96 GTX starts if by shorting across relay, dies after 20 seconds??

[marke52896]

Well another year and more problems. My 96 GTX was running fine when my son and friends took it out. Thought they got a rock in the impeller so they thought turning it over was a good idea to get the rock out. Of course when they finally turned it over they turned it the wrong way filling the engine with WATER!!! It also shorted out the started relay. So I cleared the water from the cylinders but the ski would not fire. There was water in rear electronics so I shorted across the starter relay and it fired up. Ran for a few minutes but while it was running I discovered there was a water leak comming from the gasket where the exhaust and block meet. Replaced the gaskets and leak moved to where the cylinder and block meet so I removed the exhaust, removed the cylinder and put it all back together. Still had to short across the relay to get the ski to fire but I still seem to have a water leak (yes I checked and replace the small tubes coming off the back of each cylinder, still a leak. So I decided to at least replace the relay but that did not help still and the short across to get the ski to run. It will not start by pressing the start button, replaced that, still nothing. Replaced the small electronic rectifier in the front electronics and still not luck starting with button. Checked at fuses and they are good. When I short across the starter relay she fires right up, runs strong for about 20 seconds and dies. Can restart and same result.

So, where else could a leak be coming from. Appears to be cylinder side, under the cylinders? Then what the heck the starting issue, why won't it start with the starter button. Finally why does it die after 20 seconds. Frustrated especially since it ran great when it first ran this year.
Thanks

 

[marke52896]

Wow, shocked no help.:banghead:

 

[Coastiejoe]

Ok. When it does run for 20 seconds, can you turn it off using the STOP before it dies on its own?

 

[marke52896]

Nope, I can stop it by removing lanyard but the button does nothing.

 

[Coastiejoe]

The button does not feed the starter solenoid. It feeds the MPEM. So remove the wires of the button and see if it has continuity. If not, I'm leading toward and MPEM issue and or a fuse or power feed to the MPEM.
[MENTION=41828]Minnetonka4me[/MENTION]. Am I thinking right here?

 

[marke52896]

Of course I'm hopefull it's not the MPEM. Just fine it odd that after clearing the water from the cylinder it started and ran fine. It's only after fixing a water leak in the exhaust that it now won't start. I checked all the fuses and they were good, also tried a button from my 97 trying to knock out possibilities without just buying and replacing. The MPEMs are not interchangable on the 96 and 97 so I might just have to buy one and see.

 

[Minnetonka4me]

Its extremely tough to follow your description make sense of whats going on....

If I am following along you flipped the ski and thats when it started not allowing the start button to crank the motor over? Im guessing you are putting the key on the post just before you jump the solenoid?

Tell me one thing, with the key off the post and everything hooked up what happens when you hit the start button a few times? LCD gauge come on for 33 seconds?

 

[marke52896]

Correct, everything happened after the ski was flipped. All leaks have been resolved. When the engine was full of water and they cranked it the gaskets between the cylinder and block were pushed out. Thats all fixed. Only remaining issue is starting and running. I put the key on and I get two beeps as I should but depressing the start button gets nothing. If I short across the start relay it starts right up and runs for 20 seconds and shuts down. I can pull and reconnect the key, short across starter relay and it fires right back up, runs another 20 seconds and dies.

I have replaced starter relay 3 times, coil 2 times, 2 diffent starting buttons, checked all fuses but the results are always the same. Two beeps, nothing from the button but can start it by shorting across the relay, runs and dies after 20 seconds. I've also checked negative connection to starter and it appears fine. I have a second rectifier but it did not help. MPEM issue?????