The check engine light is on, and the ski may or may not feel any different. On the FX HO and Cruiser HO (2008 to 2014, 1812 cc, no supercharger) the light is the control unit asking to be read. There is a code stored behind it, and you can read it yourself in a few minutes.
How the reading goes
Plug the M-JET Diagnostic dongle into the diagnostic connector, open the app and let it connect over Bluetooth. The app recognises the model and shows only what your ski has. Fault codes appear in plain text with a possible cause and checks. Write down what you see before you do anything else. Clearing the memory first throws away the one piece of evidence you have.
Which numbers belong to this ski
The 1.8-litre control unit uses the numbering of what I call generation B. These are the entries you are most likely to meet on an FX HO from 2008 to 2014:
- 13 pulser coil, 24 camshaft sensor
- 15 engine temperature sensor, 65 exhaust manifold water temperature
- 17 knock sensor
- 19 battery voltage
- 23 intake air temperature, 29 intake pressure sensor
- 47 slant switch, 55 steering sensor
- 68 no-wake switch, 78 reverse switch
- 124 to 128 throttle position sensors, 131 to 135 accelerator position sensors
Two more depend on the build year. Code 51, the throttle lever idle switch, appears from about 2012, and code 63, irregular intake air, belongs to later boats (roughly 2014 on). The RiDE system with its 150 to 164 codes arrived on the supercharged boats in 2015, so you won't find it on an FX HO of this period.
Why forum numbers disagree
You will sometimes find a different number for the same fault. One forum quotes code 18 for the throttle position sensor of an FX HO, while the diagnostic data lists the throttle position sensors under 124 to 128 for this generation. The older control unit uses 24 for the throttle sensor, and the same 24 means the camshaft sensor on the newer one. Displays, manuals and posts draw on different lists, and the lists differ between control unit generations. The description in the app is matched to your model, which makes it the one to trust.
Active or stored
A code in the memory does not mean the fault is present right now. A sporadic fault, a contact that failed once or a single bad start all leave entries. When a code appears, look at the matching live value. A temperature sensor entry with a sensible live temperature is a different problem from one with a value that sits still or jumps. Some owners report the light going out by itself after several start and stop cycles. That means the fault was sporadic, not that it is solved.
What to do with the code
- Read and note every entry.
- Check the matching live values at idle and with the throttle moved slowly.
- Clean and reseat the connector that belongs to the sensor in question. This alone clears up many sporadic entries.
- Clear the memory only after the repair, then run the ski and read again.
If the same code comes straight back, the cause is still there. If it stays clear after a proper ride, you have your answer. The app supports the FX HO and Cruiser HO of this generation. The FX HO fault code list has each entry explained, and reading fault codes covers the procedure in more detail.
