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  1. #1
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    Unhappy 1997 Evinrude 150 Ficht Intruder - warning horn/limp mode

    This is a bit long, so you might want to sit down...

    I know everyone hates these motors. But I have had great success with several of them, no issues, great performance, and at crazy-low purchase prices.

    This motor was on my personal bass boat. It is a 1997 Evinrude Intruder 150 with only 158 hours. It has been flawless, pushing my heavy, dual-console Cajun 190 to 63 miles an hour with a 24P Ballistic and no jack plate. Can probably do more, but I'm happy with that.

    Anyway, I uncovered the bass boat for my first trip of the year. She started up beautifully and ran great. I ran around for about an hour then stopped to fish. I fished for several hours and then it was time to go home. Again, she started up perfectly but when I went to jump on plane, the warning horn went off and she went into "limp" mode. Hmmm... I shut down, restarted. Sounded perfect, but then same thing. Ugh...

    I ended up easing back at a fast idle. Everyone told me the ECM was gone, and to scrap he motor. I got the software, and NO hard codes showed up. So I let it sit for two seasons.

    Last fall, I came across a nice motor at an auction. (1997 Johnson 150 Fast Strike). I won it for $1,100, and installed it. First time out, it jumped up, ran well. She did 59@5500 rpm with a 24p Raker. But then it did the same thing!!! Went into limp mode with horn. Repeated randomly several times. My first thought was that I had a bought a bum motor.

    But when I went back to squeeze the bulb, it felt really funny... Hmmm... THEN I remembered the FICHT. NO... Could that be it?!??

    I replaced the bulb, and the Johnson has been flawless ever since. Sadly, I sold that boat a few weeks ago, and the new owner loves it.

    Now here is my question... Do the Ficht motors have a fuel-restriction alarm like the standard motors?

    I have the motor sitting on a stand, and I'm tempted to find a hull to test it on. Let me know what you think. I'm all ears.

    I'm also curious about ECM swaps and rebuilds, if fuel flow doesn't fix it.

    Thanks in advance.

    -Tony

  2. #2
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    Yes a 1997 150 FFI DOES have a fuel vacuum switch that will set the CEL. It also doesn't throw a code when its tripped hence why Evinrude diag wasn't showing any codes...
    Dan Cario

    1994 STV Mod-VP w/225HO Ficht Evinrude
    1987 22' Velocity w/225HO Evinrude E-Tec

  3. #3
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    If I remember correctly, only the carburetor V-6 engines and a few V4 models have a vacuum switch for warning the boat operator of a fuel restriction.

    The FICHT engines (and E-TECs) do not.

    When the motors went into limp mode and sounded the horn, which of the 4 warning lights came on?

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    IF you do need ECU or PDP repair on your motor, there are now 3 companies

    DFI Technologies

    CDI Electronics

    Marine Computer Supply

  5. #5
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    First, thank you for the replies!

    Baja 16,
    Oh boy, do I hope you are right! That would be great news.
    Is there any way to verify? Thanks!


    Seahorse,
    It was the "check engine" light.

    This is a first-edition Ficht, one of the first ones produced, in fact, before many of the modifications that followed. I sure hope they still had that switch in this particular one, and that it was causing the shut down. This was one sweet-running motor prior to this problem!

    Questions: Which of the above companies is the most reliable? Which has best price?

    Thanks!


    -Tony

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    Yes their is a vacuum switch on the early 150 FFI models. IF you remove the breather you be looking at the fuel bracket that all the fuel related components mount to (lift pump, fuel filter, high pressure pump/VST and the vacuum switch). The switch is grey and located down to the lower left, has two wires coming out of it and has one 5/32'' hose connected between it and the vacuum side of the lift pump. That switch is the only thing that will set a CEL and put it into SLOW without throwing a code in the EMM...
    Last edited by Baja16; 05-24-2015 at 11:13 AM.
    Dan Cario

    1994 STV Mod-VP w/225HO Ficht Evinrude
    1987 22' Velocity w/225HO Evinrude E-Tec

  7. #7
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    Just checked the 1997 FFI 150 parts list on the Evinrude website. No vacuum switch on the FICHT motors. There is a vacuum switch on the traditional carbureted V6's

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by seahorse View Post
    Just checked the 1997 FFI 150 parts list on the Evinrude website. No vacuum switch on the FICHT motors. There is a vacuum switch on the traditional carbureted V6's

    Look up a 1997 E150PLEUC go under "motor cable assembly" part #14 on the parts list
    Dan Cario

    1994 STV Mod-VP w/225HO Ficht Evinrude
    1987 22' Velocity w/225HO Evinrude E-Tec

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Baja16 View Post
    Yes a 1997 150 FFI DOES have a fuel vacuum switch that will set the CEL. It also doesn't throw a code when its tripped hence why Evinrude diag wasn't showing any codes...

    Baja 16, YOU ARE THE MAN!


    I just went out, and sure enough, there is the vacuum switch, front and center!


    i am very happy, and a little embarrassed that I didn't catch that myself. I am regularly on several other forums, and EVERYONE insists that switch does not exist, so I never went down that path.


    The big clue was the second, carbed engine doing the same thing, but your insight really helped me.


    Now I have to flush this engine, and try to get it running, after sitting for two years due to my ignorance.


    Let let me know if there is any way I can return the favor. If you ever come to Virginia or Maryland, I would be very happy to take you out in the Chesapeake bay for striper, flounder, blues, croaker, red drum or whatever is running at the time.


    -Tony

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    Yep, I gotta eat crow on this one.

    The vacuum switch is ONLY on the very early production model FICHTs of 1997 with a model number of E150PLEUC and E150ILEUC. It was discontinued after a certain serial number and was no longer a part on the mid-year production motors.
    Last edited by seahorse; 05-26-2015 at 01:57 PM.

  11. #11
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    Thill - no problem man!

    Seahorse - I knew the 97's were the only FFI's to have that switch. I didnt know they only put them on the early production ones, i thought they stopped using them when hey went to the 98MY. I don't know why they stopped using them though... Evinrude wants us dealers to do a fuel system vacuum test on ALL boats we rig new E-Tecs on to prevent any fuel starvation related issues. You'd think if excessive fuel vacuum is such a huge concern they'd still be using the switch?....
    Dan Cario

    1994 STV Mod-VP w/225HO Ficht Evinrude
    1987 22' Velocity w/225HO Evinrude E-Tec

  12. #12
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    When I went to FICHT training in '98 that was a question that came up that why did they not have a vacuum switch like the earlier carb motors. The answer was it was not needed, saved money, and that if there were a large fuel restriction, the motor would not run right and you would see that when testing fuel pressures.

    And even today, years later, we find most new-engine repower problems to be related to the boat's old fuel system. Multi-powerhead failures are almost all caused by a fuel restriction or air bubble in the gas lines.

  13. #13
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    Do you have any recommendations on things to do to get the motor running, after sitting for two years?

    So far, I'm planning to pull the spin-on filter and replace, and use fresh fuel with some Seafoam added, and hope the injectors aren't frozen or anything like that.

    Thanks!

    -TH

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