Arkie Bob
Active Member
wE took our SeaDoo back to the lake this weekend after doing several maintenance repairs and a couple upgrades over the winter. Though it's not pleasure boating/Sea-Doo season yet I wanted to get it back ready when it is time.(there's ALWAYS something needs money thrown at it when any form of boat is involved). I had charged the battery, but since it was only a few months old I assumed (always a mistake)it to be good. I didn't feel comfortable starting totally dry on the new carbon seal, so I had a buddy back into the lake and we'd already unsnapped the wench rope. Tiny little clicking noise after I was adrift in 61° water! Being a sissy I had the marina tow it to the stall/boat lift where it tested"bad battery". Trip to O'Reilly's and back with a new battery she fired right up and sounded beautiful!
So after a few minutes to warm up, maybe die, start running rough etc, all was fine so out of the no wake zone I went. Started a gradual speed increase,all good UNTIL IT WASN'T! Died (about 5,500 rpm) and restarted missing, run a few feet, die again. Here we were 1/4 mile out, dead in the water luckily a boat was coming in and gave me a tow. Got it tied up at the marina and since almost the same thing happened last year that I fixed with new spark plugs I undertook a plug change. NO HELP.
Even though the marina isn't opening on Sunday yet the manager felt sorry for me and came after church today and towed it back to the stall.
Think I found the issue, but didn't have time to try, and DIDN'T WANT STRANDED AGAIN! That'll be when I have somebody who can go out in a real boat to babysit me until I know the bugs are worked out.
Seems that when an improperly tightened exhaust hose pops off and totally fills the hull/engine compartment with exhaust fumes, there isn't enough oxygen present for proper combustion! At least Sunday morning, on the lift, with seats off it fired right off, sounded perfect, until I realized all exhaust sound and fumes were coming OUT OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT!
So after a few minutes to warm up, maybe die, start running rough etc, all was fine so out of the no wake zone I went. Started a gradual speed increase,all good UNTIL IT WASN'T! Died (about 5,500 rpm) and restarted missing, run a few feet, die again. Here we were 1/4 mile out, dead in the water luckily a boat was coming in and gave me a tow. Got it tied up at the marina and since almost the same thing happened last year that I fixed with new spark plugs I undertook a plug change. NO HELP.
Even though the marina isn't opening on Sunday yet the manager felt sorry for me and came after church today and towed it back to the stall.
Think I found the issue, but didn't have time to try, and DIDN'T WANT STRANDED AGAIN! That'll be when I have somebody who can go out in a real boat to babysit me until I know the bugs are worked out.
Seems that when an improperly tightened exhaust hose pops off and totally fills the hull/engine compartment with exhaust fumes, there isn't enough oxygen present for proper combustion! At least Sunday morning, on the lift, with seats off it fired right off, sounded perfect, until I realized all exhaust sound and fumes were coming OUT OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT!
