4.2 TDI problems

[tony1b2000]

Hello all,

Purchased a new (demo) C37 back in December. New boat with VW 4.2 TDI engines.
I cannot believe how many things were bad from day 1.
Isotherm tripping breaker, line through a TV, Grill switch malfunctioning, and a low fuel indicator on the vessel view with a full tank, limp mode after 2500 rpm one engine. Months later after everything (except the engine error ). The mechanics found a non punched out knockout in the return line to the lift pump. So now the think the fuel injector pump is bad. Of course, to make matters worse, this part is out of stock for possibly 2 months!!!
So much for this years boating season.
Has anyone had luck with these engines? The worst thing Mercury did was have the mechanics swap parts and harnesses. That made matters worse.

The boat is in Florida and I planned on taking it home back home to Boston in April. I feel like this was the biggest error in my life right now.

[km1125]

Wow. Sounds like quite a few "new boat" headaches!!! Hope everything works out and you get to enjoy the boat!

[Midnightsun]

I am sure they will eventually get addressed by the manufacturer. Unfortunately this seems to be the case with most new boats regardless of brand, lots of little stuff just does not work correctly or there are adjustments to be made or cosmetic repairs to be done. That being said I have never bought a brand new boat however after 20+ years of boating forums it sure seems to be rather common. Best boat around is one that was purchased a few years after new and all issues have been addressed however maintenance is the key to all boats which is neglected by the vast majority.

[Viper]

Ah new boat woes. It should be expected but it's not. I guess the rationale is that if you're paying that kind of money and everything is new, you would expect to not have problems for years to come. The reality though is that rarely do boats come off the line with zero issues. While a lot of the deficiencies get caught by the dealership and the typical customer hears nothing of it, some stuff does get by and some pop up later through normal use. Unlike the automotive industry for example which dictate specs to third party suppliers and most components are proprietary, a boat for the most part is a consolidation of generic ready made components and equipment, each of who's manufacturer has its own sets of quality control guidelines good and bad. Even the best made equipment of the highest quality has a failure rate though, it just sucks when you end up with one of those. The hope is that the OEM will come through and make it right. Hope things get resolved soon.