Broken TAPS

[akdoc]

We have an 04 switch V and our TAPS broke this weekend. The arm from the plate came completley out of the black shaft. It was just hanging there. Our boat is about a year and a half old so I don't know if they will warranty this problem or not. Can somebody explain to me how this mechanism worked and how the heck the thing just fell out?
Thanks

[rushin]

It sounds like there could be some sort of internal stop that has come a part. Maybe? Just a guess.

[lee]

Not sure when you bought the boat but it could be under warranty.

[talltigeguy]

I noticed a few weeks ago that my TAPS was coming apart where the plate and piston come together. There is a small plastic rod that holds the plate piece to the piston by passing through it, almost just like the bolt on a tower where it folds down. It had backed out about half way. It is not threaded. I just tapped (no pun intended) it back in with a hammer and it seems to have stayed OK. I think it is a mediocre design. How about a bolt?

It sounds like yours came apart in a different place - so you had one part of the piston still attached to the plate and the other part still attached to the boat?

[akdoc]

The piston that is bolted to the taps plate is still bolted there, but came out of the black housing. The black housing is still perfectly intact, but the piston is not in it. Pretty weird. I would like to fix it myself becuase we don't have a trailer and it is really hard to get service. I think we will end up buying a trailer, anyone know how much a 2004 Switch V trailer would cost me?

[tobyhaven7]

broken taps

Seems I've got probs w/my 2004 Switch i taps...boat has only about 100 hours...Turned off engine and instead of automatically going back to taps 7, taps motor kept grinding; had to turn engine back on and manually bring taps back to 7. Then a few days later when my driver manually set taps to 1 motor kept grinding so I told her to bring taps to 2 or 3 and try again for 1 which worked. But am concerned that these problems may only be the beginning. Has anyone else had this problem?

[rushin]

Yep, I have had the same problem once or twice. It has not happened in a while. When it did happen I talked to both Harvey @ Tige and my dealer and they both said there is a controller thingy under the dash in between the gauge and the actuator that goes out.

[Boarder_X]

rushin,
I am having the same problem. I have an 03, with the smaller control board. I have gone to my dealer, and they had one. I bought it, and that didn't help. They said the newer boats have a larger control board. Do you know if I can use the larger board, with the older system?

Can I just run the TAPS control to two unused rocker switches, rather than the throttle handle?

Does anyone know where I can get a wireing diagram for the 03 20i?

[rushin]

I have no idea if the larger control board will work or about using rocker switchs.

[Andrew]

Re: broken taps

Originally posted by tobyhaven7
Seems I've got probs w/my 2004 Switch i taps...boat has only about 100 hours...Turned off engine and instead of automatically going back to taps 7, taps motor kept grinding; had to turn engine back on and manually bring taps back to 7. Then a few days later when my driver manually set taps to 1 motor kept grinding so I told her to bring taps to 2 or 3 and try again for 1 which worked. But am concerned that these problems may only be the beginning. Has anyone else had this problem?

You need to contact your dealer and have them look into the problem. When the ram continues to run, then this needs to be looked at before you lose the use of Taps completely. With the electric Taps system 90% of the time its the Taps computer that goes out and once replaced the system works great. Every once and a while the Taps ram causes the problem and then this will need to be swapped out.

On the Taps computer there is 2 series and they are not interchangable with one another. One is an 1 1/8 throw and the other is 2 1/4 throw. This is why they are not exchangeable. If there are any further questionsplease contact me.

Andrew

[tobyhaven7]

Thanks, Andrew. I took my boat to the dealer and they replaced the "actuator" whatever that is. They said there wasn't an electrical problem. Haven't used the boat yet this season and the water here likely won't be warm enough for me to use the TAPS til at least end of May/close to June, so sure hope it's really all fixed!

[tobyhaven7]

Hi Andrew, This week used my boat (2004 Switch i) for the first time this season/since the dealer tried to fix the taps after I took the boat out last fall. The taps worked fine when I was driving for the first 2 skiers, but then when it was my turn, as I was sitting in the water waiting to start, I could hear the taps motor keep running after my driver tried to set the taps to 1. It did it again for my 2nd run (immediately after my 1st run). The driver had to push the button again to get the taps to actually get to 1 and get the motor to stop grinding. After my 2nd run when the engine was turned off, the taps motor kept grinding when it was trying to automatically go back to 7. My driver had to push the button the manually get it in position and for the motor to stop grinding.
I called the dealer, SkiDog Sports in Auburn, WA, and told them what happened. I also forwarded your message to them. Steve said he'd call you. A day later I called back and he said that you told them that the computer needs to be replaced, and that you're shipping the part to them. He said the part should arrive middle of this coming week.
By the way, when I posted my message at the end of last summer, I forgot to mention that every once in a while, the shape of the wake would change in the middle of when I was driving a skier as if I had been adjusting the taps, but without my ever touching the taps button. Now that's a strange thing to happen!
Maybe I just don't know better, but it's freaked me out that this is happening to a relatively new boat! I really appreciate your helping out with this. Thanks.

[edgmiw]

Taps is great, when it works

I had my TAPS go out 3 times in a season. Each time electrical. I just traded my 24V for a 24Ve which is suppose to have a new TAPS system to remedy this problem. I'm hoping for a full year of troublefree boating, but often not the case in boating. Some day someone will build a boat that holds up year after year. Hmmm...maybe that's my next business?

[tobyhaven7]

After forwarding Andrew's response to me re my broken TAPS -- it's his experience that 90% of the time it's the computer -- my dealer replaced the computer for about $500. They also said they found an electrical problem. The first time (over the winter) they said there was no electrical problem and replaced the actuator....and the TAPS still acted up the first time I used it after that fix. Guess I should've sent the dealer Andrew's note the first time. Am taking the boat out in a couple hours and am sure hoping that this latest infusion of $ solves the problem cause this is getting to be a bummer for a 2004 boat with only barely over 100 hours on it.

[jordanway]

what was it

Hey akdoc I had the same exact same problem you had and have a 04 20v switch as well and am on Kansas city. Wondering how you ending up fixing yours any help would be great thanks.