2002 GTI le Flipped - wont start HELP please!

[karlchap]

Over the weekend the kids flipped the ski in the ocean and after righting it- it wont start. There was about 8" of sea water in there. (We bailed it out pretty quickly) The starter turns the engine, but either no spark or fuel. I pulled the plugs, turned it over to expel any water that might be in there, but didn't seem to be any. There is plenty of gas, I did clean the fuel filter. I WD40'd every plug I could find by opening them and spraying inside. Once back on the trailer I flushed the engine with fresh water, but by then I had drained the battery and could not turn it over anymore. Is there a cut-out-switch anywhere? Anything else I should check?
Thanks,
Karl

 

[Nate Surveyor]

either no spark or fuel.

You can pull the plugs, and ground them out, and check for spark. Or, just hold in your hand, and (don't do this if you have a pacemaker! Ha!) and if it knocks you over, why you have SPARK! Wink!

I'd suspect fouled plugs FIRST, because they sometimes get a gulp of gas when turned over, and that settles into minute cracks in the porcelain in the plug, and that fouls it.

We turned ours (2 stroke model) over the other day. It sputtered a bit after starting. If the plugs were old, it could have fouled them.

I'm an old two stroke fan from motorcycle days in the 1970's, and this would be a good answer then. So, caveat emperor, (or however you spell that!)

I'm an idiot, but trying to help!


Nate

 

[seadoosnipe]

Flipped ski?......

Karl, when a ski is upside down, it is suppose to be righted by spinning, from the back, clockwise. Or, you'll get water in the engine.

You say "either no spark, or no fuel"........which is it? You need to pull the plugs and keep the crank saturated with lubricant to keep it from rusting till you get it running again.

The 717cc is a stout engine. It should recover from this rollover easily. Just keep the engine lubed, charge the battery when dead, or connect it up to your car (without starting the cars engine) and continue to try. You probably did ingest some water, so it may take a lot of cranking to get it all out.

Do check the plugs for spark in a shaded area by removing them, leaving them attached to your wires and laying them down on the head. Connect your lanyard and spin the motor over. Look for spark.

Repost...............:cheers:

 

[derek]

one guy had a wierd way of doing it. get a couple 3 guys. take off seat. roll ski upside down. crank motor. plugs out and wires grounded of course. if you do this. roll it backwards from the recommended way to roll upright. the whole idea when you roll them is to send the exhaust under the engine, not over top of it.