www.iFourWinns.com

I am an Australian and purchased a 2007 288Vista in September 2011. It is fitted with Twin 5 litre Mercruisers, Westerbeke 5 Kw Genset and airconditioned. When purchased it had less than 70 hours on each motor. Appearance wise the boat looks like a new boat.
Initially the boat had water in the fuel tank caused by failure to replace O ring on filler cap. Engines have both been serviced by a Mercruiser dealer and fitted with new spark plugs. I am unable to get the vessel to plane. I put both motors fully in and set both trim tabs to bow down setting and give it WOT. Motors reach just on 3000RPM and boat will not get on the plain. I have tried with all 4 passengers in the cabin but it makes no difference. It feels like it is just short of power and motors do not sound to be missfiring. There are several similar boats with V6 Mercruiser engines and I believe they all have sufficient power to plane.
The fuel pumps have all been checked and pressure tests done to injectors. I had 2 new water separators fitted and motors run smoothly without any hint of a missfire.
Has anyone a clue to help me. So far I have spent AUD $4,550 which includes full engine service and a new multi channel battery charger.
The vessel is booked in to the Mercruiser service centre this coming Friday.
Cheers
Stan from Gold Coast Australia

I have a V258 2007. I just got it last year with 11hr on it. I too had the same problem at first.

Make sure your tabs are 25 to 50% down. Not all the way down, there act more a break if you do, slowing the boat down. Then drop the drive fully down or almost down, as you hit 10 to 12 KPH, start bringing the drive up. At that point, the bow should be up. With bring the drive up, the boat should climb up on plane. This is all done by feel, so you may need to fine tune it.


Check & make sure you have the right props on the drive too. Also, is the drive and botton of the boat clean? Which drives do you have?

1.) Tabs fully down will limit top end speed, but not only allow 3,000 RPM. That is not the problem.
2.) Having the drive down fully when you start out is correct. You should only bump it up when you are on plane, not at only 10 to 12 KPH.
3.) I would suspect there is a 95.327 % chance the props on your 2007 288V are the correct pitch, unless the boat came from Colorado.
4.) The drive and boat bottom would need to have 5 inch thick carpet on the bottom to only get 3,000 RPM. Not the problem.

The drives he has are Bravo 3's. Only drive that comes with Mercruiser 5.0L engines on the 2007 288V.


Hard to diagnose the exact problem from a message board. you could check anti siphon valves , ECM performance under load with a laptop and diagnostic software, and compression checks on all cylinders in both engines.

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One of 4 Previous (Sold) Boats:
2000 Four Winns 268 Vista

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

We have a friend who has the same set up and he has never mentioned a planing issue. I will ask him if he has any tricks or tips.

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Jnizi

2007 Vista 338 "Better Yet"
Previously:
2007 Vista 258 " Just Right"
2005 Horizon 230

I am not saying your right or wrong, but I have seen some of these problems be additive. As with bottom growth, as in, not the only problem but one of them. A 1/4 of growth can slow you down about 2KPH and if your trying to get up on plane. Ever little bit helps.

Please note, I have had the same problem in planing. Tabs up, 1/2 a tank of gas & water with 4 people on board. The bow comes up and the boat plows though the water going about 12 to 14kph. The tech is showing 3000 RPMs (give or take) and the engine is at WOT. AND your at the helm going why!?!?


Stan:
For me is was the tabs that made the difference. My last boat was a Crownline 26' cuddie, same wight with the same HP, but with a B3 drive. Tabs up and no need to touch them. It just climbed up all on its own. Its all in the design of the hull. Agian, this is all done be feel. You may want to trim the drive sooner or later. I find that just when the boat starts to climb up, I trim the drive up a little. Also the chopper it is the harder I find to get it on plane. Try it on a clam day.

Thank you all for your responses. Any further thoughts would be appreciated. The engines have been compression checked and the hull was coated with Henkel anti foul three months ago.

With what you say you have done and have checked....the only thing in my brain that I can imagine is either an electronics (ECM/PCM) problem or still some sort of fuel delivery issue...anti siphon valve etc...?

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Current Boat:
2004 Sea Ray 320 Sundancer "Nauti Luvin'"

Previous Boats:
1999 298 Vista "Seas The Day"
2008 H200SS "Nauti Luv"
2006 Tahoe Q4

Sorry. My drive on a 07-288 are 5.0 Volvo Duoprop. I don't think you can get Merc drives on it in 07

Sorry, you are wrong. You can get 6 different VP engine/drives combinations on the 07' 288V. You can also get the twin Mercruiser 5.0L with B3 drives. I guess I'll have to show you too.
Read it for yourself.
http://www.fourwinns.com/past_product/s ... -93%29.pdf

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One of 4 Previous (Sold) Boats:
2000 Four Winns 268 Vista

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

I am late to the game but have the low RPMs been addressed? I have 5.0's in my 298 Vista and no way would it get on plane (in a short amount of time, that is) with that low RPMs. My 5.0's get up to the low to mid 4000s (might be even high 4000s) when I put the hammer down. I would take the boat out by yourself and put the metal to the petal (so to speak) hoping to clean something out. Way low on RPMs IMO.

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Current Boat: 2000 Four Winns 298 Vista
Previous Boat: 2000 Carver 406MY

Exactly. Check those anti-siphon valves first which is an easy and cheap fix (after you take it out by yourself and burn rubber, I mean water).

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Current Boat: 2000 Four Winns 298 Vista
Previous Boat: 2000 Carver 406MY

" quote" The drives he has are Bravo 3's. Only drive that comes with Mercruiser 5.0L engines on the 2007 288V "unquote." I am not disputing it, all i said was i didn't think you could get Mercs. read your post.

I can't access your web page. It says it doesn't exsist

When you put both throttles in WOT position do both engines appear to hit the same RPM or is one engine trying to reach a higher RPM but is held back by the other?

I would think your 288 with its 30 LOA and less than 10 foot beam should jump up on plane with those 5.0 Litre B3 drives pretty easily without even using your trim tabs at all if everything was in proper working order and medium loads on board. Drives tucked in however while climbling out of the hole.

I don't use our trim tabs for getting our 328 on plane unless really loaded up with fuel, holiday supplies etc., and really only use my trim tabs for travelling in rough conditions or occasionally levelling the boat.

Hopefully the diagnostic test from your Mercruiser dealer will help reveal your problem.

Mike.

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Current Boat
- 2001 Four Winns 328 Vista "Hour Decision"
- 2010 310 Mercury Inflatable

Previous Boats
- 30' Doral Prestancia
- 25' Doral Citation

The link did work for me and it states that Merc is an option. But, all in all, thats not important. What is, is helping out a fellow boater even if your suggestions could be wrong.

put in new motors, it's only cash ! ( LOL )

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1994 235 Sundowner w/351 Ford