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2008 RXT turns over but doesnt start

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harleybob

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Evening everyone,
My 2008 RXT 215 turns o er but wont start. Its been sitting for a couple years so I charged up the battery and it turns over but wont even try to start. Has about 1/4 tank of gas. So it seems its either no fuel or no spark. Any input?
 
harleybob said:
Evening everyone,
My 2008 RXT 215 turns o er but wont start. Its been sitting for a couple years so I charged up the battery and it turns over but wont even try to start. Has about 1/4 tank of gas. So it seems its either no fuel or no spark. Any input?
Click to expand...

Easy stuff first...fresh gas...new plugs...correct oil...a battery that takes a charge...after two years of no use...ouch...was the oil changed before it was neglected so?
 
Couple of years with the fuel sitting is not good. Not sure how long fuel stabilizer can hold up, if added.

Change the fuel(remove) and spark plugs. The fuel injectors are self cleaning, but put in some injection cleaner (SeaFoam) with a little of the fresh gas.
Check that you are getting the more than 12.5 volts during and after cranking. Low voltage can hamper the electronic ignition. You can take your battery in to your local auto parts store and have them test it. Or buy a battery stress tester.
 
Dead on with what was said already, I would try to remove the old gas and put fresh gas, change plugs, oil change and I would change the battery regardless because its old and you don't want the ski leaving stranded far from shore.
 
I wouldn't anticipate after 2-years of sitting flat with scant or no maintenance, any battery can crank one of these while firing fuel injectors, powering a small computer and spinning a high pressure fuel pump all simultaneously. Consider, many well maintained lead-acid batteries of this caliber are at/near end of life after 2 years of proper care.

Fuel - Granted Washington's climate is cool but it is moist. Skunky fuel is an arch enemy of any precision fuel injection system not to mention could gum and stick the piston rings or valve guides.
 
yea, yea, yea I know I neglected them. Got too busy with a new job. Anyway removed the gas and replaced with fresh, pulled the plugs and they looked fine. There is fuel getting to them at least. I disconnected the injectors and turned it over for a bit with the plugs out to air out the cylinders. I then placed one plug into the plug wire and held it on the lift ring for the engine and turned it over to see if there is any spark and there is none. So looks like its something with the ignition system. I did replace the battery too with a better one and still no help.
 
A spark plug tester puts 140 psi to the plug then current is applied. That is how you test a spark plug. Since spark plugs are $7 piece, we don't bother. Unless you have this tester. Plugs can spark fine until under compression.
Manual recommends replacing spark plugs every year or 10-15 hour on SC models.
 
change your plugs, I'll bet it fires right up. plugs are less than $3 at your local auto parts store, get stock NGK ones, nothing else.
 
nope, plugs didn't help. Here's what I've done so far. Since I have 2 Seadoo 215's I did some swapping
1. Swapped the ignition coils, no change but the swapped ones worked in the other seadoo
2. Changed out plugs, no help
3. New battery, no help
4. New gas, no help
5. Fuel injectors were a little dirty so I cleaned them up. Put them back on the fuel rail and turned them up and ran engine to make sure they sprayed ok and they did. Put injectors back in, no change
6. All fuses are ok.
7. Next need to check voltage and resistance to the ignition system.
Not sure what else to check at the moment
 
harleybob said:
nope, plugs didn't help. Here's what I've done so far. Since I have 2 Seadoo 215's I did some swapping
1. Swapped the ignition coils, no change but the swapped ones worked in the other seadoo
2. Changed out plugs, no help
3. New battery, no help
4. New gas, no help
5. Fuel injectors were a little dirty so I cleaned them up. Put them back on the fuel rail and turned them up and ran engine to make sure they sprayed ok and they did. Put injectors back in, no change
6. All fuses are ok.
7. Next need to check voltage and resistance to the ignition system.
Not sure what else to check at the moment
Click to expand...

Do you get 4 beeps when you plug in the dess?
 
harleybob said:
Just the normal 2
Click to expand...

Hmm...okay...after the first 2 beeps...w/o crankin it, just sitting there....do you get 4...rapid beeps?

I can't find my manual...been a loooooong time...anyway...my understanding had 4 beeps meaning all's well.

Tell about the new battery, please. Have you load tested it yourself?
 
yep, 4 beeps after just sitting there. And yes battery is good. So I did some more checking.
1. I swapped the diode next to the relay fuse box and its ok. But right after that it actually started but only for a few seconds. Tried to start it and nothing.
Pulled the DESS out, waited for a few seconds and plugged back in. Tried to start and it did but only for a few seconds again. This went on for about 15 starts then it had a hard time turning over and eventually I just get the starter to try and turn the engine but it cant.
Anyway that's the latest update
 
Take a pencil eraser and clean the contact's inside the key.

This sounds like a poor connection.

Once upon a time I had a boat. I'd put the kill switch/safety lanyard on...fire it up...it'd turn over...but then die right away. Eventually...battery would weaken then nada.

Come to find out...bad kill switch. It was allowing the ignition but because it was reading disengaged...would kill the motor immediately.
 
So I took out the plugs since I thought it was hydrolock, turned it over and water shot out of the cylinders so now I gotta figure out why the water is getting in there.
 
Yes, somehow its getting into the top of the cylinders. The lower half thank goodness doesnt have any water in it. The other seadoo runs fine on the hose
 
If it has water on the cylinders that means that more then likely the motor was off but the water hose was not.( ski on then turn water on, turn water off and then ski off).
 
Roger that, still need to figure out why it only runs for a few second then turns off after I finally got it running.
 
Try to get that water out of the cylinders ASAP, I would also change the oil on the ski after it has no water in the cylinders, I would put table spoon of the right oil on each of the cylinders and let it sit so the rings can get lubricated again. AS far as the ski not staying running it likely that you cant keep fuel going to all the cylinders.
 
Wait. Why is there water turn on. The engine must be running first before you turn on the hose when you are on the trailer/stand.
If in the lake etc, Then...

Your innercooler is leaking water into the engine. Pull the two water lines that go into the innercooler and do a real low pressure check.
This has happened quite often... When innercoolers go bad... Do a search within the four tech thread.
 
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