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98 XPL Water Ingestion Problem

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brusky

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I need help figuring out how water is getting in the motor so easily just from falling off. :banghead:

I've been slowly bringing back to life an XPL I bought last year. The past weekend was the crowning moment when I got it in the water for the first time and started breaking in the motor that I completely rebuilt. I spent the first couple of hours working the engine up to 50% throttle by myself. After I felt confident it was running strong and without any problems that might leave me stranded, I wanted to give my kids a ride. I quickly found out these aren't the most stable model Seadoo ever made. Given the purpose of the boat is primarily speed and agility, I wasn't too surprised. He started to board and we both hit the water. After a few more attempts with the same result, we finally coordinated our efforts enough to stay upright. I hit the start button and got a single clunk from the starter. After a few more tries to get it started with the same result, I pulled the plugs, hit the start button and water blasted out of the cylinders. I put the plugs back in and it started up again. We went out and rode for an hour or so with no issues until we hit a wave, got turned sideways and high-sided off the side and into the water. The ski stayed upright and never rolled. This time we were in open water and once again made several attempts to both get on the ski. Once on, we hit the start and clunk. Same thing. Wouldn't start. Towed back to the dock and pulled the plugs, blew out the water and it started up again.

It can't possibly be this easy to flood the motor and I can't keep pulling the plugs everytime I fall off the ski. It makes for a long frustrating day. Has anyone had any experience with this? And how is it possible that water is flooding the engine so easily?
 
brusky said:
I need help figuring out how water is getting in the motor so easily just from falling off. :banghead:

I've been slowly bringing back to life an XPL I bought last year. The past weekend was the crowning moment when I got it in the water for the first time and started breaking in the motor that I completely rebuilt. I spent the first couple of hours working the engine up to 50% throttle by myself. After I felt confident it was running strong and without any problems that might leave me stranded, I wanted to give my kids a ride. I quickly found out these aren't the most stable model Seadoo ever made. Given the purpose of the boat is primarily speed and agility, I wasn't too surprised. He started to board and we both hit the water. After a few more attempts with the same result, we finally coordinated our efforts enough to stay upright. I hit the start button and got a single clunk from the starter. After a few more tries to get it started with the same result, I pulled the plugs, hit the start button and water blasted out of the cylinders. I put the plugs back in and it started up again. We went out and rode for an hour or so with no issues until we hit a wave, got turned sideways and high-sided off the side and into the water. The ski stayed upright and never rolled. This time we were in open water and once again made several attempts to both get on the ski. Once on, we hit the start and clunk. Same thing. Wouldn't start. Towed back to the dock and pulled the plugs, blew out the water and it started up again.

It can't possibly be this easy to flood the motor and I can't keep pulling the plugs everytime I fall off the ski. It makes for a long frustrating day. Has anyone had any experience with this? And how is it possible that water is flooding the engine so easily?
Click to expand...

well, for starters, when you say you keep spitting water out of the engine....how much water is in the engine bay? theres a very slim chance that you're getting water in the spark plug holes/engine and NOT have an entire hull full of water...unless you've got a hose hooked up backwards or something that is flooding the engine. Or, even though you said the ski was upright the second time, when you went to deep water board, how far down to the side did you lean the ski? Also, when you tow the ski back to the dock, on certain models (maybe all) if you're being towed over a few miles per hour, the engine will back flood as well.
 
When you guys both tried to board the first time, did the ski flip? if you flipped it back over the wrong way (you need to look at the sticker on the back of the ski) the carbs/motor will flood. The event is occurring while boarding only, as you would NOT have been able to ride those first "few hours" with water in the motor.
 
for the motor to ingest water, it either had to have been flipped the wrong way if the hull isn't full of water, OR theres some sort of hose issue, but if that was the case, you wouldn't have been able to do that long break in ride. The only other thing I can think of, is that hull mustve had a ton of water inside of it.
 
The 98 and 99 had an issue with sucking water through the carbs. It has to do with the vents that allow a it into the hull. It's definitely not a 2 seater.
 
Thanks 96spxpos for the quick response. The hull never filled with water. At first we thought it could possibly be a power supply issue to the starter so we were checking the positive and negative connections at the battery and at the starter. We were squeezing our hands into the area where the starter is and never noticed an amount of water that was alarming.

Both times we had trouble boarding we never completely rolled it over. Although I'm familiar with the sticker you're referring to on the back as my son pointed out one day that it was put on upside down :rofl:

Here's a link to a video I shot when we returned home showing the water blowing out of the cylinders if that helps any.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxWv3xrfo98XTnd5bzZEVjJNc2s/view?usp=sharing
 
To be clear, I assume when you two fell in the water, did the ski flip?

I assume so as this is really the only way it can ingest it.

When falling off a ski LET IT GO. Don't bring the ski with you.

If falling, only the larger ski's have enough lower of center gravity to use them enough to stop you from falling in.

Until you learn good balance, learn to let go of the ski
 
If the ski runs fine all the time unless you fall off then the water is getting down the carbs.
There has to be water getting into the hull to get down the carbs.
1. Is your electric bilge pump working?
2. Are your bailers working?
3. Are you running the stock air box?
4. Are all the air intake tubes on the hull installed and routed correctly?
5. Are the rubber flaps mounted correctly on your air horns?
6. Is your pipe to manifold leaking? And is the "diaper" installed?
 
judging by the video, it looks like your left intake tube is sitting just about directly on top of the carbs. so if the front/side of the ski is going under water, that water is going straight into those carbs. Yes that ski is NOT a two seater.. there are TWO ski's designed by BRP that are NOT two seaters, and yours is one of them. The other is the HX. (also, not sure if the RXX is designed for only one person)so unless you are 125 lbs or less and your son is 125 lbs or less, I wouldn't recommend it.
 
and what amount of water do you consider alarming? I cant picture 2 people on that ski, getting tossed off, having difficulty boarding, the carbs/motor getting flooded, and there not being any water in the hull. Even if that intake tube is all but directly shoved into the carb filling it with water, I don't see how theres not at least a few inches of water in that hull
 
96spxpos and mikidymac...I think you both hit on my error and this is exactly why I love forums. I believe the air intake tube was sitting directly above the carb as 96spxpos pointed out. They aren't likely installed and routed correctly. I found some pics from another recent post showing me the proper way to place the rubber flaps. Mine have been resting above exhaust rather than between the exhaust and snorkel.

As far as an amount of water in the hull goes, never was it high enough to reach the bottom of the motor. We did look in the rear as well because we were checking battery connections.

mikidymac said:
If the ski runs fine all the time unless you fall off then the water is getting down the carbs.
There has to be water getting into the hull to get down the carbs.
1. Is your electric bilge pump working? Yes
2. Are your bailers working? Yes
3. Are you running the stock air box? Yes
4. Are all the air intake tubes on the hull installed and routed correctly? Need to correct this
5. Are the rubber flaps mounted correctly on your air horns? Will get this corrected
6. Is your pipe to manifold leaking? And is the "diaper" installed? No and yes
Click to expand...

You guys are awesome. I'll make these adjustments and give it another run this weekend. I'm only about 160 and my son is 80 lbs. Getting on from a dock and taking off was no problem. Getting on from the water takes some practice with this ski for sure.
 
I have a 2001 XP which is the same ski but they eliminated the front vent holes under the hood. I am 200 and my son is 60 and we ride it with no problems. My wife rode it a few times and rolled it a bunch of times trying the get back on and no water issues at all. I think it is your vents and flaps as you said.

You do have the white storage bin installed under the hood too correct?
 
mikidymac said:
You do have the white storage bin installed under the hood too correct?
Click to expand...

I do.

I also read last night about either plugging those forward vent holes or buying some cheap pipe extenders from the plumbing department at HD to help keep water out of the hull. I'm going to do that this week as well.
 
got it. as 1of500 stated, I did a little more research and man, that was a flaw on those models...you're not the only one in that boat... but at the same time, DON'T seal those vent tubes shut on the atmosphere side.
 
1of500 said:
They can't be sealed.
Click to expand...

Agreed, not without creating other vent holes first. I hadn't planned on sealing them because I don't want to drill more holes in the hull. Extending them is the easiest option. Sorry I wasn't more specific.
 
It did not. But I think it rolled far enough to catch some water in the air inlet tube on the hood which likely dumped it all right onto the carbs or into the snorkel due to where the tube was positioned in the engine compartment. I'll reposition the tube and get it out on the water again to see if that resolves my troubles.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I agree. Reposition the tube to prevent it from happening so easily.

Unfortunately, until it either happens again or does t happen again, you won't know where to go.

Hopefully moving the tube will solve it.
 
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