Help Before I Buy a Lemon! 1996 GTI Loses Power and Then Surges

[SeadooDavid]

I need some advice before making a buying decision on a jet ski. I have a friend that has a 1996 Seadoo GTI that he wants to get rid of. He has only owned it for a few weeks and he bought it off of craigslist for the sole purpose of reselling. The owner before him said that they were the original owners and had serviced it regularly but they didn’t have the maintenance records. It does seem to be in overall really good condition though. He has only had it out on the water twice; once on a large lake and the second time on a decent size river. I was there and rode it both times.

So here’s my question/issue:

Both times it has run great for 2-3 hours and then it has acted up a little. After riding it for 2-3 hours it will drop in speed and then surge back up. Say you have the throttle held at what should be the 40mph position and you are cruising along at 40mph it will suddenly lose power for 1-2 seconds; just long enough to drop your speed down to 35mph or so and then it will speed right back up to 40mph where it should be. It will do this 2-3 times a minute for a couple minutes and then it will be fine for 5 minutes or so and then it’ll do it again a few more times. It doesn’t have to be at 40mph either. It will do it at all speeds and drop the mph approximately 5mph. I just used 40mph as my example because that’s roughly my cruising speed and where I spend most of my time while riding around on it. And I haven’t had the chance to ride it around and try to troubleshoot the issue because by the time it has acted up both times we are beyond exhausted and just ready to head home. Other than this it will scream like a champ for the first 2-3 hours. I would like to know what I’m getting myself into. Is this something that’s common and a simple fix or should I run for the hills? I have access to it on a daily basis so I can check things out if you guys have any suggestions. I really appreciate the help and I look forward to getting into jet skis and the Seadoo community.

 

[LouDoo]

Hi, and welcome to the SeaDoo forum.

First of all the 96GTI is a great starter ski, very reliable, easy to work on, very stable in the water. I like the handling because it's not a deep V hull it skims over the water. I might be prejudice because I own one.

Back to your concerns, I'm just guessing but it probably still has the original grey tempo fuel lines. Over time the alcohol in modern fuels breaks down the glue inside the lines and causes a green goo throughout the fuel delivery system. So the fuel lines need to be replaced, with 1/4" automotive fuel hose, along with cleaning main fuel filter, clean or replace fuel selector valve, and clean the carb. fuel filters. Also depending on the condition of the carbs, rebuild the carbs. It's really not too bad of a job and if the carbs. are O.K. should cost less than $100.00.

Here's a thread on the subject.

http://www.seadooforum.com/showthre...el-Delivery-Problems-low-revs-bogging-surging

Lou

 

[SeadooDavid]

Awesome! I appreciate that you took the time to write such an informative review. I checked today and it does have the original grey fuel lines. I thought maybe a carb rebuild would help out but I had no idea about the grey fuel lines deteriorating overtime. If you have the time I have several more questions about this particular ski. Also, what do you think about $1,500 for the ski and a single trailer?

How will I know if the oil injector is giving out?

How will I know if the engine is running hot?
Does a 1996 GTI have the “overheat” beeper that I’ve seen in other posts?
How can I test the overheat beeper to make sure it will work when needed?

Are there any common issues with this model that I should double check before making a decision whether to buy it or not?

 

[LouDoo]

$ 1,500.00 is a fair price, that's about what the ski would sell for here.

The oil injection system on a SeaDoo is very reliable, and personally I've never heard of a pump wearing out. The reason being the oil pump gets it lubrication from the oil that's running through it, so it gets constant lubrication. The small oil injector lines need to be changed every few years, not a big job.

The ski does have a beeper that will tell you if the ski overheats, it's the same beeper that tells you the ski is ready to start. So if you hear two beeps when you attach the lanyard the beeper is working. Also there is a temp. indicator on the multi-gauge.

There are really no common issues with this ski, it's a real work horse. It's not the most exciting ski on the lake, but it will keep up with most ski's, will run in the low 50's (indicated). I actually outran a newer Kawa 4-stroke last weekend. I'm no expert, just a shade tree mechanic like most guys on this forum, but I have never had to take this ski to the dealer, always maintained and repaired the ski myself.

Buy it, you won't be sorry.

Lou

P.S. You might want to check the compression before you buy. Ideal compression for a new engine is 150psi, anything above 135 is good (mine is 139 and 141), 120 or less the motor will need a top end rebuild soon.

 

[SeadooDavid]

Awesome! Now I just need to find a place around here that has the tools to do a compression test.

So you think the lagging and surging after several hours of use is the fuel system getting clogged up huh? That seems simple enough. Would it be stupid of me to leave it as is and just run it until it starts acting up enough to bother me? Would I risk damaging anything?

I’m planning on pulling a tube and possibly a wakeboard (I know that most people prefer to wakeboard behind a boat rather than a ski) with the Jet Ski. Would you recommend that? Is the 1996 GTI adequate for pulling a tube and other water toys?

 

[brandon32689]

ya man it will pull just about what ever you want to, it has the 717 motor in it which puts out 85hp. It is pretty fast for a big ski, but 30 feels fast on a tube lol.....

Looks like a good looking ski man i would get it as long as compression is up to par, go to a advance auto or something like that a cheap compression tool is like 30 bucks or you can problaly borrow one from them, but i would change all the fuel lines and clean the carbs before taking it out again. since its still running and doing good do it now before it harms something ya know. ya you never want to risk something when it could be fuel or carb related. that is the heart of the engine. good luck with your purchase and there is always someone here to help

 

[LouDoo]

What Brandon said. The main reason to redo the fuel system is when it gets clogged it causes the ski to run lean, which will eventually cause the engine to seize, which means an upper end rebuild or a new engine. Even if you're not having problems now you will have.

Lou

 

[brandon32689]

i x2 that lou lol couple cans of carb cleaner and new fuel lines will cost about 30-40 bucks compared to a new morot at like hundreds of dollars.

 

[SeadooDavid]

7 months later…

I was fully set on buying the ski but summer came to an abrupt halt and I ended up getting distracted with life in general and I passed on the ski. I appreciate all the advice and I’ve let what you guys said bounce around in my head all winter and I just bought a different 1996 GTI. It has a few things that need upgraded such as the fuel lines, new bumper and the carburetor needs cleaned. I’ll be making a new thread with a few questions that I have about it. Thanks again!