1996 Challenger, just bought it!

[Mazdarx]

So I just put a deposit on it actually, I pick it up on Monday. It's been sitting since late last summer or the fall, I don't know if it was winterized or not, and if it was if I have to do anything before trying to start it? The guy I got it from, it was left on his property and he didn't know much about it. The battery was still hooked up and it was dead so I wasn't able to start it there. It turned over a second or two but that was all the battery had in it. For the $1000 I got it for I figured it was worth taking a chance on it. He did say the motor was supposed to have been redone though. So my question is, basically what should I do with it now? Can I just try and start it? After I charge up the battery that is. It did have some grass and a small piece of driftwood in the jet I'm going to remove first. It had some jugs of generic 2 stroke oil or outboard oil I forget exactly not the seadoo stuff anyway that was in a compartment, so I assume that is what is in the tank also. Is that stuff really that bad, or should I go ahead and drain the oil in the tank and refill it with the proper stuff? I already have a couple jugs for my HX. It also needs some upholstery work, but I won't do that until I make sure everything works properly.

 

[Dr Honda]

Yes... TC-w3 oil is "that bad" in a Rotax engine. It just cant protect these engines because of the RPM's and power they make. You don't have to use "Seadoo" oil... but you need a synthetic API-TC or JASO FC oil. SO... If it was my project... I would start with drain out the old stuff, replacing the filter, changing the small oil hoses, and making sure the oil injection system is working.

The next thing would be to pull the spark plugs, and make sure there isn't any rust, or signs of engine trouble, and I would turn the engine over by hand, to make sure it's smooth. If that's OK... Then I would put in a fresh battery, and spark plugs.... and see if it can start.

 

[Mazdarx]

Ok well I got the boat home and started cleaning it up while I waited for the battery to charge. I drained the old oil out, it was blue stuff marked for a snowmobile I think. Anyway got it all filled up with the Bombardier XPS oil now. Changed out the plugs, everything looked good so I tried to start it. Hooked everything up, nothing, just beep beep beep beep. Had to google that one, oops turns out I just didn't have it in neutral. Shifted it to neutral, hit the button and she fired right up. Didn't run it long as I didn't know where to hook up the hose but I was just happy to see it run at all. One other question, how is the ski pole supposed to work? It wouldn't come up. Oh and I thought I would also add a picture.

 

[DDE 262]

I had the same problem with the ski post on the 1996 Challenger I inherited. I thought it was siezed/rusted, but it turns out to be bent. I haven't been able to find a replacement part, so we used it in the "down" position; with the tow rope tightly cinched. It worked OK.