Volvo Penta V6-250 User manual

OPERATOR’S
MANUAL
Supplement - Water Sports Control
V6-250, V6-280,
V8-300, V8-350,
V8-380, V8-400, V8-430
EVC

Water Sports Control User Guide
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Water Sports Control
The Water Sports Control (WSC) system
provides a single control unit for boat equipment
that is used to fine-tune the boat’s performance,
ride, and wake during water sports activities.
The system controls boat speed, trim tab
deployment, drive trim angle, and ballast tank
levels1.
Groups of settings can also be saved to provide
quick return to boat settings that provided the
wanted wake. This helps with repeatability of
wakes for future boating sessions.
CAUTION!
Whenever possible make setting changes to the
system while the boat is stationary. If setting
changes are made when the boat is underway
the operator must remain in full control of the
boat, including keeping a watch for other boats,
people, or obstacles in the boat’s path.
CAUTION!
The operator should be prepared for changes to
the boats steering and handling that may
happen when the setting changes are activated.
Note: If the display is powered off, it may take
some time to reacquire a GPS signal. Many
functions require a GPS signal.
User’s Guide
This User’s Guide covers the features and
controls that are unique to the Water Sports
Control system.
Instructions for the use of the other features
contained in the Glass Cockpit display are
covered by user information that is available in
the display.
General EVC user information is contained in
the engine’s operator’s manual. This includes
subjects such as the control mechanism, fault
handling, eKey, Powertrim Assistant, etc...
Control of trim tabs and ballast tanks requires installation of
additional equipment and may not be available on your boat.

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Water Sports Control
Display
Surf Control
To access Surf Control and its features, select
the Vessel icon on the right side of the bottom
options bar. Then scroll to the right to find the
Surf Control icon. Press the Surf Control icon to
access the Surf Control features.
See the owner’s manual loaded in the display for
options for displaying the WSC screen on the
display.
This screen displays the functions available in
the WSC program;
Ballast control and current fill levels. See
Ballast Controlslater in document for complete
information.
Enables Performance Mode. Blue icon
indicates Performance Mode is active. See
Performance Mode later in document for
complete information.
Enables Trailer Mode. Blue icon indicates
Trailer Mode is active. See Trailer Mode later in
document for complete information.
Enables Surf Left. See Surf Left/Right Mode
later in document for complete information.
Enables Surf Right. See Surf Left/Right Mode
later in document for complete information.
Enables Speed Control mode. Pressing the
Speed Control button will enable the mode and
turn the left icon blue indicating the mode is
active. The +or -buttons allow a user to set or
adjust the speed. See Speed Control later in
document for complete information.
Current boat speed.
Current power trim angle. Twin applications
will show both drive trim angles.
Current fuel level.
Current user profile that is enabled. See User
Profiles later in document for complete
information.

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User Profiles
User can quickly change between different
modes/sports/surfers using the Water Sports
Preset screen.
There are three users by default; User1, User 2,
and User3.
You can store up to 20 user profiles in the
system.
From the manage presets screen, the user can
edit the profile settings.
The settings that can be stored to the profiles
are:
•Set speed
•Target power trim
•Surf mode (left/right)
•Ballast tank level (any percentage level)
From the opening screen, press the User Profile
icon (User 1 in example image) to navigate to
the Water Sports Preset screen.
Pressing and holding the User Profile icon from
the home screen also enables you to quickly
overwrite the current user profile.
You can also get to the Water Sports Preset
screen by pressing Options in the bottom right
corner of the screen.
After the Options menu appears on the right side
of the screen, press the star shaped icon shown
below.
The Water Sports Preset screen allows you to
switch between profiles, save new profiles, and
edit existing profiles.
The top buttons are the different user profiles
that have been saved and can be selected.
The Save button allows you to create a new
user profile based on the current settings in the
system. After pressing save, you must select
which user to overwrite.
The Manage button will bring you to this screen:

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The Manage Presets screen allows the user to
rename, edit, delete, or reset the user profiles.
The Edit button will bring you to the following
screen:
The Edit screen allows you to change the preset
parameters for an existing user profile. You are
able to scroll through the list by pressing the up
and down arrows at the bottom of the list.
You are able to turn a setting on and off by
pressing the Include icon on the right.
In order to edit one of the settings, press on the
Change Setting icon on the right.
You cannot edit the settings if a mode is active.
If Speed Control is active, then the Change
Setting icon will not be shown.
In the Change Setting screen, you are able to
edit:
•Speed
•RPM limit
•Trim level
•Surf mode (left or right)
•Port ballast tank level (percentage)
•Starboard ballast tank level
(percentage)
•Forward (Center) ballast tank level
(percentage)
Ballast Controls
This section of the home screen shows you the
ballast tank controls and fill levels.
There are three pumps for moving water in and
out of the ballast tanks;
(Port/Left, Starboard/Right, Forward/Middle).
Each ballast tank can be controlled individually
using the Fill or Empty buttons. When a button is
pushed the pump will start to fill or drain until the
tank is full or empty using the resistive level
sensor to measure the level. To stop any
running pump the Fill or Empty button can be
pushed for that specific tank. If button is pushed
again the pump will start to fill/empty to current
command.
Fill or Empty button will illuminate when pump is
running depending on direction. When the pump
is then stopped automatically or manually the
button will turn off.
The pumps will run briefly after reaching full or
empty to ensure the tank is actually full or
empty.
If the ballast tank level sensor malfunctions and
the pump continues to run more than 15
minutes, a message is displayed: Warning:
Ballast pump emergency stopped. Check ballast
tanks and level sensors. See dealer for
diagnostics and repair.
Control of the ballast pumps is disabled when
using Trailer Mode and the tanks will start to
empty if not already empty.

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Trailer Mode
Operator can press and release the Trailer
button.
The Trailer indicator light will be solid when trim
tabs and surf gates are fully retracted. Otherwise
the Trailer indicator will flash to indicate that
movement of the gates is underway and then
turn solid when surf gate timer has expired.
Indicator light will stay solid if any ballast pump
is running.
It can take up to 9 seconds for everything to fully
retract.
Ballast tanks will empty if not already empty. Do
not start running the pumps if the level switches
already indicate empty. Trailer mode pushed a
second time will stop draining the tanks. At that
point, the system will be in Manual Mode.
Speed Control
To activate the Speed Control function, the user
presses the TOW button on the side mount lever
handle or the Speed Control button in the
display.
When the user increases throttle, the Speed
Control will take over control of the throttle when
the lever has been moved passed the throttle
required for the target speed. When lever is
below this position the boat can be controlled as
normal even with the water sport control function
turned on.
It is possible to activate Speed Control at any
given time when ignition is turned on. However,
to run Speed Control the engine must be
running, gear must be in forward and if MPH
mode is used, there must be a valid speed over
ground signal from a GPS source. This also
means that it is possible to activate water sport
control at a higher boat speed than the set target
speed. In this case, the boat will decelerate to
the target speed and then keep that speed.
Note that the Speed Control is not available in
reverse gear.
The target speed can be adjusted at any given
time since the settings are always available from
the display. When the WSC is running, it is also
possible to adjust the set speed from the lever
using the plus and minus buttons.

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To activate:
1. Turn on WSC from either display or
control lever.
2. LED on lever and Speed Control button
on display will be lit.
3. Move lever to wide open throttle or over
the throttle required to maintain set
speed.
4. Speed Control will adjust the throttle to
match the target speed.
5. When lever is moved below the throttle
calculated by the speed controller, the
user now has control of the throttle.
6. If GPS signal is lost when Speed
Control is running, the Speed Control is
disabled, and throttle will be locked to
current position until lever is moved
according to step 5. It will reactivate
Speed Control if GPS signal becomes
valid again.
7. If WSC is deactivated when Speed
Control is running and lever in wide
open throttle, the throttle used by Speed
Control will be maintained until lever is
moved according to step 5 or WSC re‐
enabled.
Choosing Speed Source
The User has the option to change the Speed
Control function source to either Speed based or
RPM based. Speed based is only available with
an active GPS signal.
To change between Speed/RPM sourcing, press
Options in the bottom right corner of the screen.
Once Options is pressed, the below screen will
appear.
Move the Speed Source slider to change
between Speed source and RPM source.
If RPM source is chosen, the Speed Control
screen will then look like below.

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Surf Left/Right Mode
To use the surf modes, the Water Sport Control
function must be activated and speed set to less
than 14 mph.
To activate any surf modes the user presses
and releases either Surf Left or Surf Right button
in the display.
Left button is Surf Left. Right button is Surf
Right.
Surf mode is disabled by changing to another
mode or pressing the same surf mode again.
The latter will result in manual mode.
To activate Surf Left:
1. Engine must be running and the speed
must be between 8-14mph.
2. Select Surf Left. The icon on the display
will begin flashing while surf gates are in
motion.
3. The trim tabs will be fully retracted.
4. Right surf gate will extend.
5. Surf Left display indicator will turn solid
until a new mode is selected or further
movement of the surf gates.
If the GPS speed is above 14mph, both surf
gates will retract. Once the speed drops back
down below 14mph, the system will reactivate
and reset surf gate positions.
If Surf Leftis pushed a second time, both surf
gates will retract and the system will be in
Manual Mode.
Surf Right is opposite of Surf Left commands.
If GPS speed is lost, Surf Left and Surf Right led
indicators on the display will be greyed out.
Surf Gates will not move with engine not
running.
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Manual Mode
This is the condition when no other mode is
active. The system will always start in Manual
Mode when the ignition switch is turned on. At
start up, no movement will take place without
user input.
If Manual Mode is re‐entered from a surf or
Performance Mode, both surf gates will be fully
retracted. If Manual Mode is re‐entered from
Trailer Mode, all ballast empty pumps shall be
stopped.
The Manual Mode is indicated by no other
mode/function active. In this mode it is possible
to manually adjust the trim tabs from the
external switches.
Performance Mode
This mode is optional and will be hidden if the
boat is not equipped with the option. The trim
tabs can be used to get the boat above planning
speed faster during acceleration.
To activate the Performance Mode, the user
presses the Performance button on the display.
This mode can be used outside or together with
the WSC features but not in combination with
any surf modes or Trailer mode.
As the user increases the throttle and the boat
accelerates, the trim tabs automatically adjust
and are retracted as the speed increases.

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Manual Trim Tab Movement
Trim tabs are manually controlled by a rocker
switch on the boat. Automatic trim up functions
will override manual trim down inputs which
include any Surf Mode or Performance Mode.
The trim tab movement will be disabled when
any trim tab reaches the end position.
Drive Trim (EVC)
When WSC or Performance Mode is activated
from the display, the PTA is also activated, if not
already active.
When WSC or Performance Mode is deactivated
from the display, PTA is also deactivated.
Reverse Controls
If reverse gear is detected and throttle is greater
than 10%, the surf gates and trim tabs will
perform a full retract.
Overcurrent Faults
When any circuit breaker is tripped due to
overcurrent there will be a popup in the display
telling which circuit failed. The user can reset it
immediately or review.
None of the circuit breakers will be reset
automatically even if the ignition is cycled.
Power cycle at battery is required.
The reset must be done by the user from either
the warning popup itself or the circuit breaker
view in the display.
The circuit breaker view is only visible if a circuit
breaker has tripped.
Operation
CAUTION!
Whenever possible make setting changes to the
system while the boat is stationary. If setting
changes are made when the boat is underway
the operator must remain in full control of the
boat, including keeping a watch for other boats,
people, or obstacles in the boat’s path.
CAUTION!
The operator should be prepared for changes to
the boats steering and handling that may
happen when the setting changes are activated.
After you have selected a User or manually
entered settings, move the control lever in to the
throttle position, the WSC system will maintain
the settings you have selected.
Settings can be adjusted while underway,
however remember that surf left and sure right
only work at 14 mph and below.
Trim Assist helps the boat launch easier. It is
activated when you select WSC or when you
select Powertrim Assistant (PTA) on the shifter.
To use Trim Assist, it must be set to On in the
Menu, see above.
At slow speeds, if Trim Assist is active, the trim
tabs are down. If you are in reverse gear and
throttle is above 10% Trim Assist is overridden
and the tabs are retracted. Surf right or left also
overrides the Trim Assist.
PTA operates at speeds above the Water Sports
limit. If it is activated the yellow PTA light is
shown on top of the display. PTA on is also a
way to activate Trim Assist.
The trim tabs are retracted when you turn the
engine off.
For all selections a blue light indicates the
feature is active.
A blinking trim tab light or gate light can indicate
movement of the tabs or gates.
A blinking blue light can also indicate that the
selected feature is not fully functioning. An
example is a blinking blue light for a User, if
Speed Source is set at RPM, the GPS (Speed)
is not active and the User presets cannot be
used (one parameter is Speed).To exit WSC
return to idle or low speed and select WSC icon.
Gray here indicates WSC is not active.

Volvo Penta of the Americas
1300 Volvo Penta Drive
Chesapeake, VA 23320-9810
VPA 47715209 05-2023