Hi there! This is Kim Brucato Hudson from Brucato Power! We enjoyed your video and so glad to have been able to help fix your problem. Happy fishing and more power to you from Brucato Power!
I did notice your voltage regulators were cooked. good that you replaced them, sucks with EFI motors. You can chase problems for a long time. Glad to see your up and running.
Have been having same issues with my 60hp merc, changed rectifier. Didn’t fix the problem, found a 25a fuse that was slightly burnt, and fixed the whole bogging problems i was having when putting it full throttle. Just in case any one else has same issue, check the fuses !!!
Thanks posting these videos. The Brucato referral is really helpful. Have you confirmed the issue has been resolved with the ECU/ACU replacement? Has your bog and surge issue been eliminated after multiple test runs?
You bet! Yes, I have ran it multiple times since and it runs great. Only issue I’m having is when I start now. Have to choke it a bit. Need to call Brucato and see what adjustments I need to make to it. They set it at the factory based on your altitude and motor details. Other than that once it fires it goes.
I have a 99 Optimax 225HP and it does the same like yours. When I try to do holeshots, it'll bob down or stutter. If I slowly speed up, it'll pickup speed but also does exactly like yours and acts like it's reving in and out. Once you take it to top speed, it'll work fine. I have not have time with it but I do ha e a feeling it's fuel related.
Dang. Yeah unfortunately sounds like ECU issue. I knew mine had to be something electronic because it was never consistent. Does yours sometimes fix itself when you shut off the motor, restart and try to get up on pad again?
@Prestige Worldwide Fishing no... mine does it all the time. Inhad the motor covers apart and was going to check fuel n sparks but end up going fishing so put everything back, lol. It does it all the time and everytime. Feels like not enough fuel or electric issues. I just realized today that my +/- wires are loose at the battery terminal. I'm going to change them out and tight them down a d try again. The amp draw on my battery is good too so battery is good.
I have been trying to fix this on my outboard for over 2 years nearly giving up…. I had a bad regulator that was melted just like yours. My buddy plugged it in and it didn’t even populate on the diag. I’m assuming I have the exact same issue. The rest of the charging system looks fine. just found your video’s miraculously and SIA electronics that can redo for 180 bucks. Where did you send yours?!
@cfiore12 didn’t check regulator, just noticed it was fried looking and replaced it hoping to fix issue but it didn’t. Eventually all things pointed to ECU as the problem
@PrestigeWorldwideFishing Thanks for your quick reply. I have twin Mercury Optimax EFI 150s. My port side electrical fuel pump isn't turning on with the turn of the key like it's supposed to. There is no ground signal from the wire out of the ECU. But if I ground the fuel pump gorund wire to the block it turns on. I am thinking that it is an ECU problem. I might just switch the starboard side to the port side to diagnose to see if it is the ECU that is bad. I am thinking that it is. Again, I appreciate your fast response. 🙏
You bet! My advice, start with the cheaper repairs first until you absolutely have to replace ECU. Although my boat is running great. Fuel pump is starting to go out but cheap fix so can’t complain
@PrestigeWorldwideFishing I had thought that it was the electrical fuel pump so I replaced it. Changed out to a new one and still no start up. I had sprayed brake cleaner into the engine and it started up so I knew it wasn't the spark but a fuel problem. Yeah, I am going by process of elimination to try to fix the cheapest way first. And if I must....purchase an ECU. ☹️😬😭
Kind of. It sounded like i was rev’ing my boat when I wasn’t doing anything. So yes, I would hit the throttle, it would bog down and not want to go and then all of a sudden surge when the motor would get fuel and go full power. It was really random which helped me figure out it was electronic related and not fuel related. If you can take a audio or video recording when it happens and email it to me I can tell you if it is the same issue.
Hi there! This is Kim Brucato Hudson from Brucato Power! We enjoyed your video and so glad to have been able to help fix your problem. Happy fishing and more power to you from Brucato Power!
Hey Kim! Thanks again! Boats running great!
I did notice your voltage regulators were cooked. good that you replaced them, sucks with EFI motors. You can chase problems for a long time. Glad to see your up and running.
Yeah frustrating when you spend so much money chasing the problem too. Appreciate it!
Have been having same issues with my 60hp merc, changed rectifier. Didn’t fix the problem, found a 25a fuse that was slightly burnt, and fixed the whole bogging problems i was having when putting it full throttle. Just in case any one else has same issue, check the fuses !!!
Awesome! That is lucky! Glad it wasn’t the issue I was having. YES! Everyone read above and check fuses first!
Thanks posting these videos. The Brucato referral is really helpful. Have you confirmed the issue has been resolved with the ECU/ACU replacement? Has your bog and surge issue been eliminated after multiple test runs?
You bet! Yes, I have ran it multiple times since and it runs great. Only issue I’m having is when I start now. Have to choke it a bit. Need to call Brucato and see what adjustments I need to make to it. They set it at the factory based on your altitude and motor details. Other than that once it fires it goes.
I have a 99 Optimax 225HP and it does the same like yours. When I try to do holeshots, it'll bob down or stutter. If I slowly speed up, it'll pickup speed but also does exactly like yours and acts like it's reving in and out. Once you take it to top speed, it'll work fine. I have not have time with it but I do ha e a feeling it's fuel related.
Dang. Yeah unfortunately sounds like ECU issue. I knew mine had to be something electronic because it was never consistent. Does yours sometimes fix itself when you shut off the motor, restart and try to get up on pad again?
@Prestige Worldwide Fishing no... mine does it all the time. Inhad the motor covers apart and was going to check fuel n sparks but end up going fishing so put everything back, lol. It does it all the time and everytime. Feels like not enough fuel or electric issues. I just realized today that my +/- wires are loose at the battery terminal. I'm going to change them out and tight them down a d try again. The amp draw on my battery is good too so battery is good.
Gotcha. Check your voltage regulators too. Apparently those can cause similar problems.
I have been trying to fix this on my outboard for over 2 years nearly giving up…. I had a bad regulator that was melted just like yours. My buddy plugged it in and it didn’t even populate on the diag. I’m assuming I have the exact same issue. The rest of the charging system looks fine. just found your video’s miraculously and SIA electronics that can redo for 180 bucks. Where did you send yours?!
I got a new ECU from Brucato power out of North Carolina. They said they could fix my original ECU but probably wouldn’t last long.
Do you have to spend 1650 for a “racing” one? Or do they sell more stock ones that at cheaper?
@cfiore12 mine was $1500. Not the racing one, just whatever they recommended for my boat motor.
Yea I figured, bc the retail price for them is that or more and we
All know they don’t make them anymore. Was yours reading at all?
@cfiore12 didn’t check regulator, just noticed it was fried looking and replaced it hoping to fix issue but it didn’t. Eventually all things pointed to ECU as the problem
Thanks for the info. Where did you send it to and how much was it?
Brucato Power. $1500.
@PrestigeWorldwideFishing Thanks for your quick reply. I have twin Mercury Optimax EFI 150s. My port side electrical fuel pump isn't turning on with the turn of the key like it's supposed to. There is no ground signal from the wire out of the ECU. But if I ground the fuel pump gorund wire to the block it turns on. I am thinking that it is an ECU problem. I might just switch the starboard side to the port side to diagnose to see if it is the ECU that is bad. I am thinking that it is. Again, I appreciate your fast response. 🙏
You bet! My advice, start with the cheaper repairs first until you absolutely have to replace ECU. Although my boat is running great. Fuel pump is starting to go out but cheap fix so can’t complain
@PrestigeWorldwideFishing I had thought that it was the electrical fuel pump so I replaced it. Changed out to a new one and still no start up. I had sprayed brake cleaner into the engine and it started up so I knew it wasn't the spark but a fuel problem. Yeah, I am going by process of elimination to try to fix the cheapest way first. And if I must....purchase an ECU. ☹️😬😭
🙏 praying for you buddy! Let it be something cheap!
I'm curious about the fuel consumption is it better with the new computer
They say it is suppose to be. I’m sure it is but nothing that is super obvious to me.
so how much and were did you buy it from i think i need one
Brucato Power. You ship them yours and they either repair or send you new one.
$1500 😬 though.
When it idled did it surge as well ?
Kind of. It sounded like i was rev’ing my boat when I wasn’t doing anything. So yes, I would hit the throttle, it would bog down and not want to go and then all of a sudden surge when the motor would get fuel and go full power. It was really random which helped me figure out it was electronic related and not fuel related.
If you can take a audio or video recording when it happens and email it to me I can tell you if it is the same issue.
Did you get better fuel economy?
Maybe a little, but nothing very noticeable to me.
Can I ask about what this Repair cost you?
$1500. Brucato has prices on their site