I am looking at a 2001 Challenger 2000, the boat is just like brand new with 20 hours.. I was pretty exited about getting this boat untill reading all of the posts about starting problems with the 240EFI. Is the motor really that unreliable or am I just reading about problems instead of good things. Is this motor like a typical two stroke that will load up in no wake zones, and if I buy this boat what kind of longevity will this motor have in terms of hours. I really would like to buy this thing but kind of scared now. Any info would be appriciated

Thanks

The 240EFI is a well used and deployed 6 cyclinder work horse. Any Mercury shop can work on it. In 2000 and some 2001's, there were a batch of 240EFIs which were setup incorrectly where the idle would be around 600-800RPMs. Basically, their computer was incorrectly built for the type of charging system onboard the 240's. The charging system requires > 1000 RPMs to charge. At 800 RPMs, the battery will be discharging to keep the powerhead running. Add any radio or other power draw, or a long Slow No JetWild Zone and you can run down your battery quickly.

It is not uncommon for a battery to be pulled below 12volts when the starter is engaged and here is where the "loading" affect comes in. The injectors fire when pulled to ground. They sit at Vbattery and when pulled low to ground they fire. If the battery voltage is below 12volts... the injectors will not fire properly... i.e. and possibly load up the cyclinders... and cause the RPMs to drop... which causes the battery voltage to drop... which loads up the cyclinder more... and the 240 slows in RPMs and shuts off sounding very weak and sickly.

Now, when you try to fire it up again... it doesn't want to start because the cyclinders are loaded up with fuel. It will run, but very with very low RPMs... and it will stop again reinforcing the loading issue. At this point... STOP!

Any 240EFI can experience this problem if the battery is weak and/or low on charge. Having said that... Back to your potential purchase... What you need to do is determine if the 2001 240EFI you are looking at idles at 800 RPMs or over 1000 RPMs. If at 800 RPMs... don't buy it... if over 1000 RPMs... it's going to be fine with a good healthy battery.

There is also a possiblity the 240EFI could be configured with a Real Alternator... in which case... everything should be fine. However, this might be unlikely because the alternator versions came in later models.

Note:
For anyone who finds themselves on the water with a 240EFI which won't stay running... Take advantage of the controlled steering. Put the jet in Reverse and Turn your steering wheel all the way right of left before starting the 240EFI... This will increase the initial RPMs over 1000 RPMs when started and it won't race away because it's in Reverse. Also, when the 240EFI starts to fire... give it some throttle. The idea is to get the RPMs up to blow out the fouled cyclinders. In Reverse... you can crank the throttle without moving much. Once the cyclinders are clean and the charging system is working properly... you will be able to transistion to Forward and get back to Jetting Wild!!!

Battery Rules to JetWild by:
1) Always charge your battery while in your garage. Don't require the charging system to fill up a low battery. Long Slow NO JetWild Zones can load up your 240EFI and make for awkward moments in a crowded channel. Use a Battery Tender or alike to keep your battery at peak charge.
2) Don't blast a radio and run other electronics during long Slow NO JetWild Zones without a known good batter which is fully charged.
3) Always verify the Lanyard is attached before attemping to start your 240EFI. This has happened to everyone... they crank and crank and crank... nothing... damn, I forgot the lanyard. Right there... REMEMBER THIS... You just pumped a bunch of fuel into the powerhead and if you immediately connect the lanyard and light this bomb... you had better be close to shore! One guy blew out is exhaust tube and his jet started taking on water quite quickly. Let it set for a few minutes before attempting to start your engine.
4) Turn OFF all electronics before attempting to start your engine.
5) Verify your battery posts are tight before every launch.
6) Battery fluid levels and tie downs are important as well.
7) Know the condition of your Battery before hitting the water.

All this might sound like a bunch of crap to doo... If you want to have fun Jetting Wild... ignore this stuff and you will some day be stranded out on the water without a paddle.

JetWild!!!
240EFISpeedSter
Rj

The boat I'm looking at idles at about 800 RPM out of the water, does this mean not to buy the boat? The boat is in absolute new condition and I know the owner. He started the boat up and it ran well with a battery that he had to charge up. The owner says he has never had a problem with starting or idleing. Can you not reprogram the ECM with an updated version so the boat idles correctly. I really like this boat and want to buy it but it sounds like is will be trouble. Surly there is something to do to correct this condition.

Thanks

Did you connect a water hose before you started the engine? I hope so... the 240EFI is self-draining and if you run it for any amount of time without water... it will be harmed! Another reason to NOT buy.

Second, you have to have the jet in water to read the idling RPM. When the jet is out of the water... it is not the same. Take it to the lake and then try it again. Make sure the battery is fully charged because a low battery will pulled down the idle. Get the jet on water and rev it up... then see what it idles at.

Does the 240EFI have an alternator? You would see it. There is no way to reprogram the computer for the proper idle... the computer must be changed out and the engine reset up.

The 240EFI non-alternator charging system can not provide enough power at 800 RPMs... you will have trouble eventually.

If you REALLY want the jet... you can install two batteries with a battery switch. Use one battery for normal operation and other as a fully charged backup.


JetWild!!!
SpeedSter240EFI
Rj

Ok so I took the Challenger to the water today and it idled in the water at 1000RPM's... Does this mean this boat is OK.. I also took it to my local dealer and it has had the fuel filter and voltage regulator campaings done. Also there were no other campaings that the boat needed done. I tried to pull the hours off the PCM but dealer said 2002 model was first year with the option to chech hours (Motorola PCM).. I know the person selling the boat and he has never had a minutes trouble from it and when I took it to the water and ran it with multiple starts if performend flawlessly.. Going to take it to the lake in the mourning if there is anything else I should test please let me know. I wouldn't be so adamint about this boat but it is truly in new condition as well as the trailor.. It looks like it has never left the garage..

You're good to go!!! Ask the owner for the maintenance records. It sounds like the jet was well taken care of.

Now, for the rest of the story...

1) Check in the Intake Grate... if it has the HydroSuck (Hydro Surge) pivoting grate... check to see if it's missing any teeth (tines). Also, look inside the pump at the impeller and inspect for damage. The HydroSuck Grate was a disaster... an engineering mishap and clearly a marketing driven device not backed with common sense. If you buy this jet... the first thing you doo is remove that HydroSuck Grate and replace it with the aluminum 6 tine grate, which you can purchase through any Mercury shops. The Part # is listed throughout this forum.

2) Learn to drive a jet.
a) Never use the throttle while at the dock... only use the Forward and Reverse lever
b) Never gun it in shallow water... it will suck up rocks the size of your grandpa's nuts @ 3'
c) Throttle is Needed when steering... if you let off the throttle... you will not turn
d) Secure all aboard and never make a fast turn or emergency stop (sub-move) without notice
e) Do NOT ingest a tow rope... turn off the 240EFI when in doubt
f) Don't let others drive... because they don't know how... it's not a jetski
g) Don't seek boat wakes to jump... jetboats track different and a rolling wake can eject you
h) Wear your lanyard attached... so if you leave the jet it will stop

3) I recommend Boat US for insurance... they are excellent and great rates!

4) Always run water through the engine while flushing and flush often

5) Don't use WD40 in the engine compartment... it screws with the O2 sensors

6) Use Mercury Oils and lubes... don't be cheap... they work with no worries

7) On older jets... be sure to fully lube/inspect the all control cables etc...

8) Don't get sun screen on the hatches... it makes marks

9) Buy and install HydroTurf... excellent product and makes your jet very safe and comfortable

10) JetWild while the Gas is Cheap!!!

I don't think I left anything out... However, I am still in my Winter mode and Lake Winnebago still has plenty of ice on it.

11) It's Okay to sit in your jet while, in the garage, making noises... that's normal!!!

SpeedSter240EFI
Rj

Many of the suggestions being made in this thread apply to all boats and all engines, not just the 240EFI. The idle RPM's thing is specific to the 240EFI, but things like normal maintenance are part of owning a watercraft. Just wanted to make certain the 240EFI wasn't coming off sounding like a piece of junk. It's not - it's a great engine.

I have the 240EFI service manual and I'd swear there was some ability to adjust the idle speed within a limited range without affecting the ECU. I'll check and report back.

As far as engine hours, the 2002+ models were Mercury SmartCraft compatible so that may be why they store the hours and older units do not.

Finally, there is a very highly recommended aftermarket alternator available for the 240EFI. It kicks the current output up by 50 amps and (I'm told) is a breeze to install on a stock 240EFI. You leave the existing stator and regulators in place. I've seen pictures and it's pretty impressive. Cost is around $700 I believe. If anyone is interested I'll post the website. This kit is often used by race boat owners who have Mercury powerplants based on the same 2.5L powerhead as the 240EFI SportJet.

I believe $700 is less than the cost of having the stator charging system repaired. I might even be interested in that upgrade! Wash... Doo list the site.
Rj

http://www.simonmotorsports.com/page10.html

Looks like the basic unit is $575.00. You can spend more to dress up its appearance if you like.

When they're talking about a "16 amp charging system", they're referring to the stator on the race-configured engines built on the 2.5L powerhead. They use a lean-and-mean system on those engines to minimize the engine load. The 240EFI has dual 20-amp circuits because it's designed for a different application, but as you've noted if the RPM's are low you're not getting 40 amps out of it. I'd call Simon Motorsports and see what they say about what volts/amps you get at lower RPM's.

I took the boat and rode it for about two hours. The boat started and ran fine in the no wake zones and at full throttle. I noticed that the boat idled about 900 RPMs when cold and not "cleaned out", and when warm it idled at about 1100 RPMs. I tested the charging at both 900 and 1100 and it was 14.44 volts which is good. When coming out of a no wake zone the boat does smoke some, and on the initial throttle up there is the standard cloud of smoke left on the lake. After the engine is warm it starts and runs clean. I bought the boat for 8500 and feel I got a hell of a deal, as the boat is honestly in new condition. After looking in the engine compartment I noticed a sticker on the front of the engine that tells you build date and idle speed. It seem that this boat will do fine, if I have problems then I will look at aftermarket charging systems. Someone else said that the hydro surge gate was a problem so I will address that soon. Thanks for all the info and help, I feel like it helped me to buy a solid jet boat.

Shawn

That is an incredible deal for a boat in the condition you've described. I recommend doing a "winterization" job on it so you can start fresh with the maintenance history. I'll post links below.

Use only genuine Mercury Premium Plus 2-stroke oil in this engine. I have exactly the same boat and engine as you do, and my boat's first owner had just started using generic 2-stroke marine oil in it when I got it. It was smoky just as you've described. I started using Premium Plus and once the old oil was consumed the smoking went away.

Before you replace the spark plugs (as part of the service linked below), you should decarbon the engine. Carbon buildup can also cause smoking, rough idle, etc. Get a couple of cans of Seafoam from any auto parts store and use it at 2-3X strength for a tank or two of fuel. This will clean out carbon deposits. (The really correct way to do this is with a standalone outboard tank and an even stronger Seafoam mixture, but your engine has so few hours this should work OK.) After decarboning and performing the service, use Mercury Quickleen in every tank of fuel. This will reduce carbon from building up in the first place, plus it will keep your injectors clean (another potential source of poor starting, warmup, etc.).

Ignore what the various and conflicting stickers and manuals say and run at least 89 octane fuel. (I personally run 91 octane because around here "premium" doesn't contain ethanol.) Yes, the engine has knock sensors so it can safely run on lower octane fuels, but experience has taught me that it runs BETTER on higher octane fuels. That's a $10,000 engine (no matter what you actually paid for it) and an extra nickel or dime per gallon to help it run better is well worth it.

If you take some time to get the engine to a known-good maintenance condition and keep it there, and feed it only good fuel and good oil and the proper additives, it will run flawlessly and you'll be very happy. Take good care of your equipment and it will take good care of you.

Link to 240EFI Maintenance:

http://articles.richardhartman.net/jetboat/mercury240efiwinterization.htm

Link to M2 Jetdrive Maintenance:

http://articles.richardhartman.net/jetboat/mercurym2winterization.htm

Link to Mercury 240EFI Service Manual in PDF format:

http://articles.richardhartman.net/jetboat/240EFI_MY2000/

Hope this helps!