Perfect Pass Problem

[wakeborder5]

We've had this problem with our Perfect Pass that has been fixed multiple times and come back and I have been ignoring but figured I'd post here and see if any of you had any insight. The problem is the PP loses slack when pulling the throttle cable and then I have to push the throttle halfway down to just get more than idle power and the PP is not able to function as it continues losing slack. After turning off the boat and PP once or twice, the slack is gone and the throttle and PP will work fine until you attempt to use the PP again and after a few turns it has to give more power than before and slack in pulling the throttle cable comes.

[dogbert]

It sounds like the throttle cable coming from the tensioner is binding somewhere, causing the tensioner to wear out prematurely. Do you have a kink in it somewhere?

[noworries]

I'm not sure if I completely understand the symptoms, but the hand throttle has to be open beyond what PP will need for its own speed control activities. Have you tried leaving the throttle nearly wide open? It may take a few seconds for PP to settle in to its set speed, but you'd be sure you have enough for it to work with.

[mtnsmith]

You said it has been fixed several times, did PP replace the servo motor? That sounds like what is going bad. If it is wearing out prematurely, I agree with dogbert, something is making it work too hard. I did not like how PP wanted me to mount the motor to a cooling hose so I mounted it on the little wall that makes up the aft port compartment. It stays drier and has a very gentle bend in the cable, versus what it would have if I had mounted it to the cooling hose. Good luck, let us know what it ends up being.

[zad0030]

I want to help but I dont know what "losing slack" means.

[zad0030]

Is it tight at startup?

[wakeborder5]

When I say slack, I mean that the throttle has to be pushed much a lot farther before any power comes. I don't know exactly what they have done to fix the problem, but they have even replaced the computer system once.

I have tried pushing it farther than needed so the PP will have room to work with, but maybe not to the degree you guys have suggested. I didn't pay too much attention when I was testing it as I was pulling a rider and focusing on that, but it did seem to delay the problem. I should be able to get out tonight and try opening the throttle up more, giving the PP more room to work with.

Sorry for the poor terminology.

[lee]

What year boat do you have and what Perfect Pass do you have?

[zad0030]

If the throttle is not far enough It should give you a symbol like this, #

[wakeborder5]

22V, pretty sure its a 2004, maybe 2005. Yeah I get the # symbol on turns and give it some gas but get it after it looses some slack, not at the beginning.

[noworries]

Give it 3/4 throttle from a speed below the PP set speed and leave the throttle handle there. You'll should hear the engagement beep when you reach your set speed but the boat will then go maybe 3-4 MPH faster than your setting before the servo reels in the cable and corrects your speed. The hand throttle will not move any. PP can apply throttle only up to the point at which you've set the hand throttle.

Then go make some turns like you're pulling someone. Your hand throttle has to be open far enough to accommodate any acceleration you would make manually to preserve your set speed. PP just does it itself.

PP disengages when you pull the throttle back near or to idle.

[wakeborder5]

UPDATE: I'm still having issues with this and I'm getting the boat back in a couple weeks and am planning on taking it apart to do some maintenance and would love to finally get the Perfect Pass working once and for all, as it would make driving and getting pulled so much more enjoyable. I'm hoping I can do some brainstorming with you guys and have an approach or an idea of what to look at when I get the boat back.

I am almost certain it is not a user error, as I have tried putting the throttle at various positions from 1/2 way to 3/4 to almost full and it never works. Each time, the engagement beep goes off and then it shows the _underscores_ that it has taken control and the boat goes to the speed that corresponds with the amount of throttle applied. Perfect Pass then begins to let out the cable and reduce the speed to the set speed, but when it arrives at and goes below the set speed, it is unable to reel in the cable and increase the speed. As a result, it goes out of the set speed threshold, then shows the # sign to give it more gas, which does nothing, and ends up slowing down to an idle. At this point, the throttle is still all the way down and the boat is only at an idle. In order to remedy the problem, the boat has to be turned off and then switched to the 'on' position, at which point the servo motor resets (or whatever is the appropriate term) and reels in all the cable to its most-wound-up position.

I have tried adjusting the ndw and kk settings (I believe those are the names) that control the paddle wheel measuring interval and the firmness of the speed adjustment, using the default values and adjusting both settings in both directions, but it did not fix the problem and seemed to have little effect.

I think the problem lies in the servo motor and its inability to reel in throttle as needed to give more gas. What troubleshooting can I do to verify whether the motor needs replacing? What parts might I need to replace? Is perfect pass the best place to order them from or might there be a less expensive vendor?

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!

[lee]

With the boat turned off can you rotate the knob on the servo motor? When the key is first turned on do you see/hear the servo motor rotating?

[wakeborder5]

Yes, I believe I was able to rotate the knob on the servo motor with the boat turned off. Additionally, when the boat was first turned to the 'on' position, you could hear and see the servo motor tightening back to the default position. I would have to perform this task of turning the boat off and letting the servo motor spool back the cable every time after I tried to use the Perfect Pass, as it would have let out all the cable and not spooled any of it back.

[wired1236]

Have you called perfect pass? They are awesome to work with.