Honda product support

[Putershark]

For quite some time now, I have been having shifting issues on my 150. When the shifter recall was completed, this issue seemed to get worse and for the longest time the Service Manager at Sunray Marine and I just kept thinking it was just a shifter cable adjustment. However, that never alone seemed to correct the issue, which was very strange to both of us…

Here of late, it had gotten so bad that if I was on a plane and had to pull back on the throttle semi fast, six times out of 10 I was hearing some nasty grinding noises from the lower unit, so I would just punch the throttle back up again and slowly back off the throttle and no noise… This though (backing down on the throttle slowly) is not always possible if you see a crab trap buoy, going though some waves, or see another boat in your way so I took the boat in again on Monday, and we discussed the issue again… I asked that the lower unit gear case drained and checked (like the fifth time now) for metal shavings again... Even though I had noted the issue on several past repair orders while the engine was still in warranty, it was now out of warranty so I was not getting the warm fuzzes about this getting loader noise if you know what I mean.

Well what was found was even worse then shifter cable being out of adjustment again or some metal shavings in the lower unit, and though hard to explain without having the part manual picture in front of me to include in this note… The shifter linkage from the top and the shifter linkage from the bottom (where they engage) the fingers (mesh gears) have worn down to almost nothing and moved back and forth by just using your fingers… In other words, trying to find and hold in any gear like this, would not be easy and very soon I would have had to either bring her home on the trolling motor or be towed back to the ramp from not being able to get it into any gear.

Therefore, as I stated the engine (though only has about 102 hours) is out of warranty by a few months and the engine now needs removed from the boat, the power head taken off and the lower unit dropped (quite a job) to replace this shifter linkage. Well as reported to me, nobody has ever seen this type of failure before (I know that I have not) at the dealership for any of their engine lines. We also have to remember that these parts is what I would classify as a “no load” parts meaning, no huge amount of stress is placed upon them (like most shifter linkage components) to cause this type of wear or failure. Therefore, the Service Manager called Honda and Honda is covering the entire repair under warranty / goodwill

I have always been a big fan of Honda technology and reliability having worked with it myself in the automotive field several years as a Service Director, and these only reaffirms my faith in their support of their fine products, and for all the help Sunray Marine has given!

[glehav]

i just hope evenrude will stand by their warranty as good a honda did yours... thats great glad to hear you didnt have to come out of you pockets for the repairs. that could of hurt...

[Putershark]

Thanks!



And I do not think I would say it is warranty as much as it is customer goodwill since it is out of the standard warranty period. Several things to take into consideration that may help you and others in the same position going forward...

• I have always been way ahead in my maintenance of this engine and lower unit and it is documented as such. Something that I looked up (service history) myself took into consideration when doing the same for my customers years ago before making any call to the local district service manager to secure goodwill help. In other words, one is asking a lot of the builder and dealership to go out on a limb for you, if you have not taken care of your equipment or spent any money with them to service it...
• Have things noted on your service repair orders even if nothing is found. The dealership can always state "unable to duplicate the condition, no repair made" which goes a long way later on.
• Though fully able to do my own service work, I always take it to the dealer (this also gets it noted it on the repair order)... Now I may supply the oil (Mobil One) but I always use a factory oil filter. If some (as I have seen) aftermarket filter blows off and one looses an engine, it could make it a little hard to get covered. And after the warranty is out and this happens, good luck!
• If possible, have the engine hours denoted on each repair order. I have a hour meter built into my Honda digital gauge package so that makes that step pretty easy.
• Though some like to state that no dealer service visits are needed for X amount of time... I would not leave a water pump impeller in that long and have them changed yearly to 18 months pending on "lack" of use. This also gives the dealership a chance to inspect the engine over (you may need to request such) while it is still in the standard factory warranty period. This applies to 2 strokes even more since you do not have oil changes, thus have less chances for the dealer to see and inspect your engine during this time period

[BarryB]

Actually, the marine mechanic can remove the lower unit without removing the engine or anything else. There is a clutch dog that slides on a bar. The clutch dog engages the forward or reverse gear with the pinion gear. Actually a very simple and old system. You do have to make sure the shift cable is properly adjusted, otherwise the clutch dog doesn't engage completely and it grinds down. Eventually causing it to "pop out of gear".

Glad Honda is standing by its product.

[Manomet]

I cannot say how strongly I believe in Honda and this reaffirms my beleif. I own multiple pieces of honda power equipment and love them (Generator, Weed Whacker, Lawn Mower) usually own Honda (or Acura) cars (sorry Honda, this time I had to buy a Toyota. When you come out with a vehicle the size of the Sequoia, I will buy it).

If Honda is reading this, they can take note of the following: Someday I will either repower my current boat or buy a new one. When that day comes, I will be buying either a Yamaha or a Honda. I have heard multiple stories like this about Honda and they can be sure that weighs in favor of Honda.

Ted

[Putershark]

Originally Posted by BarryB

Actually, the marine mechanic can remove the lower unit without removing the engine or anything else. There is a clutch dog that slides on a bar. The clutch dog engages the forward or reverse gear with the pinion gear. Actually a very simple and old system. You do have to make sure the shift cable is properly adjusted, otherwise the clutch dog doesn't engage completely and it grinds down. Eventually causing it to "pop out of gear".

Glad Honda is standing by its product.

I agree it is a old and for the most part, very, very, reliable system... But on this one, the power-head (saw both the parts blow up and the engine side cover out of the way) and the power-head sure looks (and as advised to me) that it has to come up and off for total access to the upper part of the shifter linkage.

Be that as it may, I am sure though that if Honda has another way of getting at both ends of all of the shifter linkage on the VTEC engine, they will advise the dealer on how to do such... The cable though, has been kept about as adjusted as one can be with all the trips to the shop it has had. My boat also has the stainless steal extreme teleflex cables that one can tie into a knot and they still work... So I really do not see this as a cheep cable, poor adjustment issue as much as just simple metal fatigue on the shifter linkage components

Will be interesting in see the old parts once removed and hopefully, I can grab some pictures of them to post here when the repairs are all completed

[BarryB]

I thought you saw metal shavings in the lower unit oil. If that is not the case, then possible the shift rod like the shop said. In that case, it may be more work than I originally thought.

Since it's on their tab...

[Putershark]

No, but we kept draining and refilling the lower unit looking to see if we "could" find any over the last year or so and never did... This though is what you would expect to see after hearing such noises

Honda though has been great about the issue and I am very thankful for their ongoing support of this product and it says "volumes" about how they and Sunray Marine feel about customer satisfaction