At wits end: "Smoke in the cabin" 03 XPdi

[TxToby]

1st thing battery issue (no biggie), next fouled plugs,.... now the damn thing is smoking in the engine compartment and fouling new plugs.

I am seriously scratching my head. I have wasted 2 long trips to the lake and I'm about to set fire to my ski (fire blowing out each ear 10 feet). Last time i took it out it wouldn't go over 5000 rpm for about 45 minutes... then it ran normal for over an hour but acted up right before i pulled it out of the water.

The next trip i went out and it would barely start. It would only run about 1/2 throttle so I put it up, took it home, and then checked the plugs. They were black and looked fouled.

Today I bought new plugs and headed back out to the lake. The ski fired up fine in the driveway. When i got to the lake and put the ski in 200 feet from the dock it started acting up again and the maint light would blink then go off.
The ski wouldn't start.. hell it wouldn't turn over either...almost like the battery was dead. I had to jump into ice cold water and swim it back to the dock hissing MF-POS with each stroke!

When i pulled it out it started right up but but sounded like crap.
**I opened the hood and there was exhaust smoke in the engine compartment. I turned the engine off... let it clear out then started it again but could not see where it was coming from.

**When I pulled the plugs they were extremely black. (After just a few minutes running??)

smoke in the compartment sounds to me like some exaust connector joint or Gasket is blown/leaking? would that choke the engine out? if there is smoke in the compartment would that mess with air/ratio and foul the plugs??


Can anyone point me in the rt direction?

 

[seadoosnipe]

Don't pull your hair out just yet!....

Don't get all bent just yet. The DI isn't my favorite motor because of the compressor, I don't think this is gonna be your problem.
Running like crap, bad plugs, smoke in the engine compartment.......hmmmmmm, sounds like an exhaust gasket blown to me. There are 3 places water can get into your engine through the exhaust system. If you look at your exhaust where the water hose is attached at the lower end, this is where the water starts it's journey into keeping that 951 cool. When the water enters the exhaust, it circles around getting pre-heated before it enters the engine, which is a real smart way to protect your block from thermal shock. Where your exhaust connects to your exhaust manifold is where I think it's going to be leaking, because you said both plugs looked bad. When you take off that huge "O" clamp, you'll need to take out the 4 allen head bolts (8 mm, I believe). When you seperate this part, which is in the shape of a "U", you'll understand how the water jacket and exhaust system pass each other. Exhaust traveling out, water traveling in.
When you get this part off, look at the gasket. If it doesn't show an obvious sign of where it's blown out, then you may have to take off the exhaust manifold. You may be able to get a mirror (wife's compact) and look under those fitting to see if there is any obvious signs of exhaust leaks....should be pretty easy to see.
TIP...don't use a regular metric allen wrench. Go to your auto parts store and buy (if you don't have it) the allen wrench that has a 3/8 drive socket end. That way, you can attach it to your ratchet to get it off.

 

[TxToby]

I do have to add that i did a stupid rookie mistake. I was in a hurry to get to the lake... tap tap tap

and I forgot to connect the 2nd spark plug wire after I replaced the spark plugs. when i started the engine (in the driveway) it was running crappy (on one cylinder..ha) and then there were two big back fires. Could the compression of the backfire blow a hole in any of the exhaust hoses? (grrrrrr:ack

 

[kustomkarl]

It could have blown off the exhaust hose clamp. I have seen that happen on race boats with a back fire out the exhaust.

 

[seadoosnipe]

Don't think so...

No, I don't think so.....not if your having smoke in the engine compartment. Now, backfiring can cause the head gasket to blow, it's an "0" ring....but with the smoke and the plugs, I'd almost think you got an exhaust gasket leak, with water getting in.........but like I said, get a mirror and look at the engine from the under side. It's always something you can't see.
Now, if the smoke came from the cylinders because the plug was out........that's a different story...

 

[TxToby]

no... the new plugs were both secured tightly.. my neighbor stopped by to look at the ski and I forgot to put the other plug cable on. Once I filled up w/gas I looked down and saw the obvious mistake.. and put it back on.
It started up & I continued on to the lake. The weird thing is that when I put it in the water it almost immediately started bogging down & had no power. Could that be from the smoke in the engine compartment affecting the oxygen sensor doo-hickey-doo?

So I need to take a part the exhaust pipe...? let me pull out my trusty SD XPdi manual I got for upgrading to a premium member!

 

[seadoosnipe]

No, I don't think so.....

I was going to point that out in the first post, but didn't think it was necessary......
If you can start the motor on land and when it starts, runs really good, then when you put the water to it, starts bogging down, then your getting water into your engine through your water jacket.
Now if you say it backfired, then the "0" ring that's used as a head gasket may have popped out of it's groove, allowing water to come inside the piston chamber.
I still say, look at the exhaust system where the water jacket enters the muffler and travels into the engines block. If you don't see anything obvious, I think the best way will be to do a compression test. That will tell you if that rubber "0" ring has been blown out.
Like I said, if the engine runs good without it being in the water or hooked up to the hose, but then, when you introduce cooling water and it runs like crap, then that's your problem.............

 

[TxToby]

I looked up some diagrams in the shop manual (2003 xpdi). and then went out to inspect some of your recommendations. I found what appears to be the top exhaust clamp moved (blown) down. REF: diagram 04-08-17, part "5". That ring looks like it has come down a 1/4 inch... but it's still tight. I expected that if it was out of place that it would be loose? and there was water in the hull (i can see it now that I pulled the trailer off and set the tongue on the ground.

is this the problem? Where else should I be looking?

Hopefully we're almost there-

 

[seadoosnipe]

Yes....!

Yes, 4-8-13 shows a good pix of what your exhaust system and water jacket look like where it comes together at the cylinders. This piece your looking at on this page, is where the exhaust comes together as one. If you look at the sides, you'll see the elogated holes. That's where the water is flowing out of your exhaust pipe and into your heads. The center hole of course is your exhaust gases.
With the backfiring, you need to do a compression test to see if you blew out the "0" ring to that cylinder. If so, this is another area where water can get into the cylinders....
Do you have a compression gage?

 

[seadoosnipe]

Part #5....

That big clamp is just below the water jacket. But if the gasket mentioned on the other page is blown, then that being the lowest part of the pipe, the water will run out from there.
Your reading in the right section, you really need to understand how the cooling water and the tuned exhaust pipe work together....
Go to page number 4-8-05. The gasket I believe that may have blown on you, where the water and exhaust can come in contact with each other is part number 16. Go give it a look. I'm trying to find a pix where it shows how the water circulates in your engine.
O.K....I've found what I was looking for. Go to page 9-2-08. Here, you'll see how the water circulates through your engine. Notice the grey area, where it looks like the lines flowing around the exhaust, that's the path the water takes through the exhaust pipe to get warmed up. Then, you'll see where it passes through that gasket......That's the gasket I want you to check. Part #16.

 

[TxToby]

Its all coming together now! I reviewed all of those pages and know what I need to do now.

1) Where can I buy a compression gage? Is there a specific brand &/or model? I will go pick one up on the way home. Do I just screw the gauge into one of the cylinder head and then push start? And do I pull the other plug wire or leave it on so the engine will start? **what am I looking for? What compression level?
2) To examine the (#16) gasket, do I loosen the bolts where the exhaust manifold goes into the engine? Will I have enough play to pull it back and inspect the gasket? Or do I need to remove the anchor bolts (#18-19) page 04-08-05?
RE: Pipe clamp (#4) on page 04-08-05. I don’t know how to upload pictures to the forum. I found the picture of the engine compartment that the previous owner emailed me. It appears that the gap that I saw on the pipe clamp was there at that point. Maybe that is where it’s supposed to be? I can email this picture if it will help you.

Summary: I need to do a compression check 1st then pull the pipe back to inspect the gasket.

 

[kustomkarl]

To do the compression check get the yype that screws in the plug hole. Remove both plugs and plug the caps on the grounding studs near the heads. This will prevent any electrical problems from the ignition coil. The caps must be grounded to the studs. rotate the engine over ans count the revolutions by the thumps of compression. When it peaks it is the amount of compression in that cylinder., watch the gage. Do the other cylinder the sme way. I use the revolutions for reference and the psi should be the same. The perfered psi is 150#, they should be the same. If on one cylinder is 145# and the other is 80#, then this is your problem. Anything under 100# psi is not good and it might be time to check out the rings and cylinders.I haven't checked in the manual for the gasket but check the compression first.

Karl

 

[TxToby]

if the gasket is bad and water is dumping into the cylinder... wouldn't a pressure test show a lower pressure because the air would escape out of the gasket?

I thought that the cylinder pressure test SDSnipe requested was to see if the exhaust gasket was blown (in my specific situation)?

 

[seadoosnipe]

Correct TxToby...

That's correct.....the procedure that Karl gave you is to test the engine for integrity of the pistons and rings.
What we want to do is check to see if during the time the engine backfired, did it blow out your "0" ring that seals the water jacket from the piston's combustion chamber. But the procedure he gave you, is what you'll need to do. With the exception of the lower presssure. If you have one that's 140 and one at 80, 90 or the like, then that head gasket will be the one in question.
Don't remove any of the bolts or exhaust system until you do that compression test. Karls instructions are simple and the standard procedure for doing this in the manual. Make sure you put the plug wires on the grounding straps.......
Sorry for not getting back sooner but my internet connection at the house is on the blitz. I'm at work now and in the forum. The cable guy is suppose to come fix it tomorrow.
Let us know what your compression results are. You can get this gage at any of the parts houses around you "Autozone" or "DAPS" ....and it shouldn't be that expensive.
Also, look under all these exhaust gasket areas with a mirror and flashligt like I told you about in an earlier post. If you blew one out, it will probably be visible from the bottom side..........:cheers:
Stay on top of it.........you'll get it figured out. And keep referencing the manual, I'm following along with you there.

 

[TxToby]

Pressure Point-

Ok- bought the gauge and ran the tests

Front cylinder = 120 lbs
Rear cylinder = 119 lbs

It's midnight here so I dont have enough light to start diving around the engine compartment with the mirror. Plus I'm sure that I would probably be shot at if I cranked it up and gave her a WWWWaaa Waaa Waa waaaa eee weee. :reddevil: I'll save that surprise for them during their morning coffee :rofl:

That clamp position still has me scratching my head. It might just be the way it came from the factory? (with the 1/4 inch space). How can one upload pictures so you can view them?

 

[seadoosnipe]

Cool!....

That's cool. Your readings say your engine is getting a bit old but still has several years of life in her. And she also says that the head gaskets are fine. The compression test is somthing you may want to do once a season to keep an eye on engine wear.
To upload a pix to this forum, answer this post then scroll down till you see the bar labeled "manage attachments". Click on it and look over the file types. In the upper box, click on browse and go to where your picture is and click on it, then click on the upload button.....then hit save. That should do it. Unless your file size is to big. If you like, you can send it to my home email from your email as an attachment and I can load it in the forum. I'm going to PM you my email.
The gasket your talking about, you can take that big, stainless, "0" ring type fitting loose and correct it. But I'd like to know how or why it got miss matched from the exhaust manifold line up.....it does need to be fixed and will be a source of your exhaust smoke, but if your getting water in your combustion chambers, then it's not coming from there.

 

[TxToby]

Attached are pictures of the exhaust bracket gap.

Looks like the exhaust is leaking where you said it was.... BUTTT.. damn HOW do I get to the last bolt (way in the back)? do i have to take off the plastic stuff that I'm pointing to in the pic attached??

 

[seadoosnipe]

Leak.....

Yes, this gap will surely get exhaust gases in the boat. If seem that the part number 4, that it may be damaged. That piece your point at, should be closed, all the way around the exhaust. There is also a gasket, #15, that you'll need to replace. If that gasket is still there and it's not really beat up bad, you may be able to clean everything really well, and use some high heat silicone and just re-use it. If that exhaust clamp, #4, is damaged, it'll need to be replaced, cost about $42 bucks. That gasket, #15, is about $15 bucks. But to do this really right, you'll need to take off the 4 bolts where gasket #16 is. That gasket, #16, for $9.49, is a concern I have too. Wondering if water is breaching the exhaust system at that point, putting water into your cylinders. The pick up envelope, #22, is $8.73.
So, when you take this piece of your exhaust system out, inspect it all, clean the gasket surfaces and look for anything that might be broken. Take pix and post if you need an opinion. I'd like to see a pix of the front and back side of gasket number 16 when you remove it. You may be able to do that without removing your flame arrestor housing, but if not, it comes off pretty simple by removing a few allen head bolts. It's not a big deal to remove. And it will give you a lot of room to work with. Just put shop rags in your air induction to keep foreign objects out.
Let me know how you come out!........

 

[TxToby]

I went to Home Depot to buy 2 wrenches for the job and walked out with $280 dollars worth of tools and a diamond plate tool box to boot! Anyway, I just ordered all of the parts from the SD dealer. He said it'll probably take a week to get them in. I'll take several pictures before, during, after to post for the next XPdi fool that loses 2 weeks of riding to a stinkin' $10 gasket!

Something tells me that the #4 Oring clamp is fine.. First thing tomorrow morning I will go loosen it and try to re-seat it... and then pull the exhaust pipe apart to see what the gaskets look like. (and post pics :auto

The manual has been extremely helpful but I can say that I wish that all of the parts NAMES were labeled or there was an index that you could reference... so I can stop saying you know- the doo-hickey-doo that's behind the flux capacitor

 

[seadoosnipe]

There is.....

There is a way to do all what your asking for. You just have to know how to do it.
Did you notice that in my last post, I gave ou the number listed in the exploded view and then quoted you a price. Well, it's a two fold process. When your looking and reading the manual, gathering information, you can open another page, I use XP professional and can open multiple pages, so I open www.seadoo.com. Then I go to the parts section and look up your year and model. Then it will take me to a page that list all your parts, just like in the book, and below, is a list with the numbers, along with the part numbers. Then I open another page to an online distributer to get a estimated price. It's really not that hard.
I said what I did about your gasket because where your finger is pointing, it looks like it has a piece missing. Maybe not, the picure was a bit blurry. But I wouldn't try to seat that gasket just yet, because all the muffler parts may be to tight and not let you pull up a good seal. The bottom end that the other piece is going to, downstream, should have a rubber boot in it, so it may be the only thing you need to loosen to manipulate to get that exhaust pipe and "0" ring to line up. Remember, clean surfaces for a clean seal.

 

[TxToby]

Halleluiah!! PROBLEM SOLVED: Blown rear exhaust hose

FINAL VERDICT: The backfire had blown rear exhaust hose free... the coupling WAY IN THE BACK out of sight. I thought I'd checked everything but i missed that one. I just had to reseat the hose & tighten the clamp.

The ski ran fine out of water only because I had the engine compartment open. When the ski was in the water the exhaust smothered out the engine and fouled the plugs.


Oh well, I learned a ton from having this problem. How to navigate this forum, how to read the shop manual, and a little more about the mystery mechanics of my ski.

Thanks for all of the help for this SD family! :cheers: