Yamaha WaveRunner has finally fixed the long-standing issue of faulty low-fuel warning buzzers and fuel consumption trip meters that reset every time the craft is switched off.
The fix – which is a simple 30 minute software upgrade at the dealership and free of charge under warranty – is already being rolled out Down Under, in Australia, and is expected to be available in the US any day now.
Judging by the outpouring of frustration on social media, it appears Yamaha Corporate has underestimated just how many customers were affected – and how upset they were.
There are at least several thousand affected models in Australia and the US and anywhere else the craft is sold.
A legal Class Action was launched against Yamaha in the US earlier this year given the company’s inaction on the issue in the two years since the affected models were released to the public.
As reported by an in-depth article on on the issued published on Dec. 7 by our friends at Watercraft Zone in Australia, the problems arose when Yamaha WaveRunner introduced new 5-inch and 7-inch touchscreens to 2022 and 2023 versions of the flagship FX HO and FX SVHO model series.
Two faults combined to make it almost impossible for riders to accurately measure just how much fuel they were using.
The low-fuel buzzer would trigger early even though there was more than half a tank remaining, and the precise “fuel used” trip meter (which showed exactly how many liters had been used, right down to the decimal place) would wipe its data as soon as the engine was shut down.
It meant that riders who stopped for a break or pulled up at a beach would lose their most accurate fuel-use data during a day-long ride.
However, in a frustrating twist, if riders continued to ignore the low-fuel warning buzzer knowing it was a false alarm, there was a genuine risk they could end up stranded and out of fuel a long way from wherever they launched.
The situation was so frustrating, some customers disabled their low-fuel warning buzzers. However this also muted the buzzer for other critical warnings on the craft.
It is unclear what Yamaha’s fix means for the Class Action that has been launched in the US.
However, there is still a lot of pent-up frustration from Yamaha WaveRunner fans, if the comments on social media are any indication.
The general consensus from affected Yamaha WaveRunner owners is that they’re glad there is finally a fix, but are dismayed that it took the company so long to address the issue – after Yamaha initially refuted there was a problem.
Yamaha dealers in Australia have been given instructions and the software update – which does not require a replacement display screen – and the same service action is expected to apply in the US.
The faults affect 2022 and 2023 versions of the non-supercharged Yamaha FX HO and supercharged Yamaha FX SVHO model series.
Earlier versions (2019 to 2021) have a different dash and are unaffected by this fault, though they are known to have a separate problem of the display fritzing out and not working altogether.
Yamaha dealers have been advised the new 2024 versions of the Yamaha FX HO and Yamaha FX SVHO will be delivered with the software update already installed.
