496 Mag DTS Not starting in neutral/Bravo 3

Skidrow69

Member
Oct 10, 2015
47
Wasaga Beach ,Ontario
Boat Info
2009 350 Sundancer
Axius
Smart craft
Engines
2 X 496 Mag
B3 outdrives
Hi all...
I have a 2009 Searay Sundancer 330 with 496 mags DTS/Axius.
In the spring had both outdrives serviced with new oil/shift cables bellows..workd fine
until about a month ago...Noticed one day that the starboard motor was starting in
forward gear...This was a shock as I quickly shut it down until I was in an open water area
and did some testing.
I reset the ECM..still the same...I noticed if I started the motor
with the dock button I could shift the shifter into forward and then reverse. This would usually get the motor to sit in neutral. Sometimes when I would start the motor, it would start in neutral??????
If I used the joystick, the drive would then operate normally.
There were no ECM alerts showing on vessel view. Both the throttles showed neutral on the shifter as well as vessel view. I tried to start both the port and
starboard motors while putting the shifters into forward gear...nothing, so the neutral safety switches are working....changed the neutral switch on the starboard motor by the
DTS shift actuator..nothing and it was sitting in the middle of the cam arm, indicating the
shifter as in neutral.
I have researched this topic and found little on the net other than this had to checked by a
mercury dealer with G3 software.
Took the boat to an authorized mercury dealer...He checked the system with the G3 updated
software and found nothing wrong.
He pulled the boat out and pulled the drive off...changed the shift cable assembly...He said he noticed that the cable had a little movement in it...He then started it about
25 times and it started in neutral every time.
Picked up the boat and drove it home..( about a 30 minute ride) and started it several times
before putting it into the slip, and it worked fine.
I went to take the boat out yesterday,(after sitting for 5 days) and started the port engine first as I am still cautious about the starboard situation.
The port started as usual in neutral. I then started the starboard, with the dock setting..
Well the boat lurched forward in gear, faster than previously. I immediately grabbed the
shifter and put the engine into reverse. Guess what, no reverse! I was heading towards
the boat across form my slip. I then shut down the starboard motor and used the
port engine to control.....Very scary!
I then took the boat out into open water and shut down the engine.
I started the starboard engine and it was in gear with much more throttle than I had
before. I put it into neutral and nothing happened. I put the shifter into reverse and it still
stayed in forward gear. Reset the ECM to no avail.
I called my mechanic that had done the work and he said that it sounds like it is in the
outdrive, possibly he shift cone?
He will have to pull the boat out and pull of the drive again.
Anyone out there have any experience like this or ideas?
 
Your system is drive by wire. Did he check the DTS shift actuator on the problem engine? It could be out of adjustment or actually bad. If you can get eyes on it, you could verify it is trying to shift the out drive (in a safe area obviously).
 

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