OPTIMAX GURUS...

[Broadhead100]

I will phil..thx..

Update.. ran a test prop today..just a cheapie black max at 15x17P... huge difference... WOT IS NOW RUNNING 5550 RPMS.. Boat comes out of the hole great and accelerates perfectly. Thx for all help.. to Don and others as well...

Now one last thing to figure out.. for some reason the boat starts and idles perfectly at about 550 rpm.. after proper warm up etc. Eventuly run WOT and when I come back to neutral the rpms dont return to 550ish... more like 900 to 1000.. only way to correct it is to shut boat down and restart.. when I do it starts back up and idles at 550 again.. my first thought was a bad TPS.. I replaced it but still same results.. no change...

Do you guys think this could have to do with the PCM and battery voltage.. I run dual batteries and usually always run the boat on the dual battery switch toggled to both.. didn't think of it till now but perhaps I should be running the motor off the designated primary only??? Any thoughts here??

[SilverFox579]

Good to hear WOT rpms increased, another 100 would be ideal, but good where you're at.

Check that your throttle is returning to idle stop every time (do you have a hotfoot?). I don't think your battery has anything to do with it, but the charging system is designed to maintain one properly rated and fully charged battery, best practice is to run that way. If needed, you can switch between the two (not while running of course) to keep the other battery charged. That's assuming both batteries meet or exceed minimum required 800CCA.

[Broadhead100]

No hot foot... checked linkage.. I'm going to look a little closer but all seems fine.. nothing wore out.. returns fine..

Both batteries are min 800 cca and fully charged.. thought maybe the pcm was getting a bad voltage read and perhaps somehow inducing more fuel into the system when I come down off WOT.. but I have no idea.. what's puzzling is I can turn the engine off immediately and it restarts at proper rpms.. 550 or so..

Doesnt seem like a mechanical issue to me... but pure speculation on my end

[EuropeanAM]

Try operating the throttle-only feature to WOT, and then pull throttle back slowly to Neutral.

Check the throttle arm on port side of engine... it should be FIRMLY against the stop (ie: You should not be able to push it away from the stop with your hands). Not "pre-loaded"... but held against the stop.

Agree- ONE battery at a time on-line, and must meet the demands of the ENGINE and the boat Accessories.

One final thing: Do you have a Smartcraft Instrument, perhaps one that's reading FUEL level?

[Broadhead100]

Try operating the throttle-only feature to WOT, and then pull throttle back slowly to Neutral.

Check the throttle arm on port side of engine... it should be FIRMLY against the stop (ie: You should not be able to push it away from the stop with your hands). Not "pre-loaded"... but held against the stop.

Agree- ONE battery at a time on-line, and must meet the demands of the ENGINE and the boat Accessories.

One final thing: Do you have a Smartcraft Instrument, perhaps one that's reading FUEL level?

I do have a smart gauge but do not have it reading fuel level level... still have the analog gauge doing that job.

I'll do as you suggest regarding the throttle linkage and report back..

Regarding batteries... I have both a house and starting battery operating on a dual switch. When Im just out cruising I leave the switch toggled to "both" so they both get charged as I'm running... all me electronics are wired to the house battery and the engine on it's own to the other.. when we are trolling I switch over to my 15hp kicker, shut the opti down and toggle the switch to the house so the starting battery doesnt get used...

[Ssrhagery]

My 02 175 opti had the same idle issue. Very finicky on synchronization adjustment and getting all the slack out of the throttle cable solved it.