2006 GTI Broken Timing Chain @ 47 Hrs. Any Suggestions?

[keltonks]

Hello. Purchased gently used 2006 GTI on 13 May. Only 30 hours of use by older person. GTI was clean as a pin, and worked perfectly for 17 hours. At 47 hours, while cruising at 5000 rpm w/ me and my two early teenage children on board the ski dies, just as if lanyard had been pulled out. Upon analysis by repair shop, it's revealed that timing chain is broken. I stated that it seems so absurd that the chain would break with only 47 hours of use and the mechanic said that it's like winning the lottery, it only happens to a few people. Are there any manufacturing issues with timing chains and this model and year that I should be made aware of? Is there anything that Sea Doo will do at this late date even if there were recognized issues? I purchased Sea Doo because everyone said that Sea Doo was the best PWC around. With a severly damaged engine after owning it for less than 2 months I find it hard to believe that that is "the best." Will contacting Sea Doo worth my time and trouble? Any input, and sympathy, would be appreciated.

 

[Dennis]

The GTI 4tec is not known for ANY engine problems. I would be curious as to how many hours the computer says are on the ski. It may be different from what the gauge says. If the mechanic has a scanner then he will be able to tell you. The GTI is the model the rental people use.

 

[keltonks]

Thank for the reply Dennis. The GTI was a one-owner, and was clean as a pin. You could have eaten off of the engine. The prior owner used the ski less than a half-dozen times. I'm 55 yrs and he's older than me. I am confident the GTI had not been ridden hard, as both he and I are too old for PWC tricks. Timing chain broke at 5000 rpm while cruising. No warning. I just hope that there isn't major internal damage (valves, stator, etc) and I'm waiting to hear from the mechanic as to those issues. The rough part was that I was towing the GTI in with my 2002 Polaris Virage i when the fuel pressure regulator on the Polaris went out. I had to push/pull two PWC along the north coast of Kelleys Island Ohio for over an hour, after dark, until I could reach a dock to tie them up. Not a bad effort for an old geezer. Now I know why you always use the "buddy system" if you are involved with a PWC.

 

[Dennis]

Well, you've got me convinced that the ski has only 47 hours which makes me question the diagnosis. I've worked on alot of 4tec skis' over the last 8 years and have only seen 1 broken timing change and it was because of a previous repair done wrong. Do you know and trust the tech working on your ski? Did he actually show you the broken chain? If so, make sure they repair the root cause of the chain failure. It's highly unlikely that the chain failed all on its own.......something caused it. :cheers:

 

[keltonks]

Good Morning Dennis. My big problem, other than a dead GTI, was finding someone other than a local dealer who would even attempt to diagnose the GTI's problems. I took it to one guy in Huron Ohio and he told me that I had two dead cylinders. He had me put my hand over the open cylinders when he cranked the engine and sure enough, there was no "puff" out of the first two cylinders. He did inform me that the crank was turning, so it wasn't a broken crank, but he couldn't go any farther than that because he did not have the proper diagonstic equipment. A friend of mine who works on his own PWC looked at the GTI and he too confirmed that the first two cylinders did not have compression. To my knowledge, if you have two dead cylinders there are a few things that could be wrong: (1) misignition that blows a hole in the top of the pistons. The first mechanic put a tiny camera down each spark plug hole and we could not see any holes in the top of the pistons. And anyway, if there was an explosion big enough to blow a hole in the top of two pistons I think I would have heard it and it wouldn't have happened at 5000 rpm; (2) blown head gasket, but the fluids were not contaminated and there wasn't any "wheezing" or suptter to the engine; (3) thrown rings, but in two cylinders at the same time(?), and we didn't see any rings when we looked in with the camera; and finally, (4) broken timing chain. I took it to a second mechanic and he would not even attempt to diagnose the problem (after keeing the GTI for a week before he told me that). Three mechanics I talked to said that they could not fix the PWC but I should take it to DZ Motorsports in Genoa Ohio. I followed their advice and within an hour of my dropping the GTI off with them they called me and told me that it was a broken timing chain. That confirmed my suspicions as it was consistent with the symptoms displayed by the GTI. DZ is now in the process of tearing down the engine just to the extent to determine how much damage was done to the engine when the timing chain broke. Am I right in guessing that the GTI has a zero tolerance valve configuration? Is there any way I can get out of this with minimal damage/expense? I have my doubts. I don't know if DZ will be able to ascertain the cause of the timing chain failure, but like I said before, it's supposed to be like the lottery in reverse, it only happens to one in a million and I just happened to be that one. If this isn't a known problem, is there any reason/use to contact SeaDoo? It's a 5 year old PWC, but with the low hours? Do they give a crap about public relations? Do you think it's even worth a try? Thanks for the input.

 

[keltonks]

I don't know if any one is reading this thread, but if there is anyone out there still interested I have an update to the story. DZ Motorsports called me this afternoon with good news and bad news. The good news is that when the timing chain broke it did not cause any damage to the rest of the engine. DZ tore the engine down to make sure there was no damage, and because you have to remove the crank as the timing chain goes around the crank. The bad news is to put the GTI back together, to basically rebuild the engine, replacing the timing chain and the other parts that must be replaced with any rebuild, costs $1,800.00. To part the PWC out would only bring in about $1,500.00. So that's the quandry. Do I dump more money in the GTI and keep it until I am dead, or do I just eat my loss, part it out, and buy something else? It's a tough decision. Any input from out there? I have to tell DZ tomorrow what I have decided to do.

 

[Seadoobuddy]

Check with I think SES or SBC or something like that for a rebuild engine also thru seadoo parts at the top of the home page.
keep us informed to what Seadoo Says about "customer Goodwill"

 

[RFoster130]

That is a tough call. You can get a rebuilt engine with a no fault warranty for $1800. Of course you would have to put it in yourself or pay someone else to do it. I would fix it or get a new engine for the same price. That is a very unlikely event that happened to you. Once back together it should last many hours.

 

[keltonks]

It looks to me like a new small block, paid for delivered and installed would be as much as DZ is asking to repair the engine I have = $1,800.00. And DZ said that there really isn't any damage, or much wear, to the engine I have. They acutally said that a new small block installed by them would be more than the $1,800.00, but I don't know how much they shopped around for the best price on a rebuilt small block. I haven't called Sea Doo yet, as most everyone says not to waste my breath. DZ said that a general recall was issued by Sea Doo as to the 2011 models due to defective timing chains. I guess my GTI was ahead of its time. I have to let them know tomorrow what I want them to do, and I really don't seem to have too many choices.

 

[Seadoobuddy]

I would call them and put it on record, you never know when a recall may happen then you have proof that you called earlier.
Same thing happen to me on a Chevy Trailblazer, and they paid me back. Plus part of another repair.

Ask them nice if any type of Good will could be made....you never know.....

 

[keltonks]

Hey'buddy, I do know. Customer goodwill is not anything that Sea Doo finds to be important. In my two converstations with two different Sea Doo representatives this morning I was told twice, "Sorry about your luck. Your GTI is 5 years old, out of warranty, you are not the original owner and you did not take it to a dealer for repairs. Sea Doo will not provide you with any assistance whatsoever and we do not care how many people you tell that you had major engine failure after 47 hours of use." I think my soapbox from here on out will be DO NOT PURCHASE A SEA DOO PWC! I speak in front of groups all the time, and give them information. Even though nothing on the agenda will have anything to do with PWC, I will be sure to tell each group from now on that rather than being the best PWCs on the market, Sea Doos are an inferior product, subject to major engine failure after minimal use, and the manufacturer will not provide any assistance even after their product fails without casue. My advice to anyone visiting this site in the future who is interested in purchasing a Sea Doo will be: DON'T DO IT! There may be more people who swear by Sea Doo, but I will be one of the ones who swear at Sea Doo. Sea Doo would not even offer to replace the timing chain.

 

[RFoster130]

Hey'buddy, I do know. Customer goodwill is not anything that Sea Doo finds to be important. In my two converstations with two different Sea Doo representatives this morning I was told twice, "Sorry about your luck. Your GTI is 5 years old, out of warranty, you are not the original owner and you did not take it to a dealer for repairs. Sea Doo will not provide you with any assistance whatsoever and we do not care how many people you tell that you had major engine failure after 47 hours of use." I think my soapbox from here on out will be DO NOT PURCHASE A SEA DOO PWC! I speak in front of groups all the time, and give them information. Even though nothing on the agenda will have anything to do with PWC, I will be sure to tell each group from now on that rather than being the best PWCs on the market, Sea Doos are an inferior product, subject to major engine failure after minimal use, and the manufacturer will not provide any assistance even after their product fails without casue. My advice to anyone visiting this site in the future who is interested in purchasing a Sea Doo will be: DON'T DO IT! There may be more people who swear by Sea Doo, but I will be one of the ones who swear at Sea Doo. Sea Doo would not even offer to replace the timing chain.

Honestly I dont blame them. Go buy any new car out there. Drive it home from the dealer 20 miles and let it sit 5 years. If the engine blew when you start it back up in 5 years, they wont care that it only has 20 miles on it. I dont think you will find a single auto manufacturer willing to replace it, regardless how minimal use you had. That is even a car that came with a 3 year warranty to begin with, not a recreational toy that only had a 1 or 2 year warranty to begin with.

It is really unfortunate and yes your problem is rare. That doesnt mean it is an inferior product. There is a reason jetski rental companies buy Sea Doo GTI's and get 1000 hours out of them.

 

[keltonks]

I can only speak from my experience, and my experience with Sea Doo is bad. My father was in the used car business for 50 years. If he sold a USED car and the engine blew up or some major problem arose, he would try and work with the buyer. He would offer to pay for the parts necessary, and he would not take the position, "Sorry for your luck." And, of course, he was not a manufacturer. What would a replacement timing chain cost Sea Doo? What is the price of good customer relations? What will it cost Sea Doo when I tell everyone, and I do mean everyone, that I meet not to even cosider purchasing a Sea Doo product? I'm sure I can do Sea Doo more harm than Sea Doo will cause me. I didn't ask for Sea Doo to pay for all the repairs, or to pay me $1,800 cash. I asked if there was ANYTHING that Sea Doo was willing to do to help me, in the name of good customer relations. I asked for a bone, and Sea Doo wouldn't even consider throwing me a bone. Sea Doo was not willing to do ANYTHING. If I turn out defective work in my business (and in my opinion and my mechanic's opinion the timing chain was defective, nothing else will explain its failure at 47 hrs) I will stand behind my reputation and take corrective actions and give my clients further assistance to minimize their damage. That's called being a "stand-up guy." In my opinion Sea Doo is not a stand up company. My mantra, to be repeated over and over, year after year, to all of the people I meet and greet is: DO NOT PURCHASE A SEA DOO PWC! FROM MY EXPERIENCE THEY MALFUNCTION AFTER ONLY A MINIMAL AMOUNT OF USE, WITHOUT CAUSE, RESULTING IN MAJOR ENGINE PROBLEMS AND THE MANUFACTURER COULDN'T CARE LESS IF IT'S OUT OF WARRANTY. This the truth, and the truth is painful to my wallet. The only recourse I have is to try and inflict similar pain in Sea Doo's customer base. I may be a voice crying in the wilderness, but sometimes even a voice in the wilderness is heard. DO NOT PURCHASE A SEA DOO PWC!

 

[Dennis]

It does amaze me how you are so hell bent on telling everyone how bad of a product SeaDoo produces. The bottom line is:
1. The ski is used and 5 years old.
2. You really don't know the history of the ski.
3. Just because a old person owns something doesn't mean they know how to take care of it.
4. Everyone knows that there are risks involved when buying a used watercraft that doesn't have any factory warranty.
5. You chose to ignore the risks and buy it anyway in the name of saving money.
6. YOU rolled the dice .......YOU lost.

 

[keltonks]

Dear Dennis: On the contrary, I do know the individual who owned the GTI before me. He is a friend of a friend, and I spoke with him extensively before I purchased it. He is old and sedate. I have no doubts the PWC was not mistreated, and the mechanic's analysis of the broken down engine confirmed that there was not abusive or excessive engine wear. You can keep making excuses for Sea Doo's lack of quality, but the fact remains that the PWC broke down at ordinary speed without cause after only 47 hours of use.

You are correct, I purchased a used Sea Doo PWC which has its risks. But I purchased the GTI with the belief that the risks would be minimal as supposedly Sea Doo was the BEST of the lot and would give me years of trouble-free service if not abused and properly maintained. I didn't get even two months of service. My loss was based on my incorrect belief that the Sea Doo, even though it was used, was a high quality product and would give me trouble-free service if properly maintained. I rolled the dice, gambling on Sea Doo's reputation for quality and performance, and I lost big time as my trust was misplaced. If I had purchased a well-used, high hours PWC that had been banged and battered over the years I would have nothing to complain about. But I didn't take that kind of risk. I purchased a well-maintained, low-hours PWC, which given Sea Doo's reputation one would not expect would breakdown in two months with a major engine rebuild. I was incorrect, and my expectations were misplaced, as the GTI proved to be unreliable. Therefore I AM bent on letting others know of my unplesant experience with the Sea Doo product, and the Sea Doo company. Once again, from my experience, when a person purchases an especially clean, low hours, Sea Doo PWC, he/she can expect it to break down, with major engine problems, after minimal use, for no apparent reason, and the manufacturer could not care less about your problem. To Mr. and Mrs. America, and all the ships at sea, DO NOT PURCHSE A SEA DOO PWC! Whether you or anyone else wants to believe it or not, in my opinion, the purchse of a Sea Doo PWC is an unreasonable gamble and something to avoid, and I'm going to do all in my power to see that people are aware of this fact. The truth is that from my experience faith and reliance on the quality of the Sea Doo product is misplaced, and if I can spread the truth, and the truth hurts Sea Doo, so much the better.

 

[Dennis]

For what it's worth: neither Yamaha nor Kawasaki would have extended any "good will" towards the repairs of a 5 year old ski that was on it's second owner either. So don't forget to include those 2 names while your up on your soap box whining about SeaDoo.

 

[Seadoobuddy]

Don't forget Honda, Polaris and Tigershark too! - - - - - - Oh wait 2 are already out of business.

 

[brock1]

just a thought but i would think that if the timing chain broke while riding it wouldnt just kill the engine immediatly it would run extremely rough then eventually die correct? that is just a thought im not too much into 4 stroke but i know with cars an engine will run if the timing chain broke. and as for your comments on seadoo being a bad product there is no reason to be like that we all have bad luck and need repairs everyonce in a while i bought a ski with 55 hours and had to immediatly do repairs because of lack of maintenence from the PO so stop badmouthing seadoo for someone elses obvious lack of maintenence or the ski being MISTREATED

 

[keltonks]

Brock1, if you had read the thread you would have read that the timing chain broke during normal, 5000 rpm, use, and the GTI was immediately dead. No rough running or sputter. Dead just as if the lanyard had been pulled. We all do have bad luck, however I had bad luck with a Sea Doo that had low hours, had been well taken care of without abuse, and which was being operated normally and reasonably when it broke. There was no lack of maintenance from the previous owner and there was no "obvious lack of maintenance" or signs of mistreatment. The GTI was spotless and clean inside and out. If there had been obvious lack of maintenance or evidence of mistreatment or abuse I would not have purchased the GTI. I purchased it from some I know, not a complete stranger, and he was the original owner. The pristine condition of the PWC was confirmed when the engine was broken down and inspected by my mechanic. The engine shows miminal wear which is in conformance with the hours of use displayed. I agree that everyone experiences bad luck once and a while, but due to Sea Doo's reputation for quality I did not expect to have major mechanical problems when I purchased an especially clean, low hours, Sea Doo PWC that had been well maintained and not abused. In my experience such expectations are misplaced, as a person who purchases an especially clean, low hours, Sea Doo PWC that has been well maintained and not abused can expect it to break down, with major engine problems, after minimal use, for no apparent reason, and the manufacturer could not care less about your problem. Once again, based on my experience and in my opinion, DO NOT PURCHSE A SEA DOO PWC!

As for Yamaha or Kawasaki, I have no idea whether they believe in customer good will or not. I just know from my own personal expereince that Sea Doo does not believe in customer good will.

 

[brock1]

Brock1, if you had read the thread you would have read that the timing chain broke during normal, 5000 rpm, use, and the GTI was immediately dead. No rough running or sputter. Dead just as if the lanyard had been pulled. We all do have bad luck, however I had bad luck with a Sea Doo that had low hours, had been well taken care of without abuse, and which was being operated normally and reasonably when it broke. There was no lack of maintenance from the previous owner and there was no "obvious lack of maintenance" or signs of mistreatment. The GTI was spotless and clean inside and out. If there had been obvious lack of maintenance or evidence of mistreatment or abuse I would not have purchased the GTI. I purchased it from some I know, not a complete stranger, and he was the original owner. The pristine condition of the PWC was confirmed when the engine was broken down and inspected by my mechanic. The engine shows miminal wear which is in conformance with the hours of use displayed. I agree that everyone experiences bad luck once and a while, but due to Sea Doo's reputation for quality I did not expect to have major mechanical problems when I purchased an especially clean, low hours, Sea Doo PWC that had been well maintained and not abused. In my experience such expectations are misplaced, as a person who purchases an especially clean, low hours, Sea Doo PWC that has been well maintained and not abused can expect it to break down, with major engine problems, after minimal use, for no apparent reason, and the manufacturer could not care less about your problem. Once again, based on my experience and in my opinion, DO NOT PURCHSE A SEA DOO PWC!

As for Yamaha or Kawasaki, I have no idea whether they believe in customer good will or not. I just know from my own personal expereince that Sea Doo does not believe in customer good will.

MAYBE you missed what i said........ my comment was "IF THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE IT WOULD NOT DIE INSTANTLY LIKE IT DID" and by the way i did read the post ok....... when a timing chain breaks im almost positive that it does not kill the engine immediatly that might not be your only problem.......... but i see from all your other posts that you have it all toigether and have made up your mind that your 5 year old seadoo is junk because of a broken timing chain so suite your self...... just another thought but i have a 97 with 55 hours and my darn rectifier is bad "DARN THING HAPPENED WHILE I WAS RIDIN" what a piece of junk huh i should see if seadoo will fix it for free since i have taken extremely good care of it and was operating at normal rpm at the time...... Its clean as a pin and i could eat off the motor so that means that its been well taken care of and all maint. done with no mistreatment whatsoever......... im gonna give them a call seadoo is JUNK HUH ....... i cant believe this!!!!!
ps what is the number for the free parts and service on my junker

 

[RFoster130]

So what did you decide to do with it? its obvious you think sea doo is crap. Are you going to fix it or walk away? Since its nothing more than a pile of junk, ill give ya $500 for it.

 

[keltonks]

I suppose if two months ago I had purchsed a 14 year old "junker" PWC I would not have any expectations that the PWC would operate without problems. Thats not the facts, Jack. I also suppose that if I was expecting that Sea Doo would pay for all of the repairs necessary to make my 2006 GTI function after the defective timing chain broke, again I would be expecting too much. But that's not what I was expecting or asking for. A timing chain and a few bolts would have gone a long way toward improving my relations as a customer of Sea Doo. The costs of same would be minimal when compared to Sea Doo's profits for one year, or one month. But those costs and my request seem to be too much to ask, and is certainly more than Sea Doo is willing to furnish. If my soapbox was "my 14 year old junker Sea Doo broke down and Sea Doo won't do anything about it," I would be unreasonable. Under the circumstances I don't believe I am unreasonable in placing the blame on my defective timing chain on Sea Doo, I don't beleve I am unreasonable in asking Sea Doo for some parts, and I don't believe I am being unreasonable when I criticize Sea Doo for taking a "Sorry about your luck" position. As to the quality of Sea Doo products, I can only say that in my experience Sea Doo products are not quality products, as the one in which I have come in contact, which was a relatively late model, with minimal use and minimal hours, which was well maintained and cared for, and which was not abused, had a complete engine failure after only 47 hours of use. If you believe that is a quality product, then that's your belief. If you still believe in the Tooth Fairy, then that's your belief. I don't believe in the Tooth Fairy, and based upon the Sea Doo that I purchased I don't believe that Sea Doo manufactures a quality product that they are willing to stand behind. That's my belief, and my truth. I just intend to share my truth with as many people as I can. DON'T BUY A SEA DOO PWC!

 

[RFoster130]

So what are you going to do with it?

 

[brock1]

you know if you look at your numbers they really dont make sense you said that the previous owner had only used it a half dozen times correct? If that was true that means that he would have rode it for a minimum of 6 hours straight to rack up the hours each time he went out. I have a hard time believing that an old man "YOUR FRIEND" rode for 6 hours straight each time you say it ws used. I think you should look into this a little more and stop whining about a cheap fix. I see and deal with guys like you every day and there needs to be a cutoff point for your type of customer if you dont they will milk you dry and seadoo sees that!!!! Its true you had bad luck and bought a ski that has had some sort of neglegance in the past and you got the blunt end of it...... oh well we all have machines that break and have to fix them whether we have had it for 1 week or 15 years they all need work eventually. if you want to think that seadoo is junk thats fine then you dont have any reason to be on this forum correct? The guys on here are here for a reason........ they think that seadoo is a pretty darn good brand and one sourpuss like you will not change their mind it will just make you look like a whiner that cant swallow a repair or fix it yourself.
ps like foster said ill give you 500 for your piece of crap

 

[brock1]

So what are you going to do with it?

man foster you really want that thing huh!!!! hahahahaha come on why would you buy that pile its a seadoo!!!!LOL if youll offer 500 ill offer 600 maybe we can turn this into an auction thread on a ski that needs a couple hundred bucks huh