96 Seadoo XP No Power

[Stingray1033]

Hello,

First timer here. I have a 1996 seadoo XP that does not do anything when you put the key in or push the start button. The battery is good, I have a like machine and pulled the electrical box (gray box) out of that and swapped them, and have the same issue. I did notice though, If I take out the connection from the black electrical box in the back by the battery and plug it back it, I get lights and the gas gauges lights up, however nothing happens if I push the start button. I'm guessing it's a ground? I have no clue where to start. I've removed all of the components from the black electrical box and tested them with an ohm meter, and everything checks out.

I have power to the one side of the starter relay, all of the fuses checked out, and I can jump the start relay, although the starter is weak to turn over (even though the battery is fully charged. I thought maybe the ground wires, but every time I put an ohm meter on it, I get tone on every ground wire back to the Battery ground. I've ruled out the gray electrical box since i've tested that from another ski. I'm happy to take pictures or anything that may help.

Thank you in advance to any help. I just find it weird that if I unplug the connection from the top of the black electrical box in the back and plug it back in, the gauges light up and work, but after the short period of time that they stay on, they die out and the start button doesn't turn them back on.

 

[Stingray1033]

I've tested all the fuses and all of the connections look good from an ohm prospective.

 

[burtshaver2021]

I would start by going through any electrical connections you can find and clean them up, Deoxit is good for this, I see lots of corrosion in your picture. Have the battery load tested or at least put your volt meter on the battery while pressing the start button, so you don’t get volts to the starter side of the solenoid when pressing start button? But you can cross the posts on the solenoid and get the starter to crank weakly? Sounds like a possible bad battery, possible bad solenoid, possible bad starter, possible bad battery cable, possible bad connections. Start with having the battery load tested, is it a salt water machine?

 

[Stingray1033]

This was a fresh water machine. I should have stated that it did get rolled and filled with Water. The black box got filled with water. The battery is new, but I will put a load tester on it. I'll dig a little deeper. Thank you for your reply!

 

[Stingray1033]

Ok, I've replaced the starter, and Starter solenoid and still have the same issue. I am getting power from the black box to the gray electrical box. could that mean it's an MPEM issue? Battery checked out too.

The second picture shows the red power wire has power all the way up to the gray electrical box.

 

[burtshaver2021]

I would have to have a look at my 96XP and possibly the manual in order to have an idea of the power routing, hopefully someone else will chime in that has worked on the 96XP but if not I will have a look at my non running 96 and the manual. Without looking your saying power goes to a black electrical box first? What’s in the black electrical box? that your getting power to? And then what’s in the grey box? And what are you testing in the grey box when you say your getting power from the black box to the grey box?

 

[Stingray1033]

The black electrical box has the solenoid and sparkplug wires. The gray box has the MPEM and some other items.

 

[artr]

Did you remove the bolt at the bottom of the ignition coil and clean the bolt and all the ground wire terminals on it? That is a known problem area for corrosion especially if there was water in the rear electrical box. Also check the connection of the small black wire on the negative battery terminal that supplies ground for all those connections at the bolt on the base of the coil. Move that wire around with an ohmmeter on it to make sure it is providing a good consistent ground to the bolt on the base of the coil.

 

[Stingray1033]

Thanks, Artr. I did clean those bolts, but that did not help. I have a good ground connection on those cables in the black electrical box. If I unplug the gray connector and plug it back in the gauges light up, and the VTS works, but after they go out, nothing happens.