DTS- Yes or No

[Heff]

Question for you all. Those of you that have the DTS option on your outboard, has it been reliable and is it worth it? Thanks.

[2500]

Yes and yes, just make sure to keep all electrical clean , also make sure that the dealer/installer programs the shifter correctly, I like the hand to foot option and the smoothness of shifting, new motors have the electric shift but with DTS it’s a electronic control over the shift actuator, I liked it and the hotfoot is smoother, I had a issue with hotfoot potentiometer (same in side throttle) the hotfoot acted up like not dropping to idle and rev up some. At first thought like a return spring but never did it in hand throttle setting, finally was able to show a bad connection to dealer which took care of the problem. So yes it’s like butter, I will only run DTS from now own.

[Another Distraction]

If you want one more electronic device to fail leaving you with no gears, go ahead. I was quoted $3600 for DTS rigging.

The DTS controls are very sort and take time to get used to.

[Jasonrs]

We have one with dts and one mechanical. Yes dts is nice, and has been reliable, but im not sure if its worth the extra cost for a single engine application. Maybe if it was a 2, 3 or 4 engine boat, getting rid of the mechanical cables would be alot cleaner install?

[Coastal Mountaineer]

I ran a Yamaha 300 with digital controls for a few years. Pros were it shifts quietly, easily, and without hesitation. Besides the higher price, the major con for me was it shifted so smoothly, it's easy to screw up by applying the throttle mistakenly or giving too much gas. It's also easy to bump the shifter into gear and with speed. There is a learning curve and it requires a lot of attention until it becomes second nature.

[EuropeanAM]

Difference here is the helm controls and cabling between them/engine.

The engine operates the SAME (both are electronic shift and throttle).

Mercury has been using DTS since 2004... it's tried and true, and honestly has FAR more safeguards than any mechanical system can/would.

In the Next-Gen DTS rigging, there's really NOT more components that a mechanical system (control, 14-pin DTS harness with Can-Circuits built in, and engine).

[Capt James]

I have DTS and love it. Set it at the rpm you want and it stays there. There's a lockout lever you push in (where your fingertips are) in order to shift from neutral into gear, can adjust the amount of effort needed to both shift it and push the throttle forward......

[WjColdWater]

Two seasons with my 225 Mercury pro xs 4s with the DTS controls and DTS hotfoot. No issues and very happy with the combination. I did consult with Don and mikesxpress before ordering my rig. Both Don and Mike were very knowledgeable about the DTS system and points from both convinced me to spend the extra money. I really like is the ability to go from the hot foot to hand throttle with a push of a button. Another thing Don and Mike pointed out was that there is never a doubt about achieving WOT once set up. Last point if you have another person at the helm they may not be comfortable running the hotfoot.

[Nort]

I also have DTS It came with the V-Rod, very nice and smooth, no problems yet.

[2500]

Just remember if you are in hand throttle and push open it goes instantly to that power, be careful learning that but I’ll only go DTS.

[Pulsare2020]

I have DTS and love it. Set it at the rpm you want and it stays there. There's a lockout lever you push in (where your fingertips are) in order to shift from neutral into gear, can adjust the amount of effort needed to both shift it and push the throttle forward......

I have a DTS 300R and it has not had any issues in the first 3 years. It has most of the sensors like the water pressure sensor, so you do not have to purchase any additional sensors for Vessel view. I am not sure if it is worth the hefty additional price tag for my single engine application? Yes it maintains rpm at anything less than WOT and perhaps that keeps me from manually adding throttle in some situations, which is not a big deal for me.
On the flip side, what I don't like, is if I am at less than WOT, (say 70 mph) and I want to determine the optimum hydraulic jack plate setting, you can't easily do it. If you raise the plate, and let's assume it helped and picked up some rpm, the engine will reduce the throttle opening to bring the rpm back down to where it was. So all you see is the same mph and rpm, and don't know if it helped or not. Perhaps if you raised it enough the slippage would increase at the same rpm and the speed would drop but that has never happened to me so far. If lowering the jack plate reduced the rpm, the ECM would raise the rpm back to where it was and the speed would likely remain the same. None of this happens at WOT, but at WOT, I am concentrating on controlling the chine walk, I don't dare reach for the jack plate switch to raise or lower it.
If I had a foot throttle, and blinker controls for engine trim and jackplate height it likely would not be an issue but I do not have that.

[EuropeanAM]

Glenn- the Mechanical versions of the V6/V8 engines (example: ProXS) work the same way. ASC is active unless you physically change the throttle setting, and will attempt to retain the same RPM despite changes in load (such as might occur when turning... just happens to be very similar when moving plate or trim).

Of course, it's NOT active at WOT. Incidentally, it's possible to add the hotfoot and blinker trim down the road, should you wish.

[Pulsare2020]

Thanks for setting that straight, Don. I was aware that they all had ASC, but when I reread my answer to the DTS question, my post did sound like it was suggesting the ASC is only associated with DTS, which of course it is not. I don't care for the ASC function on my boat but I can see where it would be desired in some applications. I have thought about adding the blinker controls, but there is no room for a foot throttle in my boat. At WOT, I always drive with one hand, so that I can keep my right hand on the throttle lever and trim buttons.