2017 response txi question

[jstaab3]

 

[jstaab3]

 

[bbruzzese]

Well that looks fairly easy. did you wire into an existing switch?

[MISkier]

I’m not sure I like exposed wires (even inside wire nuts) in an engine compartment with fuel vapors. I’ve seen wires slip out of wire nuts before. Best to shrink tube the connections or solder and wrap tightly with electrical tape.

[DW]

Note: if the power issue is an inlet air restriction adding an exhaust blower may not be the complete solution. An ambient air source would need to be added to allow the additional blower to bring in the cool outside air to supply the engine and properly evacuate the hot air. The MC Prostar did that by converting a cup holder to an air inlet hole.

[UWSkier]

@jstaab3 very interesting. So you also run without the belt guard in place then I imagine.

[Conor]

Would be nice if Malibu chimed in and somehow gave boat schematics, to find best way to get clean air to motor. I can see the inlet air hose behind passenger seat. If the fan was installed inline at that location would it suck clean air in and push it to the motor?

[Ilivetoski]

Is Malibu really not offering free dealer service to fix the issue? Not to get off topic, but last week I commented that the 14 prostars had a hard time getting to 36 & got a response that matercraft fixed all those transmissions under warranty... that had to cost more than a $50 blower

[OscawanaSkier]

In my conversations with Malibu, they're working on possible solutions, but the dealers are not in the loop yet.

 

I don't have a schematic, but I have factory photos of my boat, which seem to show the path into the motor box.

I'm not at my boat (maybe someone else can confirm) but I believe the two vents in front of the windshield are connected to two hoses that connect to the two round inlets below the deck (in yellow), but then the air seems to simply "duct" through the stringers back to the middle of the motor box (in red). Clearly not a direct path to the flame arrester at the front of the motor where the AIT senor is.

 

@jstaab3 - where exactly are you getting your cool air supply from? Looks like you're running your hose to the port side - are you going to that port-side stringer entry half-way back on the motor?

 

[OscawanaSkier]

I kept looking through photos - seems like there might be additional fresh air paths to the motor box - perhaps between the hull and stringer (see large holes in photo below).

 

 

Hopefully someone can confirm which is the intended fresh-air path.

 

[Conor]

So,.....how long until there is a fix malibu?

How long until Malibu reaches out to brand new boat owners to inform them of a situation that shouldn’t be? It’s been two seasons now that I wasted about 20 boat hours testing props that still isn’t sorted. Wasted gallons of gas along with the hours on the boat. Not to mention numerous warranty issues that stem from quality control at factory. I do understand it is a new model year boat but wtf?

Blue tooth doesn’t work properly

Over spray and defects on gel coat when it first arrived (dealer fixed)

Ski locker doesn’t drain out creating a super stinky fowl gross area in no time.

Engine cover lifter brackets have screws stripped and falls off

Jump wire harness too short, doesn’t reach bracket it is supposed to be mounted to.

Hole on passenger side bin was cut too large and mounting screws were drilled into air creating bad vibration noise

Rear bins above gas tank never fit, had dealer fix.......they still don’t fit right

Compartment to access rudder and drive shaft has stripped screws and can feel it moving under feet when on it.

Rub rail was worst I’ve ever seen on new boat from factory(dealer fixed)

WORST PART

engine doesn’t run properly

Is this normal? Crazy! Huh?

 

 

 

[DW]

@Conor : Have you had the opportunity to do a side by side performance comparison? Just curious to understand if your boat has a specific issue beyond the general feedback. I would think an ECU scan should verify codes and maybe more important, if calibration is correct and/or a run history to see if something is happening such as timing retard. It does seem like there are several build issues. Good luck getting it sorted, perhaps the dealer could assist in finding you the option of doing a side by side comparison test.

[swc5150]

Something really un-Malibu like seems to be going on lately? I saw a big dollar Wakesetter at our local boat show with some major fit and finish flaws in plain sight. I get that all brands may have some issue here and there, but this was excessive and obvious. We looked at a new TXi back in '15, and quality, fit/finish looked perfect.

[Ilivetoski]

@DW as far as the engine power goes, I don’t think this is an isolated issue. We had a new Malibu at a few tournaments this year and no one would even try it for a 36 mph skier. Was supposedly barely getting to 34 in time on a pretty decent size lake. Same issue with the last Txi they had (still a new hull) but not as bad as the 18. The quality in the 18 I was in seemed fine, it did make a very weird sound when it was put in reverse the few times I was in it.

[Dacon62]

Have owned a few Malibu’s and have always been a Malibu guy.

Lots of Malibu’s on our lake as well that I have been in, driven or skied behind.

Have owned,

2001 Response. Great fit and finish.

2008 VTX. Great fit and finish.

2013 TXi. Long list of “how did the QC department not catch this” items.

Gel work errors, poor fitting upholstery panels, swim platform fit and spacing, hull vibration at idle, off center motor box, saggy floor on driver side so motor box doesn’t seal...I’ll stop now.

Dealer fixed what he could.

I thought...well it must be just my boat so I went online and checked photos of boats for sale...it was a re occurring theme even a few model years after mine.

Very dissapointed in how Malibus (at least the ones I have seen/been in) fit, finish and overall quality has gone downhill. Don’t know if it was the move from Cali to Tenessee that saw the downturn or just that they are building so many boats now that more stuff falls through the cracks?

 

Now that it’s time for a newer boat I spent time behind and in both the new TXi and Prostar.

The ‘17 TXi had lots of power but the overall looks,feel and finish just doesn’t do it for me. It kills me to jump brands but I just couldn’t get myself to stick with Malibu after the recent and past experiences.

 

Prostar should be here in a few weeks.

[jdoverly]

Rumor is an 18 TXI got pulled from a collegiate tournament today in MI due to performance reasons.

[MISkier]

Not entirely true. It was used in the morning to pull B team Slalom as part of a two boat rotation with the MC. The MC and Nautique pulled A team Slalom in late morning and early afternoon. There very likely may have been concern about the A team Slalom demands for 36 mph and the increasing heat of the day (it was 85 here), but the boats were switched at the change of the teams and not suddenly or for any demonstrated shortcoming.

 

The Nautique and TXi pulled the Trick event in the mid and late afternoon.

 

I do not know what they are planning to use for Jump tomorrow.

[Conor]

Malibu power train guy called me last night.

Says they are working on a fix for power loss issue. Could be a month, 6 months or next model year before fix comes out. Just him admitting there was an issue gave me relief.

[bbruzzese]

had a very similar conversation with Malibu yesterday as well. I'm hoping for sooner rather than later.

[storm34]

I could be wrong but the holes in the bottom pic are likely access points to the motor mount brackets, not designed for air flow.

[MISkier]

The thing that surprises me most about all of this is that this lesson (in various incarnations) has been learned before. First was the catalytic converter heat issue impacting performance at the boat tests. Ironically, only Malibu passed because they apparently drove the boat stone cold when they figured out the overheat issue. Then, MasterCraft learned it and had some remove the cup holders on the engine box (now have auxiliary blower). And, here we are again with engines starved for cool air.

 

I’m not sure what the fix is, but something should change to ensure we don’t see it again. It’s too expensive to spend your season trying to figure out how to make your new boat run properly.

[UWSkier]

Time to start building an intake plenum into the motor boxes. Not hard to do at all and done correctly could easily address the issue of intake noise. Snowmobiles have been doing this for years. Intake plenum on hood behind windscreen mates to an underhood intake tract with hood closed. No under-hood air ever makes its way to the intake.

[Dacon62]

Intake plenum is a good idea but you still need a vent for heat to escape. And it all has to be done in such a way that noise levels are kept in check.

 

[UWSkier]

Existing heat elimination venting would be sufficient. If your intake air is separated from "under-hood" air, you could possibly even get away with a little less venting and run slightly higher under-hood temps to keep noise at bay.

[Chad_Scott]

It’s just weird that this only occurs in some of the boats. I had no issues with my 17 or 18 and drive the boat all day long in extreme temperatures in Louisiana. Have not experienced any loss in power. My boat runs all day at several tournaments in the south. I don’t know what has changed, Maybe word got out that Malibu was going to start building their own engines

[epnault]

@DW

Not exactly true on MC. The fan is plumbed to the front of the boat's under windshield intakes. The cut holder is a passive vent.

[BraceMaker]

@Chad_Scott maybe they give special consideration to certain boats. One never knows.

[DW]

Readers of this thread need to go check the pictures of the 'rare hydrodyne' thread, problem answered in 1967:)

 

@epnault : it works both ways, simply depending on air pressure differential when the fan is either on or off, correct it does serve as a passive vent or inlet.

@UWSkier : see pic on first page of thread, I made a ducted setup to separate underhood from ambient air and only draw ambient. Can make a 200 rpm difference when underhood temps are high (A-B test).

 

[RAWSki]

Here is one solution to 6L breathability. :wink:

 

[jhughes]

@rawski Barf.

[jstaab3]

 

[jstaab3]

I fixed my problem for $50 bucks this is today with an outside air temp of 94, took me all of 20 mins to get my boat to be way better, power problems are fixed and boat skis and drives like a dream!!

 

Jason Staab

[rodecon]

Nice @jstaab3 ! What was the fix?

[jstaab3]

@rodecon it’s on page 2 of this thread installed a blower

 

 

[Chad_Scott]

@jstaab3 Nice work.

[bbruzzese]

That looks and sounds great. Did you have to install a new switch on the dash somewhere or were you able to use an existing unused switch. Also., are you running it constantly or just between sets?

[epnault]

My intake fan runs 100% of the time while the engine is running.

[RAWSki]

@scotchipman interesting I would love to try it just for fun, of course the performance increase could just be because I am removing a Ton of weight from the middle of the boat! No way I am taking that engine cover out --- have you lifted one of those beasts!?!? haha

 

Sounds like Malibu is on the case and hopefully will get the issues resolved just like MC did in 14. I like skiing behind the Bu when it's up to speed.

[Ilivetoski]

@scotchipman I’m not so sure about that... we just finished season number 3 with our CP and i have not once noticed that boat lacking power, and it can get very hot in KY in the summer.

[MISkier]

@RAWSki, the issues with the 2014 MC were beyond air intake. The transmission was inadequate that year.

 

Ditto on skiing the Malibu when it’s running properly. Very nice pull and wake.

[DW]

@RAWSki : You are correct, ball park 60-70# for the engine cover. A lighter one makes a difference.

[jstaab3]

@ Scotchipman the blower and I cut out the plastic on back of motor box under Malibu billet

[LeonL]

@scotchipman it's certainly not elevation in the case of the boat I've spoken of. It operates poorly at about 400-500 feet.

[MISkier]

Average elevation at the Michigan sites is about 850 feet. We see the issues here.

[DW]

@jstaab3 : What size opening did you end up with after cut out? Pic?

[jstaab3]

 

[OscawanaSkier]

For anyone who’s thinking of adding a blower, I was successfully able to control a 5amp blower through the touch panel, by disconnecting the motor box light (see below) and wiring in the blower instead.

 

Turned on blower, all lights, and stereo loud for 20min and didn’t pop the 10A breaker. I don’t have tower or swim lights, so those might put the breaker over.

 

[OscawanaSkier]

Oh, and skied people for 2 hrs continuously this morning and never went above 136F AIT. Starts were great and for once we were early up to speed on the tight end of our course. Huge difference.

[jstaab3]

@oscawanaSkier nice job I wired mine to the lights also!!

 

[shansen345]

Just my two cents (I'm pretty horsepower/performance obsessed)..

An engine is just a big air pump. The more cold (dense) air inside, the more power you'll get out. I think it would be really neat to machine a nice billet aluminum grate or grill (a very open one) that would replace the Malibu logo on the back of the motor box. A good machine or fab shop could make it fit well and bevel the edges so that it didn't cut into the vinyl. Gotta make it look factory, though. This would be a good start. Punching additional holes in the motor box and adding more grills/grates would help too. A lot. An engine will always be sucking in air harder than a little blower can push it into the compartment, although it is a great start to dealing with the issue, IMO.