1996 Seadoo challenger starting issues

[brenthenny]

I have a 1996 seadoo challenger that starts occasionally however oftentimes it does what happens in the video. I hear a loud thunk then buzzing. When I start the boat the voltage drops from 12.66V to 9.70V however the battery is almost brand new. It seems as though the first 3 or 4 times I try to start it it starts perfect and other times it only rolls over when I let off the start button or it behaves like in the video. The brushes on the starter have just been replaced.

 

[IDoSeaDoo]

something's wrong with my audio tonight, so I can't hear it. But when diagnosing starting issues like this, I always start with the battery. If I know it to be good, next is CABLES. This is a biggie, especially if the previous owner didn't zip tie things properly. They can wear and/or corrode, often right at the terminals. They can get weak or break. Where are you reading your voltage from? It could be that the wire you're reading is too weak as it's trying to turn the starter. If your cables are solid, check the solenoid. You can do that by bridging it. If you can make it spin better by placing a wrench across the poles than you can with the START button, replace it. Do so with a quality unit, I hear stories about cheapo ones.

 

[brenthenny]

I have a 1996 challenger that will start the first few times I click the button each day then I just get a loud thunk. I connected a good battery directly to the starter and the starter will not turn over the engine. Is this a clear sign that I need a new starter?
Thank you

 

[mikidymac]

Can you turn the engine over by hand with the plugs out?

 

[JeremyD615]

This sounds like a bad ground to me... Check all of your connections and inspect the cable, or just replace it. They can look perfectly fine on the outside, but be corroded completely through on the inside...

 

[brenthenny]

This sounds like a bad ground to me... Check all of your connections and inspect the cable, or just replace it. They can look perfectly fine on the outside, but be corroded completely through on the inside...

It ended up being a combination of a bad starter and still being hydrolocked

 

[brenthenny]

Can you turn the engine over by hand with the plugs out?

It ended up being a combination of hydrolocked and a bad starter

 

[mikidymac]

Don't buy an aftermarket starter.

 

[brenthenny]

Don't buy an aftermarket starter.

Thank you