96 Sea Doo XP fuel problem

[0Gravity]

Hi All,
I just bought this ski from a friend and he told me it has been sitting for two years without being used or started, but it ran great the last time he used it!
So I get it to the house and try to get it going....Needed a new starter, replaced plugs, siphoned old gas out and put fresh gas in it...Then I tried to start it....NOOOO such luck....Just cranks! It has good spark at the plugs, and if I sprits a tiny bit of starting fluid into the air box it fires right up and runs for a second and sounds real healthy! but wont stay running, that being said I'm guessing it might be a fuel problem! So here are a few questions:
What kind and where is the fuel pump located is it mechanical or electric?
Can I remove the fuel line to the carbs and crank it like you would with a car to see if there is fuel flow? Can the inline filter be replaced with a similar automotive inline filter or is it a special filter? I'm a pretty good mechanic but know very little about 2 stroke engines so any suggestions you all might have on how to troubleshoot this problem would be GREATLY appreciated!
Thanks in advance,
Mike

 

[seadoosnipe]

Fuel lines....

What color are your fuel lines? If they are grey, this is going to be your first problem.

The fuel pump on the Rotax 787 is a pulse line type, which is located on the MAG (front) carb. You'll see a line going from the carb to the engine block.

With your running the skis motor the way you say (next time, use mixed oil, like from your weed eater, starting fluid is really bad on these engines), your problem is most certainly in your fuel circuit.

Depending on how long it's been since rebuild, you may want to think about doing that. In each carb there is a tiny fuel strainer basket, that may be clogged. If your running the grey fuel lines, I'm sure they are clogged.:cheers:

 

[anthony spa]

i think if it has ben setting for a fu u probley have bad gas in the carb too probley need to take the carb off and clean it out if u are carefull when takeing apart u wont need to replace the gaskets then try agion

 

[0Gravity]

Hi All,
I don't believe the fuel lines are grey but I will check that today...I had seen that in several other posts last night, so it's on my list for sure!....So is there a way to check fuel flow to the carbs ie: removing the gas line and cranking engine?
Thanks Again for the replies,
Mike

 

[seadoosnipe]

.....return line?

There are 3 lines on the MAG carb, forward side. The one in the middle, is your pulse line. The one at the bottom is your fuel inlet. The one at the top is the fuel return line. Take this line off and spin the motor over. You should have fuel spitting from it, trying to make its way back to the tank.

Thats a start.:cheers:

 

[96gsxnemisis]

GSX fuel issues

what are the odds,
same issues, starter solenoid burnt out,
battery dry, plugs ruined, sounds familiar,, even the name
michael,
any way, having same issue with fuel now, bought her this winter,
fixed all above issues without to much trouble.
but the last week i have had to clean out the filter/fuel basket
i know 60 times, {3 cans carb cleaner 2 sec shots}
andthe fuel lines are new/replacements black. noticed something
about gray in other comments.
how can i flush/clean out the tank?? sometimes she will run for 30 min \
all out, then i will spend rest of afternoon stop/clean/stop again/clean.
rubbed knees raw climing on and off the thing.
any suggestions comments please post
thanks
michael

 

[derek]

what are the odds? you both have old seadoos. i would say around 100 percent. which fuel filter basket? the one up high in the 1 inch by 3 inch plastic cup? that one isn't the problem. there is a little one in the carb. that is the one u gotta get.

 

[0Gravity]

Hi All,
Ok, here is an update and another few questions....I did have the gray fuel lines, so I replaced them with new lines and rebuilt both carbs and cleaned out the front filter...After all that the ski starts right up and sounds really good with one exception....When the ski is sitting on the trailor with a hose feed, the idle fluctuates or surges a little, Is this normal? If not, any ideas as to what might be the cause? What RPM should it idle at? Do the carbs need to be sync'ed I know my Bike acts like this when the carbs need sync'ed, I did not mess with the rod that ties the throttle's together nor did I mess with the mixture screws but im not sure what the last owner did to the ski!
Thanks again for any Input you all might have,
Mike

 

[0Gravity]

what are the odds,
same issues, starter solenoid burnt out,
battery dry, plugs ruined, sounds familiar,, even the name
michael,
any way, having same issue with fuel now, bought her this winter,
fixed all above issues without to much trouble.
but the last week i have had to clean out the filter/fuel basket
i know 60 times, {3 cans carb cleaner 2 sec shots}
andthe fuel lines are new/replacements black. noticed something
about gray in other comments.
how can i flush/clean out the tank?? sometimes she will run for 30 min \
all out, then i will spend rest of afternoon stop/clean/stop again/clean.
rubbed knees raw climing on and off the thing.
any suggestions comments please post
thanks
michael

Hi Michael as for flushing out the tank I would say to just pull the tank out of the ski and flush it out, it does not seem to difficult to do alls I seen attached was the fill hose and the pickup/sender...then just 2 bungee type straps hold it in place...I'm not sure if the tank will slide out from under the oil tank or not or weather or not it will fit through the front hatch....Short of that I would say to siphon/pump the old gas out, I used a oil change pump I use for my boat motors to suck the old gas out then just added new gas.
Good Luck,
Mike

 

[timmyboy76]

Hey...look down carbs to see if butterflies/flaps are in same location/same opening from side wall....around 3k out water/1500 in water. That surge, may be caused by carb not synkt, also go thru the fuel selector, since it had grey lines..:cheers:

 

[0Gravity]

Hey SeadooSnipe I noticed in the shop manuals section it does not list a shop manual for the 95 XP which it turns out, is what I have not a 96... Is there a reason for this, does a different year cover the same things? If so I would definitely become a premium member....That's a heck of a deal to get a shop manual for $10.50!
Let me know,
Mike

 

[0Gravity]

Hi All,
Ski is running fine now....the idle problem turned out to be that someone in the past must have been trying to get this ski running and was fiddling around with the mixture screws and they were WAY out of adjustment and once I set them up right the ski is running great!
I also realized in the middle of all this the ski has a Factory Pipe on it which is a bonus, considering the pipe is worth more then I paid for the whole ski!
Anyway, Thanks again for all the help!
Mike
Oh BTW if a moderator reads this and has an answer for my question above about the Premium Membership and the Shop Manual for the 95 SeaDoo XP just reply here and It will inform me via email....Thanks

 

[JPX]

Excellent news that the ski is operable now. Just think!.....you did the work yourself and got this thing running and running pretty good. :hurray::cheers: