letter setting changing in the middle of a pass, keyboard popping up for no reason and overlaid on the ZO screen. They told us, at first, to try and clean it etc....no dice. Tell them to get you a new one.

[aupatking]

@Horton that’s what I’m told. It didn’t look dirty. I’m going to get in more than just a quick set this weekend, so I’ll really get to see what it does.

[eleeski]

Touch screens don't like me. I have to set my phone on glove mode to get its screen to work for me. Give me some old school clicker buttons, switches and a key. Modern technology is OK but things can get too newfangled. Especially when they don't work consistently.

 

And my grubby paws are never clean enough - between the salty water, grease from what I just fixed or nervous sweat a touch screen will get contaminated quickly.

 

What is the advantage to a touch screen in a boat?

 

Eric

[The_MS]

We have one in our 16 MC. Not a fan of them. We looked for a boat without one but couldn’t turn down the rest of the package.

[oldjeep]

We have a touchscreen in the VTX, but it doesn't control the speed control. Honestly I have more issues with the actual buttons that control the main screen (speed controls, diagnostics, audio, depth, etc) than I've ever had with the touch screen.

[swc5150]

To each their own, but we love our MC touch screen. All functions in one spot, with an intuitive interface.

[Jody_Seal]

I prefer analog stuff also. But one has to admit the new touch screen technology makes the driving process a bit more convenient.

Yes grease and general oily gradew can screw with touch screen performance. I utilize the same cleaner I use on my glasses and a micro fiber towel to clean these screens.

[aupatking]

I’ve been nothing but happy with the screen and functionality, so far. I always worry about the longevity of these things though

[thager]

I am old school.Mixing high tech electronics and water is just throwing cash in the fire. People actually wonder why boats cost so much?

[ScottScott]

The high tech electronics have been around since the beginning of electronic ignition and zero off. The interface is different, but how many of the older text only lcd displays are un-readable, and have buttons that work about half the time. I'll agree that the touch screen is more expensive to replace, but I'm not sure how much more un-reliable they are......and they A LOT easier to navigate.

[Jody_Seal]

Sitting here looking at a 8 year old ZO head unit that functions fine however the LCD display has degraded to the point of very poor visibility and cant adjust the contrast to make the screen fully legible. Customer had to pony up to replace the unit. all this on a garage/ lift kept under 500 hour boat. yes this stuff has been around for over 25 years now but reminder the real cost in this stuff is that the production numbers are so low that economically wise this stuff is expensive produce. would we be better off with mostly analog, carburetors and hand driving??? Sign me up my scores have not changed much from those day's.

[eleeski]

I don't want my first cell phone - the same size as a small suitcase. Nor do I want to go back to a flip phone. My touch screen phones are magic - and I can program the hard buttons for the critical functions (like hanging up on telemarketers).

 

But my I've been through 4 phones in the time that I've had my new ZO boat. Unlike @Jody_Seal my old ZO head and Stan's 10 year old one looks and works like new. @aupatking 's screen is what, one year old and starting to act up? Does he ski in salt or brackish water? Does he leave a protective covering of dust on his boat? Do the rats eat his wiring? Does his driver scarf Cheetos? Eight years is reasonable life - one or two years isn't for the critical brain of a boat.

 

The touch screens that I've used aren't easier (tell me again how to turn off the darn blower which comes on after every start). Stab it a couple times with cold fingers to get it to start. Push the wrong shut off button in that quick stop. No, give me a key and a separate ZO system.

 

On second thought, @aupatking your boat is shot. Give it to me for proper disposal.

 

Eric

[aupatking]

Late update, but Mastercraft took care of me. Those guys are great. I love this boat, and when my 14 sells, will be getting another. It’s an absolute shame that my local dealer is no longer a Mastercraft dealer because, based on their service, I’d be buying my next one from them.