2011 Seadoo speedster (155)

[Rae]

Just bought this used from a dealership in Grand Junction, Co. did a little bit of research before buying it and noticed that the top speed should be around 60mph. I know that is at sea level and the lacked I usually run are around 4500ft. On the day I took it out for its first run, the boat only registered 32mph. I thought it was going faster than that, so I used a gps speedometer. Its top speed was 40 mph at 68560 rpm. The motor sounded great but i just would no go any faster. I took it home and started to look around in the motor area and the impeller and wear ring . Everything looks pretty good. On land I gave it a few revs with the hose attached and it hit the limiter (around 7300-7600) no problem, so the issue is under load.

I checked the oil level and it was near the top of the normal range, so i siphoned some out to get it just below have on the indented part of the dipstick. I took the boat out again after that and the rpm managed to get to 6960rpm and top out at 43 mph. The dealership never changed the oil before I bought itand even though it looked good, i went ahead and changed the oil yesterday and refilled it to where I had it before. I also replaced the spark plugs, even though they didnt look too bad. The air filter on it is pretty new and in great condition. After all that, I took it out again today and still the same 6940 ish rpm and 43 top speed.

So at this point my expertise in jet boats is at its limits. The boat only had 23 hours on it when I bought it (26 now).
My other thought might be the gas. The boat was last registered in 2015 and I have no idea if the boat was sitting the whole time with a full tank of gas or not, but it was full when I first got it and just about to the point I need to refill it. Other than that, I have no idea of where to start. The impeller looks ok but I can submit a pic if anyone thinks that might be good.

I appreciate any help getting this solved before I start dumping $$ into shop time, thanks.

 

[Rae]

Just want to update this a little. Ive pulled out the air filter, cleaned it and reinstalled. I've run the boat today with fresh gas and there was no change. To be sure, I even pulled the filter off while on the lake and ran it for a few min, also with no change. I do notice that if I go WOT, from a stop there is about 8 sec of the motor hitting the rev limiter of 7600. Once the speed starts to pick up it drops to 6800 and will not go past it. Boat topped out at 39.5 mph today.

 

[pvamax]

155hp 15' speedster is only going to see 50mph plus minus a mph or two. And that's At sea level. 215hp sc motor will do 55-57mph and the 255 motor is around 60mph.

 

[UPTHECREEK]

To me it sounds like you have a worn wear ring or possibly damaged your prop.
I know your boat only has 26 hrs. but It only takes seconds to trash a wear ring or prop running in shallow water sand , rocks and debris
These boats are not designed to run in shallow water like people think. They will suck up anything off the bottom in a heartbeat. I don't even start my boat unless I'm in at least 3ft. of water. Believe me I've learned the hard way.

 

[Rae]

I just had a mechanic look at the impeller and wear ring and he said it was lightly pitted in a few places but it shouldn't be causing this problem.he is willing to replace it to see if it will fix it. It will also cost me $500 to see if its the problem and I'm not sure I wanna go that route yet which is why I came here. Also went ahead and took out the fuel rail to see if the injectors were spraying right and they look great. My next step is to get into the computer and see if something is off there or maybe its stuck in Lerner mode, Even though I'm not sure there is a learner mode. The boat only came with one dess key and its black.

 

[briancayko]

Take the time to learn how to do a wear ring & prop yourself. Working on the pump is very easy & once you do it a few times doesn’t take much time. Just make sure to view the manual & have all the sealants & thread lockers that you will need as well as your impeller tool. You will save thousands over the life of your boat by doing this simple maintenance yourself. I was a newbie too & took my time & really enjoyed the process.

 

[Rae]

Does anyone have a diagram for the exhaust system for a speedster? I'm noticing the exhaust hose coming from the engine inflating quite a bit and I want to test for back pressure. I dont know if these run baffles or some kind of converter but I'd like to check it out myself.

As far as doing the impeller and wear ring meself, I dont think that's a good idea as it seems like a very violent process to get the pump off, and I dont want to break it.

 

[flyingbaron]

I just bought the 2011 speedster 150 255hp. Was also disappointed with the output, only came to 5400rpm. Status of the boat is very good. Found out yesterday when I used the other DESS key that the one I had used gave me redused power. So one key is like a children's mode. Do you have the correct one? I was very surprised when finding this. Also says shortly on the display something like "L mode". This doesn't show with both keys.

Or have your problem with the output been solved?

Anders

 

[Rae]

I only have 1 key. No markings l, it just says dess. I actually plan on getting a candoo pro, to make sure I'm not being restricted.

 

[flyingbaron]

I only have 1 key. No markings l, it just says dess. I actually plan on getting a candoo pro, to make sure I'm not being restricted.

Does it indicate something on the display when turning on the key? As I said one of mine indicate something like "L KEY" or so. Must be shortening for low key?..

 

[pvamax]

Does it indicate something on the display when turning on the key? As I said one of mine indicate something like "L KEY" or so. Must be shortening for low key?..

Learner key

 

[Rae]

Does it indicate something on the display when turning on the key? As I said one of mine indicate something like "L KEY" or so. Must be shortening for low key?..

Where on the dash would it display L key? Also, would the learner key reduce the rpms or would it be based on the speed? Because the RPM go to 6800 but the paddle wheel is only reading 32 when GBps shows the boat approaching 40

 

[flyingbaron]

Where on the dash would it display L key? Also, would the learner key reduce the rpms or would it be based on the speed? Because the RPM go to 6800 but the paddle wheel is only reading 32 when GBps shows the boat approaching 40

Looks like the picture for a few seconds after the key is set to position. Other key don't show the same and this was when it became fun to me.. This is a powerful boat!

 

[Rae]

Just checked. When I set the key it says "welcome aboard Sea-doo" then just displays "maint" l. I've changed the oil but don't have the device to clear the message yet.

Glad you enjoy your boat. Mine feels so under powered. Even on turns it loses so much power.

 

[Stevie White]

Hi Rae, I only get 43 MPH top speed out of my 2007.

 

[Rae]

Hi Rae, I only get 43 MPH top speed out of my 2007.

What Rpm are you hitting at 43mph?

 

[beergut]

Just checked. When I set the key it says "welcome aboard Sea-doo" then just displays "maint" l. I've changed the oil but don't have the device to clear the message yet.

Glad you enjoy your boat. Mine feels so under powered. Even on turns it loses so much power.

I just want to reiterate what others are saying about learning to do your own prop and wear ring. It's really not hard. Four bolts and two cable pins and the jet pump pretty much fell on the ground. If you're losing a lot of speed in turns then you probably have a worn-out wear ring- it's a classic sign of a damaged impeller or worn wear ring... Did you take it to an actual Seadoo mechanic or just 'any' mechanic? If he's not familiar with jet pumps, he's not going to know that the space between the impeller and wear ring is literally about the size of a human hair, if not smaller- any gap larger than that will cause cavitation and poor performance. Here's a picture of my brand new prop sitting inside a brand new wear ring. You see how tight it is, I don't even think I could get a piece of paper between the gap.

 

[Rae]

I just want to reiterate what others are saying about learning to do your own prop and wear ring. It's really not hard. Four bolts and two cable pins and the jet pump pretty much fell on the ground. If you're losing a lot of speed in turns then you probably have a worn-out wear ring- it's a classic sign of a damaged impeller or worn wear ring... Did you take it to an actual Seadoo mechanic or just 'any' mechanic? If he's not familiar with jet pumps, he's not going to know that the space between the impeller and wear ring is literally about the size of a human hair, if not smaller- any gap larger than that will cause cavitation and poor performance. Here's a picture of my brand new prop sitting inside a brand new wear ring. You see how tight it is, I don't even think I could get a piece of paper between the gap.

But if that were the case I would be having cavitation and the rpms would spike right? My issue is the motor not going over 6800 and dipping down in turns.

 

[beergut]

But if that were the case I would be having cavitation and the rpms would spike right? My issue is the motor not going over 6800 and dipping down in turns.

you wont notice any increase in rpm- but your rpm will be high while you're not moving fast- in other words- if you're at say 6000 rpm in a straight line for a good 1000' - dont touch the throttle and then turn- your rpm will remain at 6000 but you'll lose considerable speed and it'll take a long time to get back up to the same cruising speed you were at before the turn.

 

[Rae]

you wont notice any increase in rpm- but your rpm will be high while you're not moving fast- in other words- if you're at say 6000 rpm in a straight line for a good 1000' - dont touch the throttle and then turn- your rpm will remain at 6000 but you'll lose considerable speed and it'll take a long time to get back up to the same cruising speed you were at before the turn.

Ok what happened in that situation is this, my rpm and speed both dropped. It drops enough I can barely do a 180. The rpms wont increase till I'm nearly stopped doing 180's. Just feels like a lack of power. I know the 4695' elevation plays a role, but I only lose 23hp based on calculations. I could be wrong, but I have the same speeds with 1 or 4 people in the boat.
Do you think that since I am at a higher altitude, and the bilge blower covers up one of the air holes, the engine compartment could be Starved for some of the air it needs?

 

[beergut]

Do you think that since I am at a higher altitude, and the bilge blower covers up one of the air holes, the engine compartment could be Starved for some of the air it needs?

highly unlikely. the bilge blower isnt air tight at all- plus, the engine bay is open to the whole hull under the deck. plus, there's another open port under the rear deck lid port side (opposite the bilge blower) there's plenty of air in there-
I'm sticking with wear ring and / or impeller.
turn your flash on and take a pic of your impeller through your jut pump- should be able to see it pretty good.

 

[Rae]

highly unlikely. the bilge blower isnt air tight at all- plus, the engine bay is open to the whole hull under the deck. plus, there's another open port under the rear deck lid port side (opposite the bilge blower) there's plenty of air in there-
I'm sticking with wear ring and / or impeller.
turn your flash on and take a pic of your impeller through your jut pump- should be able to see it pretty good.

 

[Stevie White]

What Rpm are you hitting at 43mph?

The top RPM at full throttle, but forget what it is,...6500 - 7000? I will pay attention next time i'm out.

 

[Rae]

Just curious.. it's been a year since I posted the 2 pics of my impeller and wear ring. I'm wanting to know if they look ok.

 

[JPass]

Just curious.. it's been a year since I posted the 2 pics of my impeller and wear ring. I'm wanting to know if they look ok.

They look fine from the pics, but if you're concerned about anything, pull the pumps and inspect them. Throw a feeler gauge between the impeller and wear ring to confirm your gap is in spec.

Only takes about 15- 20 mins to pull the pumps off and definitely good practice to do so to make sure all of your hardware isn't all corroded and froze up.