Your Evinrude E-Tech experience

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Starzofchaos

Member
Well I wanted to start a thread on your overall satisfaction with your Evinrude E-Techs and warranty issues. The reason that I ask, is while attending a boat show here in Jacksonville this past weekend I noticed that 98% if not all of the boats at the show where Yamaha powered. So Curiosity got the best of me and started to ask around the dealers. Most of them didnt have a good answer, beat around the bush about it... So Finally I got an answer our of the local dealer for the Skeeter boats. His answer was that BRP/Evinrude will not stand behind their product. Especially with warranty issues. He told me that he used to be a Evinrude/Johnson dealer from the early 90's to 2006. He dropped the whole Evinrude line due to the fact they when he had a warranty issue with the motor, BRP would come back and deny the warranty and write it off as, customer abuse of the motor. Then when BRP bought out Evinrude back in 2003? (Correct me if I am wrong, I am just going off what he told me) They came in and cancelled all of the warranties on Evinrude's old motors.


So I am not here to start a debate on Evinrude v.s. what ever. I am simply here to just gather some facts and those whom had new Evinrude's and their experience with dealing with warranty issues, dealers, etc. I just want to gather a little more info before I go and drop $15k on a new motor. Thanks everyone!
 
Not an etec owner but I have a warranty experience with brp. I bought my Striper with a 96 130 Johnson used in 2008. In 2009 I bought a new VRO pump for it from my local dealer and installed it myself. A few months later the engine blew without any warning. BRP replaced my power head and vro without me laying out a dime.
 
I doubt those negative comments ref bombardier.
Yami does a good job selling to the boat mfg market....as standard equip motors. Bombb had developed an exceptional engine in the etec, and i believe solid on warranty since they took over around 2003
 
I bought mine in 2010. At the time I was looking at a leftover I believe 2009 yamaha carbed 2 stroke. The local Yamaha dealer wanted a little over 12 grand for it. My dealer got me into the 2010 ETEC for a little less, plus I was sticking with the Evinrude name, although a totally different company owning the brand. Got the newer tech, more fuel effiency etc. I was pretty poor then, and money talked. I couldn't believe I spent that kind of dough, but was tired of dealing with my local mechanics and their waiting list/BS reasons not even looking at my boat while it sat in their yard under a tree all the while my summer disappearing while they went out on boat trips with friends of mine.

It sounds to me given the time frame that the dealer was dealing with a lot of problems with OMC going bankrupt and maybe the Ficht engines which plagued a lot of OMC models in the late 90's and early 2000's.

What ended up happening with Lumberslinger's Etec problem?

Would be interested in hearing from Genie Aye and Mac Attack, I think their's are older than mine and probably have more hours, my 2010 only has 184.

Having said all that, I haven't had a single problem with my 150. I've had it serviced twice even though it didn't need it according to BRP, but I like preventative maintainence. Plus if I had a problem I think it helps my cause. It really sips gas, idles smooth, quiet, shifts smooth. I love the engine enough to have bought a 90 HP model for my Carolina Skiff from the same dealer.

I do appreciate the market share that Yamaha has.
 
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striper, did i read that correct, you bought a 12 old used motor, replaced the vro pump yourself ( with a oem part). motor took a dump and brp replaced the power head & vro at no cost to you.

not doubting you at all, but that is the most amazing warranty story i have ever heard.
 
phatdaddy said:
striper, did i read that correct, you bought a 12 old used motor, replaced the vro pump yourself ( with a oem part). motor took a dump and brp replaced the power head & vro at no cost to you.

not doubting you at all, but that is the most amazing warranty story i have ever heard.
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They had a run of bad pumps. There was 2 other people that it happened to around the same time as well. I still have the engine, it s
Managed to survive Sandy. I was looking for a V 20 to hang it on but was unsuccessful, that's how I wound up with the POS Grady.
 
no one sells E-Tecs around here. Admittedly, this is Yamaha country. Yamaha has always gone after the independant boat companies(although they own a couple) and there are a lot of independant boat companies manufactured here in SC. There were a couple of dealers that suffered thru the OMC/Bomb buy out, and suffered thru FICHT/RAMFICT/E-TEC. But every one of these dealers around here bailed on the product. There were a lot of issues(just about every company has issues), but the volume of sales didn't justify the problems. There is only one dealer in this area that services E-Tecs. There are 10 Yamaha dealers and 6 Mercury dealers(one Honda and one Suzuki). Personally, I'd say there have been some engines that OMC has built over the years that have been pretty good(carb 2 stroke<150 hp) and I'll put them up against most of anything out there. But in my opinion, the V6 engine family from OMC/Bomb has not been one of the better series. As far as the newer engines goes, at that type of money investment, I wouldn't take any chances on a product I had questions about, I'd go mainstream(Yamaha). Keep in mind, I work on all kinds of engines, outboard, Inboard, I/O, gas and diesel. I've been doing it for 30 years and held a master certification in more than one manufacture. I just haven't seen anything on the E-Tecs that would warrant me to buy one over a Yamaha or Merc. If you look at areas that have a popular E-TEC customer base, you'll notice most of them are in colder climate, usually fresh water, IE:shorter season, less corrosion. The people I know that have bought E-TECS have made their decision mainly on price difference. There are not enough of them around here to really form a good opinion. In over 1500 drystack slips in the tri county area, I can point out less than 10 E-Tecs, at the recent local boat show(over 1000 boats) there were three E-TECs on display. They may make a good engine, but they have their work cut out for them to gain market share. Their recent redesign didn't help them much
 
I have a 2005 ETEC 200 HO - first year produced, and can report this.......

This is one smooth and refined 2 stroke engine. It starts instantly every time, cold or warm weather, no smoke, no shake, just a smooth quiet idle. It hardly cranks, just snaps to life, even when cold - with weather in the 30's.
The performance is fantastic through the rpms, considerably quieter than Mercury Optimax, and I believe quieter than the Yami's except for the 4 strokes.
Uses less fuel and oil than my old 150 hp.
Service - 300 hours needing NOTHING. New out of the box - WOT allowable, no break in period required.
This is 2 stroke technology taken way down stream from the original 2 strokes.

Fact is, when Bombardier bought out OMC, they fixed the mess, with a new production plant, quality systems, and built the DFI from around 2002 - 2005. I had one of these, very good engine. Meanwhile, they worked on the next generation, which became the ETEC. Now, Bombardier has launched the G2........next generation with even more refinement.
 
I've been on 2 different boats where 250 Fichts went down hard (rod through the block in both cases). Etec design isn't too much different from those 2003/4 bombardier fichts . . . I rather have a simple carb 2 stroke than a DI motor. New plugs every 70 - 80 hours and expensive oil $40/gallon eats up most of the fuel savings.
 
bigshrimpin said:
I've been on 2 different boats where 250 Fichts went down hard (rod through the block in both cases). Etec design isn't too much different from those 2003/4 bombardier fichts . . . I rather have a simple carb 2 stroke than a DI motor. New plugs every 70 - 80 hours and expensive oil $40/gallon eats up most of the fuel savings.
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The 2003/4 engines weren't that bad. Those were still FICHT engines, but had the bugs worked out by BRP. BRp didn't call them FICHTS though, but instead FICHT RAMS or DFI's. ETEC was simply a redesign of the FICHT technology. It was the 97-00 150/175 that had the most issues. The 200+ had lower unit problems until around late 01 or 02 when they came out with the new lower unit(when they upped the displacement in 01, it made it MUCH worse and neccesetated the need for the improved lowers). Personally I don't think all the FICHTS were bad, but until 01 they had quite a few quality control issues. Still today the best milage from a 2 stroke was from the early FICHTS(and yes, they were MUCh better than the ETECS that replaced them, and eeked out the OPTIMAX in MPG as well). Unfortunately they never could overcome the bad stigma that the 97-00 150/175's gave the FICHT never could be overcome. So BRP had the foresight to rename them ETECS to get beyond the FICHT stigma.

With all that said, I still would not own one. I can buy ALOT of gas for what an EMM costs.
 
Therm's got it in more detail.....

I've had Evinrude carb, DFI, and ETEC so reasonably qualified to comment.

Those OMC ficht's had some serious issues, and from what I've read, nearly ended the company.
Bombardier cleaned it up, and it's been good from there. My DFI was an 04' 200 hp and good till I sold it with the Mako boat. Now the Etec is even more refined.

Loyalty among outboard brands runs strong. Now Merc, Yami, and Evinrude offer very good engines. Each of these companies had some DOGS - early Merc Opti's, Yami corrosion.
 
When I sit on my *** watching boats go by my patio in the Florida Keys, a high number of boats have E-Tecs. I would say those boats are in the harshest environment in the U.S. and I would think with year-round boating more hours than anywhere else.

I think it boils down to this when it comes to market share, people want 4-strokes because that's what the masses want. They simply don't know that 2-strokes today are just as quiet, more fuel efficient, better low-end torque, far less scheduled maintenance, and weigh less.
 
I just tore down an 01 200 ficht (same displacement block as 225,250). Other than the injectors it is very very similar to the ETEC. I like the Ficht/ETEC injector design vs. the optimax air compressor . . . Just seems simpler, but I'd take a carb motor any day over these complicated DI designs. They might burn more fuel, but they don't have to live on the edge like these new motors.
 
bigshrimpin said:
I just tore down an 01 200 ficht (same displacement block as 225,250). Other than the injectors it is very very similar to the ETEC. I like the Ficht/ETEC injector design vs. the optimax air compressor . . . Just seems simpler, but I'd take a carb motor any day over these complicated DI designs. They might burn more fuel, but they don't have to live on the edge like these new motors.
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Once you go DFI, you never go back ! My Etec's an 05......first year out, and so far, ten years later, performs as new.
Besides the fuel economy....it's how the etec starts that I appreciate over my previous carb motors. No risk of flooding, no cold start challenges, no smokey warm up. Just a very, very brief crank and it's running, much as a car. Especially good at crowded ramps too.
 
bgreene said:
Once you go DFI, you never go back ! My Etec's an 05......first year out, and so far, ten years later, performs as new.
Besides the fuel economy....it's how the etec starts that I appreciate over my previous carb motors. No risk of flooding, no cold start challenges, no smokey warm up. Just a very, very brief crank and it's running, much as a car. Especially good at crowded ramps too.
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I can't wait for the day I don't have to give my motor a bulb pumping/choking hand job every time I take the cold start challenge! I have zero doubt she will go, its just a matter of how many times it'll cough/gag/spit until its built up enough heat to purr.
 
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