I'm new to the PWC world, and honestly pretty frustrated at this point. Hopefully someone has some idea what might be going on here. I purchased a 2011 GTI SE 130 about 2 weeks ago. I recently discovered the steering wear rings are broken and the steering column is cracked. These haven't prevented use and the parts for repair are on order. Today I took the ski our for a ride, and after about an hour and a half of running up and down the river it just died. I was at WOT and all of a sudden it died. It slowly dropped RPM from WOT to idle over the course of a second or two and then the engine died. After this it wouldn't start. I was towed to the ramp and loaded up. When trying to start it clicks and "thuds" once as if it wanted to turn over but doesn't try anymore than that. I have the battery tested and it was fully charged and at the correct CCA. From my research it sounds like the starting issue is the starter solenoid BUT I don't understand how this would have anything to do with the ski dying while running??? There are no warning lights or messages. I have a new solenoid on order but I have a feeling it won't solve the issue or will only address part of it. Your experience and help is appreciated!
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GTI died while running and won't start
- Thread starter Heathmc
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I'll need some serious help now, I'm no mechanic but I have a feeling my ski is either junked or going to be very expensive to repair. After only 2 weeks of ownership I'll probably reach out to the seller (good luck I know). Anyways I did as you recommended and pulled the plugs, the #2 plug is destroyed. I assume from the cylinder head smashing into it? I attempted to start the ski just in case there was any water and it went into limp home mode and wouldn't do anything. How screwed am I?
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benjilafouine
Well-Known Member
Can you test compression if the engine still turns? This is not too hard to do.
It won't turn at all, I'm gonna take it to an independent mechanic and see what they say. I may attempt the repair myself if it'll save me a ton.
benjilafouine
Well-Known Member
Just the fact that the spark plug broke is a very bad sign.
ski-d00
Well-Known Member
Probably threw a rod in #2 cylinder. The piston came up and damaged the head or smashed the valves and they came apart. Reach around the side by the starter and feel for a hole in the block and shrapnel.
No point in contacting the seller. You bought as is and it is yours now. You owned it for 2 weeks and knew the risks before you bought it. Very unlikely that the seller did anything wrong nor could they predict this happening. Bad luck most likely but it does happen. How many hours on the ski?
No point in contacting the seller. You bought as is and it is yours now. You owned it for 2 weeks and knew the risks before you bought it. Very unlikely that the seller did anything wrong nor could they predict this happening. Bad luck most likely but it does happen. How many hours on the ski?
benjilafouine
Well-Known Member
Ckrawiec
Well-Known Member
Aww hell.. you dredged up a bad memory...many many moons ago I purchased a kawasucki....dragged it home (from Ohio to NY), used it once, ran great, used it twice (not even me riding it) and it threw a rod right through the bottom of the case.....I fixed that ski, had it running top notch again then sold it on....Only 118 hours on itbad luck indeed...
Bad kawasaki oil pump was the cause......not sayin your oil pump is the culprit as the Seadoo oil system is pretty robust....but did it run out of oil perhaps??????? You did check and keep the oil topped up - right!
Yep oil and coolant were good before and after the incident. So have it in with the mechanic next week and will update the thread when I know more. Hoping for nothing too major.
Ckrawiec
Well-Known Member
Brace yourself.....judging by the looks of that spark plug...there will be monetary pain coming at you I'm afraid. Sorry, but sugar coating it won't make it better.....good luck.
CanAmFlyer
Member
Sorry about the bad luck. A new 1.5L will be costly but like you said, it will run like new afterwards.shinysideup
New Member
Hey all! I’m new to this forum, but have been riding Seadoos for a few years. What would cause the damage explained above? I am wanting to buy either a GTI SE 155 or a GTR 230, but am doing some research to see if the added complexity in the GTR 230 would be more of a hassle than worth it, or just stick to naturally aspirated (which seems to also have problems). Let me know. Cheers!
benjilafouine
Well-Known Member
I'll tell you just one thing: when you buy "used", you buy "used" whether it's an automobile or a Sea-Doo. You have to trust what the previous owner tells you, even if he's lying.
In 2015, I bought a used 2003 GTI from a distant relative and he told me that the ski had been taken care of very good. I trusted him and gave him $4,000.00 for it as the engine had only 90 hours on it.
Well one month later in the peak of the summer the engine blew up due to water ingestion. I searched for a week why it had ingested water and tried to save the engine but unknown to me I discovered that the exhaust had been patched with JB weld putty right under the T connector that provides water to both the engine and the exhaust. He never cared to tell me that and since at the time I knew nothing Sea-Doos I could not identify the fault.
This adventure cost me $3,000.00 CDN for a new engine, rotary valve, exhaust welding, oil pump, oil filter, etc. etc. etc. And in the process the dealer goofed up with the timing and the engine ran like hell. They even scrapped the carburetor with a cheap rebuild kit and I had both issues at the same time. They charged me for all hours of "water testing" and additional work done but at least they fixed the timing. Despite that the ski was still running like a piece of junk.
In the end I ordered a brand new carburetor (on the advice of people here) and that fixed all remaining issues but total cost was $4,000.00$ + the purchasing cost of $4,000.00 = $8,000.00. At that price, I would have been better with a new ski. And that was from a "relative" of me and almost neighbor. Imagine a stranger who may have flipped the ski 10 times, didn't do appropriate maintenance and what else. Also, my ski had been beached too many times and it cost me a gelcote job above that. When you are buying used, you are buying used and if you don't have extra cash to spend on it after you bought it, then don't buy it. Instead, save your money for a new one.
The happy part of the story is that my old ski has been running flawlessly since then. I am at 225 hours on the new engine and it is still running like new. Twice in my life I purchased used and twice I got burned. Never ever. Now that my old ski is, well... getting old... I purchased a new one last year because when you a mile from ashore and that no one else is on the lake (like in September) and that you have no cell signal, it is a long paddling trip.
In 2015, I bought a used 2003 GTI from a distant relative and he told me that the ski had been taken care of very good. I trusted him and gave him $4,000.00 for it as the engine had only 90 hours on it.
Well one month later in the peak of the summer the engine blew up due to water ingestion. I searched for a week why it had ingested water and tried to save the engine but unknown to me I discovered that the exhaust had been patched with JB weld putty right under the T connector that provides water to both the engine and the exhaust. He never cared to tell me that and since at the time I knew nothing Sea-Doos I could not identify the fault.
This adventure cost me $3,000.00 CDN for a new engine, rotary valve, exhaust welding, oil pump, oil filter, etc. etc. etc. And in the process the dealer goofed up with the timing and the engine ran like hell. They even scrapped the carburetor with a cheap rebuild kit and I had both issues at the same time. They charged me for all hours of "water testing" and additional work done but at least they fixed the timing. Despite that the ski was still running like a piece of junk.
In the end I ordered a brand new carburetor (on the advice of people here) and that fixed all remaining issues but total cost was $4,000.00$ + the purchasing cost of $4,000.00 = $8,000.00. At that price, I would have been better with a new ski. And that was from a "relative" of me and almost neighbor. Imagine a stranger who may have flipped the ski 10 times, didn't do appropriate maintenance and what else. Also, my ski had been beached too many times and it cost me a gelcote job above that. When you are buying used, you are buying used and if you don't have extra cash to spend on it after you bought it, then don't buy it. Instead, save your money for a new one.
The happy part of the story is that my old ski has been running flawlessly since then. I am at 225 hours on the new engine and it is still running like new. Twice in my life I purchased used and twice I got burned. Never ever. Now that my old ski is, well... getting old... I purchased a new one last year because when you a mile from ashore and that no one else is on the lake (like in September) and that you have no cell signal, it is a long paddling trip.
shinysideup
New Member
Hah. Thanks for taking the time for such a detailed reply. I agree on buying used vs new. I forgot to mention, I will be buying new! I’m looking into how much extra maintenance there is or whether there is a higher failure rate with a machine with superchargers, etc.
benjilafouine
Well-Known Member
Like Scotty said in a Star Trek movie: "The more they overthink the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the drain"
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