www.iFourWinns.com

Hi All!

Had a little problem on Saturday when I went out, and I think it is the ESA Module. I was hoping to verify before buying parts. I put the boat in and started up perfectly like normal. When I put it into reverse to back out of the dock, it stalled immediately. I tried it a few times, each time it fired right up and stalled immediately when I tried to put it in reverse. I then tried to put it in forward gear to make sure ESA was OK and it might have been the linkage out of adjustment, and it stalled immediately. Did this several times. The engine fires and runs perfectly. I unplugged the ESA from the distributor, and it shifted into gear and reverse with no issues. When in gear, either forward or reverse, I cannot get it out of geat without ESA on and didn't put pressure on the cables trying.

At the beginning of the season, we adjusted the linkage when installing the new engine, so it seems to be still in adjustment and shifts perfectly. What else could the issue be besides the ESA module?

Thanks,
John

_________________
1988 215 Sundowner 5.7L OMC

John,

I would agree with your diagnosis. It certainly seems to be the ESA module if the stalling does not happen when you disconnect it. Only other possibility I can think of is a bad gound or shorted wire at the ESA module or the control switches show below.



The grey triangular part at the lower left kicks up or down as you shift into forward or reverse. As it does, it pushes the little switch with the roller arm. That switch intentionally cuts your engine rpm down (and makes it run rough for a second). After the shift cable finishes moving, the grey triangle is supposed to spring back to center, releasing the switch, and the engine returns to normal.

Of course the ESA system should only make the engine slow down/run rough...not make it stall. You could push the little switch with the roller arm manually, to see if that makes your engine quit.

I never had a failure of the ESA module, so I would not hesitate to install a used one instead of a new one (which might be hard to find).

Ray

_________________

"Knot Easy" 2000 Horizon 240 Volvo 5.7GS /SX
tow: 2017 Honda PILOT EXL-AWD
prev. boats:
'87 Chaparral 198CXL 4.3 OMC Cobra
'69 Jetstar 16ft Ski Boat, 115hp Yamaha
'68 Aluminum Jon Boat, 3hp Sears
'64 Water Wings

Thanks Ray, I haven't taken a close look yet since this weekend, but plan on getting a good look tonight and making sure everything is clean, and the little plungers and switches are acting properly. I have found some used and new OEM parts on ebay as well as Sierra and CDI after-markets. I will go OEM, if everything else looks OK. New OEM in box for $95...not bad.

-John

_________________
1988 215 Sundowner 5.7L OMC

The ESA should not be engaging when you shift into gear, only when you shift out of gear, so I'm wondering if the adjustment could have changed somehow since you last did it. I'd try running it in neutral on the water hose and trigger the ESA by hand and see if it still stalls the engine. On mine it lowers the idle from 600 to about 450 but does not stall it. One time I did have something funky going on where it would come close to stalling after shifting into gear, it turned out to be a bad points n condenser. Do you have the standard ignition or upgraded to electronic?
My guess is that if the ESA engages when you shift into gear, it is lowering the idle, when the engine has the load of spinning the drive gears on it, and that is different than it already being in gear, and shifting to neutral and then having the ESA engage.

_________________
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

So we checked it out and it seems that the spring was a bit soft and not able to push it past triggering the switch when moved from N to R or N to F. We pushed the switch by hand while running on the hose and it killed the engine, so the switch is fine. We spread the spring out a bit and it shifts fine and triggers the switch as it is supposed to while shifting. My father read somewhere about a recall with those springs, so it may have been a common issue back in the day and this is most likely the original. I am going to order up a new spring to have on hand in case this happens again this season or change in the spring, whichever comes first.

Yes Lou, with the new engine this spring we upgraded to the AC Delco marine distributor with remote coil. It came with instructions on wiring to use the ESA, and it does exactly what you say, drops it from 600-650 to about 400-450 as I shift into or out of gear or in reverse.

_________________
1988 215 Sundowner 5.7L OMC

Glad you have solved the problem John,

On my previous boat, the ESA engaged going into gear or out of gear, so I guess I had a weak spring (and often had stiff shift cables due to replacing the rams-horn exhaust pipe with the Volvo [almost] equivalent which put pressure on the transom shift cable).

Well, those days are behind me now. I am quite enjoying the Volvo Cone Clutch.

Ray

_________________

"Knot Easy" 2000 Horizon 240 Volvo 5.7GS /SX
tow: 2017 Honda PILOT EXL-AWD
prev. boats:
'87 Chaparral 198CXL 4.3 OMC Cobra
'69 Jetstar 16ft Ski Boat, 115hp Yamaha
'68 Aluminum Jon Boat, 3hp Sears
'64 Water Wings

Haven't water tested it, but when shifting in and out of gear, triggers the switch as it should, so we will see on Saturday. Thanks for the help to you and Lou!

-John

_________________
1988 215 Sundowner 5.7L OMC