Did I get ripped off?

[Jeffbx]

Before I get into it with the service manager, I want to get the input of people who know more about this than I do...

I have a 2002 GTX-DI with about 90 hours on it; I'm the original owner.

Took in in last fall to a dealer nearby for winterization & storage (I'm in Michigan), and asked them to do a 25 hour service on it, which I do at the end of every season. They do the service & store it right there (big place).

Picked it up & put it in the water about a month ago, and it ran OK, but hesitating a bit. Didn't think much of it since it had been sitting all winter. Couple of weeks later I got a chance to take it out for a good ride, and it ran like crap - hard to start, hesitating, lagging when I give it gas, and stalling. I limped it over to the ramp, pulled it out & took it right back to the dealer. I live a couple hours away, so I authorized up to $250 of work on it, left it & went home.

About a week later I get a call that it's done & I can come get it. My father in law is nearby, so he went & picked it up. They told him they cleaned the carborator & put in new plugs, and now it runs like a champ.

Now, I'm no expert but it seems to me that if they had done the 25 hour service (which they charged me $215 for), they would have ALREADY cleaned the carborator & changed the plugs.

Am I right to be suspicious here? Seems to me I just paid a second time for service that should have already been done.

Thanks everyone!

 

[kustomkarl]

I'm sure they didn't clean out the fuel tank, and they more than likely just added fuel stabilizer to the fuel and fogged the engine to keep it protected from the elements inside. Typically if you have a running problem the first thing to do is change the spark plugs, which should cure the problem. Next it could be carburetor problems. If you're still concerned about your service, inquire as to exactly what was done in their 25 hour service. Maybe it was an oversight on their part.
I hope this helps you out.

Karl

 

[seadoosnipe]

Suspicious....!

I would be very suspicious, since the DI (direct injected) has NO carbs!

 

[kustomkarl]

Uh..............Seadoosnipe....I must be sleeping today....snooze.....:ack: That went over my head too...CARBS! That is fishy!

 

[Jeffbx]

Wow.. that adds a whole new dimension!

Thanks guys... looks like we'll have to have a little chat after all.

 

[gpshogan]

No you didnt get ripped off

No you didnt get ripped off....

To complety clean carb OR Fuel system if its direct, is pricey. They are not going to do that for a 25 hour check. You were prob just due for that cleaning and it would of happened eventually. 25 hr check is just regular maitence.

Remeber that most shops charge $79.00 plus per hour, (thats per BOOK hour, they prob only do 45 mins of actual work) so your not going to get much done.

Try to do the little stuff yourself such as winterizing and maintence, which is veey easy to do.

Let a shop deal with it when something major happens.

Also, owning a jet aki is going to be expensive if you let the shop do all the work.

Source::: myself, pro mechanic

 

[gpshogan]

Also

Also, i wouldnt be suprised, if you just needed plugs. Maybe they forgot to change them, or they looked OK at the 25 hr check.
Anytime your ski runs funny, plugs should be one of the 1st things you check.
It will only take you 1 min, to change them.

Also, buy from advanced auto parts. You will pay about $1.50 per plus instead of $4.50 a plus at the dealer.

 

[sanpan25]

In my early seadoo years, I patronized the local repair shop.

He does a good job.

I learned anytime I took a "doo" in I got new spark plugs and a compression check. It didnt take long to figure out that these are very important things to know when diagnosing a 2 stroke seadoo motor.

I now do this myself!

 

[Jeffbx]

Thanks everyone for the input - gpshogan, you are right on.

The first thing I thought of was the plugs as well, but since I had JUST had it serviced (and I assumed, new plugs!) I didn't even check. I called up & spoke to the service manager just now & he had a plausible explanation. They usually make a judgement call on the plugs - if they look bad, they change them & if they look OK, they leave them. Guess someone made a bad call because they left them & they obviously needed changing.

So, given that (and the fact that someone tried to BS their way out of it by talking about a carb cleaning) he offered a discount for storage this fall. I don't mind paying now for the diags & new plugs, and I won't make any more assumptions about what they've done.

Thanks again for the input!

 

[kustomkarl]

That's good news that the dealer offered something for the B.S. line you were told. Let us know if we can help any more.

Karl