2008 Yamaha SX230- going to look at one, could use some tips

[DRAT]

hi everyone, really appreciate the board. i'm going to look at a boat this weekend (if it doesn't sell first) and i feel like, from reading this board, that i have at least a hint of knowledge about the model. then again, i haven't owned a boat in 20 years and never a jet. i get the sense that this model between 2007-2009 is about as worry-free as can be found. the owner says it has no hour meter(s), that he hasn't used it much, is only the second owner and that the condition is excellent. the photos, for what it's worth, seem to confirm that. the weather should be fine for a water test so looking forward to that. any advice any of you could offer would be greatly appreciated.

thanks in advance!

 

[Brad_Ct]

He is correct that the boat does not have a hour meter but if you can get hold of the YDS software and cable you can get the hours with it.

 

[ZippyBoater]

hi everyone, really appreciate the board. i'm going to look at a boat this weekend (if it doesn't sell first) and i feel like, from reading this board, that i have at least a hint of knowledge about the model. then again, i haven't owned a boat in 20 years and never a jet. i get the sense that this model between 2007-2009 is about as worry-free as can be found. the owner says it has no hour meter(s), that he hasn't used it much, is only the second owner and that the condition is excellent. the photos, for what it's worth, seem to confirm that. the weather should be fine for a water test so looking forward to that. any advice any of you could offer would be greatly appreciated.

thanks in advance!

Where are you located? You might find a member on here that could go with you and offer some advice.

 

[DRAT]

I’m in Dallas but the boat is a little over an hour away.

 

[Barracuda67]

I tested and bought a 2007 SX230 earlier this year (May), not much to it. I brought a bunch of tools with me on the test ride in case I needed to tear into anything for inspection, however, for me, it became obvious pretty quickly that the boat and engines were in good condition and the owner knew what he was talking about.

Engines should hit 10,200rpms at full throttle and should be doing 45-47mph with 2-3 people. Also run boat at 7000-8000rpm, which is a typical cruise for me (30-32mph). If there are any concerns with engines, next step would probably be compression test.

Ask about maintenance history, specifically spark plugs and oil change frequency. Factory scupper valve is plastic, check/ask if it was replaced with stainless - lots of threads here on the subject.

Also, as mentioned above, YDS software with cable can read the total hours (plus breakdown of hours by rpm range) and any error codes.

Best of luck!

 

[DRAT]

thanks barracuda, great info. i saw the scupper valve listed on the "known issues" thread, as well.