help? I bought used boat from dealer. What do I do?

[Mr. Twister]

So I bought a 2006 Alumacraft Classic with a 70 up suzuki 4stroke in May. After I bought it it took 2 wks for them to clean it and make sure everything was ready to go. Upon pickup I realized the live well pump and horn did not work. No problem they said they would order parts and take care of it but sent me on my way to use it.

First trip out the rev limit light and temp sensor went off as soon as I put the throttle down. Back I went and after having the boat 2 more weeks they replaced the impeller and primer bulb.

Took the boat out again and it ran fine but the boat had at least 5 gal of water in it after 4 hr fishing. Upon inspection of the hull, I found a spot the size of a quarter that looks like it was patched with j b weld or something. I did not see this spot before cuz it is near a trailer roller. Took it back again. Dealer said they would pull the floor out to look for leaks and see how that hole was patched.

Stopped in at dealer and they said the boat was at a welder to fix the hole I found but also to fix a hole they found that looks like it was made by a 5/16 drill bit. They did not call me before they sent it to the welder so I didn't get to see it. (I really would have liked to see it just so I know what they were going to have to do to fix it) no dents or damage to the hull just 2 holes which is very strange.

I was very happy to be getting this boat but now after missing out on five wks of fishing so far and having a boat that I paid good money for at the welder my excitement for the boat is very low.

If the dealer agrees to weld it at no cost to me should I be happy? Part of me just wishes I could get my money back and part ways. If I ever try to sell it I think the welded hull is really going to hurt its value.

What would you guys do in this situation? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks sorry for rambling.

Eric

[rustysetter]

It seems like the dealer tries to take care of any problems but I would try to get my money back after all of those issues?

[Northlander]

Get your money back. After all these issues there is bound to be more. Holes that big are a little questionable. I wouldnt trust them and they darn well better pay for the welder and everything else.

[Mr. Twister]

Do you guys really think they would refund ny money?

Still no boat in my garage.

Arghhhh

[CaptainMusky]

This has to be very frustrating for you. 5 weeks without a boat that you paid for and our season isnt long enough already.

If it had just been the bilge, horn issues I would say no big deal provided they fix them. Throw in the holes in the hull that is a bit more involved and considering the other issues it seems like a big pill to swallow.

I would be pushing for a refund or see if they have another boat you can get instead.

What did they do about the overrev light? That isnt going to be cured by a primer bulb and impeller. That is a prop issue.

[WWW]

Do you guys really think they would refund ny money?

Still no boat in my garage.

Arghhhh

They sure wont if you dont ask for it.

[Ufatz]

Make an appointment to talk with the manager. Take your attorney with you. He does not have to say anything-just introduce him as your attorney and then sit down at the table and chat about the problems and a refund.

[nofishfisherman]

Just go in and talk with them. So far from what you have said they haven't seemed unreasonable yet so talk to them and let them know your concerns. Either ask for a refund or for a credit towards a different boat. A credit might be your best bet since they'll still get your sale and then they can continue fixing up the old boat to sell to the next sucker... I mean customer. Just be honest and polite and have a rationale discussion.

I don't think there is any reason to bring an attorney with you to the meeting. That will just cost you an extra couple hundred dollars in attorney fees. You can always take it further with attorneys at a later point if need be but once you involve them you'll put the dealer on the defensive and its hard to go back once you've gone to that point. The attorney will also want his cut so anything you get back from the dealer will likely be handed right over to the attorney, sort of defeats the whole purpose.

[fish_eat_sleep]

Those boats are good. If its a clean round 5/16 hole and no impact damage to surrounding rivets i wouldn't overwhelm yourself too much just yet. The rev limit can be caused by an incorrect replacement prop or the motor being trimmed incorrectly. the temp light would come on with the over-rev i assume due to extra heat. If it wasn't trimmed properly that would explain lack of water in the system too. Weeds and sand could also set this off. when you get it back from the dealer i would play with it on your own time and experiment.

[Mr. Twister]

When I had rev limit problems it didn't seem to matter how the motor was trimmed. The light came on when I was full throttle regardless of trim location. Also when I first brought it in the mechanic was convinced it was the prop but later changed his mind, that is when they replaced the impeller and primer bulb.

Thanks for all the advice guys I really appreciate it!

[Down Deep]

Sounds to me like the dealer is taking care of you. My guess is that you bought the boat and you will not get your money back. A used boat is not new and you should expect some issues. New boats can have issues too. A welded hull done professionally and properly will hardly be noticeable if the hole isn't very large. A year or two of water stain and it will be totally invisible. I would also ask the dealer to extend the warranty a month or two longer due to the lack of time on the water you have been able have because of all the shop time. Another thing I would do is ask for a spiff or two to compensate you for your trouble. Most dealers have all kinds of unsold accessories around that they can throw your way.

[BoxMN]

In an alumcraft, I would NOT use welding to fix the hole, but use a good solid true rivet (not pop rivet) and not worry about that hole. Heck, we drill holes in our boats (Alumacrafts) when they are still new and use rivets or screws and 17 and 30+ years later tight as a drum. Yep, a mistaken drill bit to our 82 classic and its still floating.

If the holes are by a roller, I would suspect that the boat might not be positioned right. That happened on a buddy's Lund and we just fixed it with true rivets and tightened up the surrounding, and adjusted the trailer winch post to have boat on correctly. No probs since.

For the motor, what prop is on it? Others here with that motor might be able to help you find if it seems kosher or not. Don't take everything a boat dealer says as gospel, it sure still seems like a prop issue from an outside observer POV.

I would want to know how big the other hole was (JB weld?.?. hole) to know if it was a rub hole or something as simple as a missig rivet with a pi$$ poor owner fix - that is what I would bet. Especially if near a roller, again due to possibly the boat being to far back. Was it near the transom, right under/next to roller? The boat might be hanging too far off the rear of trailer.

Just some thoughts. The boat is good brand model, and the motor is too. Once you get it fixed this memory will pass and only good ones ahead. If you choose to trade it for something else, I wouldn't doubt you either, but try to find out more about the holes. Drilled holes or rivets missing is easy fix, but you want to find the cause of them so it won't happen again.

They should do something about the time you are out, like fancy tubes for kids, case of oil, or dropped price, or possibly future tune ups, etc. (if you still trust them). Good luck!

[Mr. Twister]

The hole I found is under the console and about 2 ft right of center. I do not think the hole is from the trailer rollers. If it were I think there would be stress to the sheet metal. The hole is also not a broken rivet. I almost think that someone deliberately made these holes.

As far as the prop it is a reconditioned prop that is 15 pitch. Not sure on diameter. When I had rev limit issue the mechanic recommended switching to a 17 pitch but when the impeller was replace they said the 15 was correct. After the motor was fixed I took it for a ride with my wife and two small kids which is around 475lbs of passengers and was only able to get the boat up to 30 mph. Kinda expected to get mid 30s since my last boat was a crestliner 165 with a 50 4stk johnson and would do 34mph with the same load. The salesman says 30mph is about right for the 70 suzuki. When I was considering buying it he said I could expect around 36mph.

Anybody have experience with this boat and similar motor?

[delcecchi]

I think you should get more top end. Take a look at this boat test.

http://www.suzukimarine.com/~/media/Marine/BoatBuilders/TestResults/A/Alumacraft/Alumacraft%20165%20CS%20DF60A.ashx

Looks like a Alumacraft classic with a 60 on it, 15 pitch prop, 35 mph at 6300 rpm. If this is a boat similar to yours you should get at least 35 mph.

What RPM are you getting? I am starting to wonder about this dealer.

[Mr. Twister]

The only day i have had it wide open was the day i took the family out and was around 5800 rpms. Well besides the day the warning lite were flashing and sirens going off.

[hydro]

I have to agree with posts above that your dealer is doing a good job of trying to work through the issues for you. They most likely took this boat in trade and just cleaned it up and re-sold it. Unless they sold it to you as being “refurbished and tested” the boat just is what it is.

I suggest keeping the communication as positive as you can so that everyone keeps working together. Get the leaks fixed first, and since you mentioned a leak near a trailer roller, look VERY closely for fatigue cracks where every roller contacts the boat. Roller trailers are nice to use but awfully hard on aluminum hulls.

On the motor, try and detail the issue the best you can and ask that the dealer take it for a test drive to check it out. If there is a problem they should be able to identify it that way.

That Alumacraft is a well made boat and should last you many years and the Suzuki is a beautiful motor. Work through the bugs with your dealer, hit the water, and enjoy the boat.

[Kyhl]

There is a good chance that the live well pump is the source of the leak. This spring I replaced the livewell pump in my boat for the same reason. Livewell pumps crack and leak. My boat is dry now.

[Mr. Twister]

They checked the livewell and bildge hoses and said they were not leaking, but found an unpatched hole in the bottom of the hull that they said was about 5/16 of an inch. I have not seen this hole myself.

[Kyhl]

Does it have an automatic bilge pump and did run?

I would think a 5/16 hole in the bottom would be enough to flood the floor after 4 hours on the water. The crack in my livewell pump would give me about a gallon an hour.

[SkunkedAgain]

I have a 16.5 Navigator with a 90hp Suzuki. It did 40mph+ when I first bought it. Years later with gear, trolling motor, three batteries, charger, and everything else it does mid-30s using the stock prop and two people, less using my prop with 2" less pitch.

The dealer seems to be doing the right things, but you can't sniff out every problem with a used boat. Luckily they are taking care of these things. Had you bought this all from a private party you would be paying for all of this out of pocket AND with no recourse - buyer beware is the cost of paying less. You paid more and the dealer is providing the value for that premium paid. So let him do his thing and see how it goes from there.

[fish_eat_sleep]

my 2006 Lunker LTD with a 50 suzy runs about 30mph with 1-3 people and gear. a little lighter than yours but similar. you should get easily 33-36

[Northlander]

If they wont give your money back ask to put it towards another boat and test drive it with a salesman.