Crazy Launch Incident

[Sethro]

My next door neighbor has a 2011 Response LXi with the Monsoon engine.  He was injured last year and never put his boat in the water.  So it's been sitting winterized since fall 2022.  This morning I backed him down the ramp, unhooked the strap, and stood by as he went to start it.  As soon as the engine fired it went to max rpm and was somehow in reverse.  Luckily it shot straight back off the trailer without damaging anything and out into the lake where he was able to hit the main power button and shut it off.  Was definitely not in reverse while trying to start it.  Looked everything over and noticed nothing out of the ordinary, so he tried it again now safely away from shore after moving the throttle back and forth several times.  Started it up and it immediately went to max rpm again, but this time was in neutral.  Messed with the throttle some more and tried it again, and that time everything worked normally and continued to work normally while we skied.  

I've never even heard of this happening in an internet story, and confirmed the boat wouldn't even turn over when actually in gear.  Anyone else heard of this or have any thoughts of how it could have happened?

[Stejcraftben]

Technically it shouldn’t have been able to start unless it’s in neutral. If it’s DBW it could be an issue with the shifter?

[scoke]

Let me get this straight:

you had a boat go full max throttle in reverse, unprompted. With some quick thinking didn’t damage, harm anything or anyone. 
 

then you tested it and got a similar result, without the reverse part. 
 

then you got physically in the water behind the same boat and skied it?

 

holy balls of steel. 
call me soft but dang. I’ll stand on shore and film you guys next outing. 

must have some hell of term life insurance policies on each other. 

[Drago]

If it's one of the Malibu throttles with the neutral button on top of the shift knob, I've witnessed those starting in gear. Scariest thing ever--might have been a recall (or should have been a recall)

[Mateo_Vargas]

I heard the same thing happened to the captain of that ship in Baltimore.

[liquid d]

NOT POSSIBLE!  MALIBU BOATS HAVE NEVER EVER HAD ANY ISSUES WITH ANYTHING....EVER!  🤣

[Sethro]

4 hours ago, scoke said:
 

then you tested it and got a similar result, without the reverse part. 

Not quite that simple…did extensively shut down/restart, forward/reverse, put it through all rpm ranges trying for another glitch. But of course never gave a hint of trouble after. 
 

I’ve heard of a boat starting while in gear, but never when it actually wasn’t in gear, and especially not going to WOT when the throttle wasn’t moving.

[Stevie Boy]

Scary ! Get it checked out , by a expert, especially if it,s fly by wire.

[DW]

Buy some lottery tickets, that sounds like the one outcome that didn’t result in a very bad outcome.

It might be worth some research in to the throttle for any recalls, newer versions, etc.  Unless you found something specific, one time events are rare.

[LeonL]

As @liquid dstated , never any issues with a Maliibu.  Oh wait! I seem to recall seeing one start itself with no one in it while sitting on a lift.

[braindamage]

15 hours ago, scoke said:

then you got physically in the water behind the same boat and skied it?

 

holy balls of steel. 

This^^^ definitely the craziest part of that whole story.

[rawly]

Or brains of hay.