www.iFourWinns.com

Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes Yes ad infinitum. I thought newer would be better ! I console myself by thinking of all the fuel I haven't used this year; it's not why I bought a boat though).

My "deja vu" should have warned me

As an aside , our big garden is looking pretty damn good this year, as I have had time to attend it ( but hating doing it !!!!). Same as the big garden at our other house close to where the boat is. A complete waste of the best boating season here for 9 years.

Here's my prediction (or prayer!):
You'll iron out all the bugs, and your wallet will be lighter. Once there, you'll not have any more issues with the system, and enjoy years of trouble-free boating from it!

I think you're right about that....
I had the same experience with the OMC Cobra, first year it would not go into neutral, engine could not plane out the boat....found a great mechanic....OMC school trained....they fixed both problems and I didn't have to touch the shift linkage till 10 years later when I finally bought the 3 OMC tools and learned to do it myself.

11 years of boating, it needed:

2 shift linkage adjustments, 2 seal replacements on the drive, 1 bellows, 1 set of trim lines, 1 gimble bearing, 1 cir pump, 2 starters (one was from getting flooded with salt water last year) 2 sets of manifolds (par for the course in salt water) 2 carb rebuilds. Not too bad actually.

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88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

Problems narrowed down; not the trim pump, not the wiring from the PCU to the trim pimp connector.

So, now it's the PCU, HCU or the interconnecting cable.> $2000, > $2000 and >$150 or so. No means apparently to test which is faulty, only substitution, so much for the diagnostic plug !

Side benefit; I now know the wiring on the boat intimately, after less than 1 season. Some absolutely bonkers features; like a 10+ foot cable connecting the alternator to the charge splitter when a 5 foot one would have worked, likewise overly long EVC cables, all folded up and retained by cable ties !

I have never figured out why these manufacturers insist on putting pre-built connectors on their harnesses. It's easy work for a boat builder to assemble a multi-pin weatherproof connector at the final assembly, and makes for a much neater installation.

VP offer their EVC connection cables in various lengths, to suit the installation. Maybe FW got a good deal by buying only the one length in bulk and used it on everything. Likewise the alternator cable. It does make for an untidy installation though.