1999 Sea Doo Challenger will not turn over with plugs in?

[SIP]

Hello, Just getting my 1999 Sea Doo Challenger out of winter storage, twin 787's. I have a brand new battery last summer and when I hooked it up and tried to turn it over it attempted by clicking and then stopped? Thought it was the battery so I took it down to NAPA to get it checked and they said it was fine (very strong) and that battery was not my problem? So I put battery back in and tried again and same issue, clicked and then stopped? So I took the plugs out to see if it would turn over and to my amazement when the plugs were out it turned over great on both engines? So I thought perhaps because of the storage oil maybe it pressurized the cylinders somehow and so I turned both engines over for awhile to try and clear any oil with the plugs out, then I put plugs back in and same issue click and not turn over????? I'm baffled, it is like the exhaust is plugged or something.....is it possible the rave valves are blocking the exhaust? Please help. Thanks!!

 

[BoLongo]

The problem is a grounding or continuity issue. While in storage some of your electrical connections corroded and they are no longer making a quality connection. The connection is still good enough to turn over a light load but when you try and add a heavy load the continuity is chocked off. Start with the grounding wires from the battery to the engine cases, clean those connections also check the connection to the battery terminals. That should solve the problem.

 

[racerxxx]

As BoLo said, check all your connections. But if both do the same thing I'd be suspect of that battery still. If you have a meter you can check the draw on the battery when you press the start button. Say the battery is 13.4VDC static and you press the start button and the battery take a serious dive to say 10VDC. Every season I clean my battery terminals and cable ends so they're new looking.

For an easy test (kind of) you could remove the battery from your car or truck and try it. You might need to buy adapters to get back to the cable ends in the boat but those should be cheap.



Adapter like this

Or these for a GM battery

Here is the terminal brush I have. My dad has used these forever, even a brand new battery I clean the terminals.

 

[SIP]

Battery terminals and engine connections are clean and still same problem. I think it may be the solenoids on the starters are corroded and need to be cleaned? I am going to pull them off tomorrow and check them out. thanks for you reply and help with this.

 

[racerxxx]

OK, Just find it really hard that both solenoids would do the same thing.

You can disconnect the hot lead from the battery to the solenoid and leave the one going to the starter and then with a meter across both lugs on the solenoid check for continuity. So, hold a lead on either lug and have someone press the start button the meter should got from OL to 0.01 or close to it if using a digital volt meter. So much easier than disassembling stuff that doesn't need to quite yet.

 

[BoLongo]

I agree with racerxxx you should try using another battery just to eliminate the battery being the issue. You said the battery was checked out but it sounds like a battery issue to me.

Also never jump the battery in these boats it can take out your MPEM.

 

[SIP]

Okay......I went and bought a brand new marine battery, 1000 CCA & 130 Reserve, and still had same problem.....so not the battery. I cleaned the positive and negative at the battery side of the cables and removed the positive and negative on the starter and the negative on the engine and cleaned, polished, sanded, put dielectric grease on all.....and still the same issue? Take the plugs out and turns over like crazy, put the plugs back in and tries to turn but will not turn and if I keep trying I get 4 beeps? Could it be the storage oil that is still in the cylinders? Causing too much compression when I try and crank it?

 

[BoLongo]

Will it turn over with one spark plug in and one spark plug out? Try switching the spark plug to the other cylinder. If it will turn over connect a compression tester and let’s see what kind of compression you are getting.

 

[BoLongo]

When you say storage oil in the cylinder, how much are we talking about?
When you turn the motor over without the spark plugs in, is oil coming out of the open spark plug holes?

 

[SIP]

OMG....okay, firstly thank you for all of your help it is greatly appreciated. I feel like lying about what has happened but hopefully someone else can learn from my mistake. You were right it was a bad ground and not enough power getting to the starters. This was the first season I have taken the battery out and put it back in and I missed the main ground wire! Yes, you heard right...so embarrassed....but great thing is it is fixed and now I have clean + & - throughout...I even took the rave valves out and cleaned them. I noticed the ground to the engine being much larger than the 2 ground wires on the _ battery terminal...duh....it was the ground for the engines that I was missing. It was getting enough ground to turn them over with the plugs out and getting power to everything up front. Once again thank you for all your help and learnt a good lesson today. Hope you have an awesome summer!!

 

[racerxxx]

It's all good, it takes a strong person to admit their mistakes. We're always here to help and glad you got it fixed. Now go enjoy the boat! Bet you won't do that again!!!!!!!!!