Engine problems

[flyinhigh]

The guys I ski/board with just bought the very first S22 ever made.  It looks like it ought to be great but the darn thing won't run right.  It will start up and run, but only above 1200 rpm, and even then not very well.  It is very unstable on the throttle.  It is running rich too.  I have an OBD II scanner, but it won't read the boat.  Since I'm also the defacto mechanic, has anyone had engine, sensor,  or computer problems???  There doesn't appear to be anyone around this area that has ever worked on Toyota boats before, has anyone had their boat scanned at the Lexus dealership with success?  - I've got one of those!

HELP!  I really really wanna ski...

[cyclone]

First off, change the fuel filter. Drain the old filter into a jar and look for water, etc. Drain the fuel system if you find anything suspicious

Change plugs to the Densos.

Then, if that didn't work...

I would find a local Toyota Marine mechanic if possible, if not, using the 1 UZ motor manual I would test all of the major engine control sensors (all in manual) one at a time and hopefully easter egg until you find the bad one.

Get someone qualified to clean the injectors. Bad gas/plugs can cause all the problems you are having

[flyinhigh]

We had already done all the things suggested without success.

We made about 50 phone calls and finally found someone a 1.5 hour drive away that knew something about this engine and could scan it etc.  We dragged the boat down there and IT WORKED PERFECTLY!  We didn't do anything to it in between.  I don't know whether to be grateful or afraid it will croak on the lake.

[toyotafreak]

Great to hear your engine's purring again.

When I installed the tracking fin, I followed the procedure to the extent that I emptied, disconnected and removed the (huge) fuel tank. It was out for a week or so. Since replacing it, the engine's never idled as smoothly as I remember prior to that. There was also a period of power loss that ended up going away on its own right before I dropped $120 on new plugs. As Pete and others have hammered for years now, our high compression wonders are very sensitive to fuel issues.

I might add that there have been a couple instances when coming out of the hole on a hot day that the engine's apparently went into knock-protection mode. At the helm it feels like somebody took away four of your cylinders. However, it clears up on its own by the time the rider falls again.

The boats are the pimpest!!!!

[blindside]

I recently had an issue with loss of power also.  I replaced the fuel filter and that didnt' work.  I then pulled the fuel pumps and flushed em with gas (something had got in there somehow)  It's running good again, at least for a day untill I hit something and messed up the prop/rudder/strut/driveshaft. ooooo my pooor baby  

[chicoepic]

My 1999 X22 has spent the first 8 weeks of summer in various shops due to a stange sound coming from the engine.  The boat docs said it was the transmission, some said bad gas.  After 8 weeks of nobody able to fix it I kidnapped it from the shop after reading the posts here and flushed the gas tank, didn't fix it.  Then I changed the filter and flushed the lines, and replaced the plugs.  Didn't fix it.  Was experiencing major power loss as well as the tapping sound coming from the back of the engine.  Then I noticed the oil level was slightly high, so I removed one quart from the engine and replaced the plugs again (already fouled) and viola!  Back to perfect.  After removing the oil I noticed the oil pressure reading was not as sporatic as it used to be.

After searching endlessly for local help with the boat Ive come up emptyhanded.  Anybody know any shop that can work well with these boats in Northern Cal?

Thanks for the helpful posts!

[toyotafreak]

Chico, how high was the oil level?

[chicoepic]

Just above the full line on the dipstick.  Now it is midway up the ok region.

[cyclone]

The dealer in Norcal was in Santa Rosa. I don't know if they still do service, anyone out there know?

[flyinhigh]

Here's the update:

The poor idling problem came back as soon as we got the boat home.  We decided to just take it out and try to run it just to see what happens.  It ran like crap (basically not at all) at low engine speeds.  After a while of running, it got better and better.  By the end of the evening ski outing it was running perfect!

I'll let  you know how it goes the next time out.

[mixpro55]

the toyota marine tech just opened his own shop in santa rosa calif ........anthony is his name 1-707-544-3030........good luck ...........dave

[toyotafreak]

Since I haven't heard this mentioned in a while...just like airplanes, it's good practice to keep your fuel tank full. The more air in your tank, the greater the chance that condensation will poison your tank. Even if I only put two hours on the boat, I fill before parking her.

This Anthony sounds interesting.

[cyclone]

Ditto. I've done that since new, I have not had any real trouble other than plugs at 455 hrs

[re-pete]

Same here.  I always add dry gas & fuel injector cleaner when I fuel up, a fuel stabilizer at last fill up before winterizing, and we've had no issues yet.

[phenom_1819]

I've noticed that mine will start rough every once in a while and will knock a little bit. It is very sluggish when it's like this -- I know nothing about engines, but when I turn the boat off and re-start it, it seems to usually run fine.  I think sometimes the engine just gets a little bit out of sync and needs to be turned off and back on to be reset.