used '01 Epic S22 questions

[ncarroll]

Hi all!

Came across this forum while trying to do a little research on a new ski/wakeboard boat purchase.  Just today I test-drove a used 2001 S22.  It had been used by one of the salesmen as a demo boat for a year and then owned by another customer for a year before they traded up to a new Tige.

I liked the handling and performance, but there were a few things about the boat that bothered me.  What (as seasoned owners of these toyota boats) is your take on these issues?

1) The speedo wasn't reading the correct speed.  The boat hit a top speed of 18mph, when we were definitely going 35-40+ mph.  I forgot to bring my GPS along to verify (was going to check the calibration before i knew that the speedo wasn't working).

-Does this just sound like the issue where the little water entrance hole needs to be cleaned out with a pin? Does this issue pop up excessively often, and if so, how much would a more permanent fix cost/entail?

2) At different points in the ride, the multifunction display would flash an "oil pressure too low" alarm.  It was reading 16psi (needing 20-100 psi i think).  I read on this board about how there is often a pressure too high alarm, but not about a low alarm.  The boat salesman said this alarm has gone off (along with the "drive temp" light between the speedo gauge and tach) since he has driven it, but that the boat has been checked out and it's causing no apparent problems.  The engine temperature gauge was reading about 160 degrees F throughout the ride, which, if i recall correctly, was right in the middle of the readings on the dial.

What do you think, do these seem like serious problems? Thanks for lending your wisdom, in advance!!

-Nate Carroll

[toyotafreak]

Nate, good to have you. I'm new to this forum, and have owned a 2000 S22 for about a month. Take the time and go through the messages here (all of them). It's a relatively small and new group, but Pete (Cyclone CJ) is both very knowledgable and very helpful.

The short answer to your questions is that there are several 'issues' with the dash, and none of them are fatal. The oil pressure sensor (or the firmware that supports it) always went off as LOW at a threshold above where it should be. Mine and most other boats here have been gone through and either sensor swapped or reprogrammed.

I've never seen or heard of the V-drive alarm coming on, but I didn't buy the boat new and don't know exactly what all has been done to it. The problems are all known and workable.


The bigger question you need to be asking yourself is can you make peace with entering into something like this when Toyota spares support is only going to be around another eight years? Think twice before you say yes, because resale values will drop very low, sooner than later, and some components will be a challenge for us all. Pete and the rest of us... and you...are going to do our best to mitigate the obsolescence and unavailability risks.

I made peace with my decision because I'm sort of a Toyota freak, the boat is a work of art and I do intend to keep it until my kids are gone (15-20 years.) Even a Natique would be worthless in 20 years. There is an outside chance that these boats (in good shape) may have some sort of collector value (the logo got me to pay more than I maybe should have.)

It's still a risk though, because if times get tough and you need to unload it, you're not gonna get what it's worth.

I paid top dollar and would do it again, but I went in with my eyes open.

Don't be afraid to email Pete with your question.

[cyclone]

I concur. I have been extremely happy with my boat since the day I bought it, if the weather would cooperate I would be out there now. The issues you mentioned, with the exception of the Vdrive light, are minor glitches that can be worked around or ignored. The boats are awesome and reliable, I use mine almost every day. Look around, there is a lot of good stuff on this board and the site.

Pete

[ncarroll]

Thanks for your responses!  Looks like i have some decisions to make.  I will continue to read these boards so that when/if I do get an epic, I'll be able to use the vast knowlegebase already created by you guys!

-Nate

[cyclone]

There are still a few of them out there for reasonable prices. You can beat up the seller, probably steal it. They are extremely well built and reliable boats. I have heard that it was costing Toyota 62.5k per boat to build them.

[ncarroll]

Well, we did it!  Tomorrow we take delivery of our new (to us) 2001 Epic S22, with the tower mounted speakers and trailer for an awesome price.  Our '92 Sunbird gave up the ghost last week when the gears in the stern drive became entirely stripped somehow.  They quoted us a repair cost of about $4,000 (OMC, the engine manufacturer is out of business) so we traded in the Sunbird and they still gave us $6,500 (blue-book price) on the trade-in, even though they would have to pay to fix it before they could resell it.

I'm excited!  Already thinking about replacing the stock 3-bladed prop with the 4-blade SS OJ that everyone raves about on this forum!

-Nate

[cyclone]

You are going to be so happy with that boat!  I personally guarantee it. If you don't like it, I will buy it from you for whatever you paid and throw in a beer barge. That is a no shitter.

[cyclone]

Nate,
What part of the country are you in? I'll need to know to come pick it up.

[ncarroll]

LOL, I don't think that will be necessary, I expect this boat to perform beautifully for many years.  Maybe i'll post a photo in the next day or two, if I can pry myself away from the water long enough after work.

We're on the most beautiful lake in the midwest, West Lake Okoboji.  (It's just south of the Minnesota Boarder in Northwest Iowa.)

[toyotafreak]

Nate, glad to see ya made the ballsy choice, and very glad to have another S22 owner on the board.

Good luck, get wet, and PLEASE wipe your boat down when you pull it out. The best half hour a trip you'll ever spend :-)

Ps. INCH AND AN EIGHTH!!!!

[cyclone]

Nate,
I believe that Alliance or Level 10 (wakeboarding mags) did a writeup on that lake last year. A bunch of pros were there partying it up. It probably made the local papers.

If you are going to trailer the boat, make sure it has good wheel bearings and tires. Especially if it is a single axle. The original trailer manufacturer still had some left for that boat a couple of months ago, Sandy bought one.

[ncarroll]

I do remember that day, actually.  Earlier in the day, I was kitesurfing with the owner of the local wakeboard shop when he received the call that those guys were going to be driving through the area.  Didn't actually get to see them on the lake though.  

We almost never trailer the boat anywhere, except for when we put it in and take it out for the winter.  They were going to throw in a Tige two-axel trailer that another owner hadn't wanted when he got his new boat, because the original trailer was not with the boat, but it was too large to fit in our garage.  We are having another trailer ordered with a swing-away tongue, which will fit.

[toyotafreak]

Count your guys' blessings. We've got two local lakes (Perris and Elsinore) one is unhealthy and the other is filled with algae. For a real lake (Havasu, Mojave or Mead) we've got like a four to five hour drive.

During my trips to Dallas and Minnesota, I've seen the mountain.....