ZO boat just feels BAD? Could be the head unit.

[Horton]

Have you ever skied behind a boat that just feels strange? Seems like you can not get wide but you are always fast at the ball? When you ski another basically the same Zero Off boat you are suddenly wide at the ball? This year I experienced 2 different Zero Off boats with bad control units ( aka head unit). One was a brand new boat and one was an older repower.

 

I do not think this is very common but I can imagine it happening and the skiers just trying to ski through it thinking it was them or a slump. I do not think I could feel it at 22 off or longer but if I am not ready for it I may miss 32 off (my normal opener). What seems to happen is the boat holds speed and gets a good time but never gives the skier power into the wakes or backs off after edge change. There is no “swing”.

 

If you think your boat has a bad head unit go ski behind another ZO boat to make sure. The difference is clear as day. You will know. If you ski both boats and are not sure then your boat is fine.

 

The good news is replacing the head unit is easy. If it is not under warranty IDK how bad it will hurt but nothing lasts forever.

 

As I write this I am thinking about a friends boat I have hated for years.... I wonder if it has been the head unit for all these years.

[Broussard]

The head unit should be mounted in a certain orientation. If something feels wrong it’s worth checking how it’s mounted.

[Horton]

@Broussard 100% correct but only interesting if the boat felt bad from day 1.

[MISkier]

When this happened to me before, we found that the boat had the wrong ZO mapping flashed into the ECM. It was a version for another manufacturer and a different engine. Always felt like the boat was on you and you could never get free of it. Once the correct ZO version was applied, everything was fine.

[ForrestGump]

We had a Nautique in 2014 that was terrible. Flat out awful to ski behind at 34 and 36. Slower speeds were fine. It would come into the course 2mph faster than it should, then die after 2 ball to get a good segment time. Joe Darwin pulled it from his record tournament it was so bad. I worked with Andy directly on it. We changed pucks. We flashed new firmware. He ended up having ZO send me a new head unit. Boom problem fixed and we used it at the Big Dawg at Cedar Ridge shortly after.

[Bruce_Butterfield]

So other than a boat "feeling bad", is there some diagnostic, symptom or other way to troubleshoot problems with the head unit?

[Jody_Seal]

@Horton

Well you offered up some vague information on your inquiry.

John its ok to come out and identify the boat. Probably a Nautique your describing.

The open bow nautiques as well as the closed have the zo unit mounted on a stainless steel bracket under the dash.

I have found some boats when the line assembler put it together can be mounted upside down, have also seen the unit bound against the substrate it is mounted too causing deformation and separation or cracking of the unit.

Is there any other codes or problems with the boat?

If it is a single puck setup , pry up the reciever and make sure that it is a 3ev labeled reciever.

Hope this helps.

[Horton]

Friend of mine just sent his puck to get re-programed. Boat went from CRAP to awesome.

[Bruce_Butterfield]

.

[UWSkier]

@Bruce_Butterfield The pucks have their own firmware and their own electronics. They're not passive antennas. A couple years ago there was a GPS change that impacted a bunch of Garmin and other pucks. My boat was affected (Stargazer). Myself and a bunch of other Stargazer customers required updated pucks to get accuracy and quick signal lock capabilities back.

[Mateo_Vargas]

I've updated the pucks in 3 boats. @dchristman was a big help.

[Horton]

@Bruce_Butterfield I love how you are never just a little bit wrong. You are either profoundly insightful or completely wrong.