Need help with odd issue with 2000 Seadoo Challenger 1800

[Suededog]

I have a 2000 Seadoo Challenger 1800 with a 2003 Mercury 240 efi and have a strange issue that I am looking for help troubleshooting.

I took the boat out for the first time this year and it started fine and ran fine for an hour or so. Then I stopped in the middle of the lake and sat/swam with the radio on for about 30 minutes. When I went to start the boat it wouldn't start. The battery seemed fine. It turns over fine, but never sounds like its even close to starting. Due to the circumstances of how it all went down, I first thought maybe something got clogged up somewhere within the fuel system. That could still be an issue (although I don't really think so), but I immediately noticed something else which is what I am needing help troubleshooting now.

When I turn the key on, I get the normal beeps BUT the fuel primer pump does not come on. The boat will turn over but will not start. THIS is the odd thing that I have found though, if I turn the key on and just set there and do nothing after about 12 seconds the fuel primer pump does kick on and at this time it never goes off until you turn the key off (it usually comes on immediately and then goes off after a couple of seconds when it is working correctly). I also begin hearing an immediate solid beep once the pump kicks in after the 12 seconds. I thought I could possibly have an issue with the neutral safety switch because once it starts beeping after the pump comes on I can move the shifter around randomly and every now and then the beeping stops for a split second (never quits totally though). I wouldn't think the neutral safety switch would cause the pump to come on after 12 seconds and never go off though even if it was the issue.

I also thought I could possibly have an issue with the lanyard. I bypassed it and still had the same issue. I thought maybe the slave solenoid was the issue. I took it off and tested it by checking for resistance and listening for it to click while hooked to the battery. It seems fine to me, when I connected the battery I heard the click and once it clicked it showed zero ohms. I have tried to check for any bad grounds and so far haven't found anything that seemed bad. I feel like the primer pump itself works because it does eventually come on after the 12 seconds. I feel like the solenoid is good after my testing, but I don't know that for a fact. I'm mainly just wondering what tests to try next and hoping maybe Dr Honda or someone else has seen this issue before with the delayed pump startup and could point me in the right direction.

I do have the manuals and have looked thru them quite a bit. The section on troubleshooting the Solenoid Driven Bendix Starter Circuit is where I have spent most of time so far, but I'm not sure that I have made all of the tests in that section correctly and was hoping for some advice as to whether I'm even on the right path.

 

[Tim75]

You don't say what engine you have. It could be one of four different engines.

What is "slave solenoid"? Do you mean starter solenoid? If the engine cranks, that is not the problem.

Is this an EFI engine? Key ON, engine OFF, does the pump in the VST turn on? Just feel for it. After crank a while, are the spark plugs wet with gas or dry?

Back to line 1.

 

[Suededog]

You don't say what engine you have. It could be one of four different engines.

What is "slave solenoid"? Do you mean starter solenoid? If the engine cranks, that is not the problem.

Is this an EFI engine? Key ON, engine OFF, does the pump in the VST turn on? Just feel for it. After crank a while, are the spark plugs wet with gas or dry?

Back to line 1.

Thanks for the reply.

The engine is a 2003 Mercury 240 EFI.

My manual is calling it a slave solenoid, but it is a solenoid that feeds into the starter solenoid. It has wires from the neutral safety switch and the ignition switch and then goes from there to the starter solenoid.

I will have to check for the pump in the VST and the spark plug test.


The small fuel lift pump with the fuel filter attached usually comes on for a few seconds immediately when the key is turned to on. That isn’t happening, but it will come on after about 12 seconds which then causes the constant beep from the alarm. The lift pump never shuts off once it comes on. The engine does turn over as if its trying to start, but it sounds more like it would if I tried to start it with the lanyard off.

 

[benpalazzo]

Suededog-

I have 2000 challenger 2000 with the 240 EFI and went through that same problem all last summer and enjoyed a couple sea tow rides. First thought replaced starter still same problem. Initially starts up fine but always after sitting around would seem like its wants to start up but quickly stall out, and next day or hours later would start fine. I figured out that the casing around the temp gauge was melted and it was shutting down. Seems to be all better now since replacement. Another temp trick that worked was turning the steering wheel fully in either direction while in neutral to give some added power while starting and seems to do the trick.

 

[Suededog]

Suededog-

I have 2000 challenger 2000 with the 240 EFI and went through that same problem all last summer and enjoyed a couple sea tow rides. First thought replaced starter still same problem. Initially starts up fine but always after sitting around would seem like its wants to start up but quickly stall out, and next day or hours later would start fine. I figured out that the casing around the temp gauge was melted and it was shutting down. Seems to be all better now since replacement. Another temp trick that worked was turning the steering wheel fully in either direction while in neutral to give some added power while starting and seems to do the trick.

Thanks for the info. I haven't been able to work on the boat since I first posted this, but I plan to this weekend and will definitely check these things. Mine was a little different in that it ran fine and once I shut it off it has never started again. When yours was having trouble was it doing what mine is doing as far as the primer pump not coming on when it should but then coming on after 12-15 seconds? That was the first thing I noticed the time it left me stranded was when I turned the key on it didn't start the pump for a few seconds like normal. While testing is when I noticed it would eventually come on after about 15 seconds.

 

[benpalazzo]

Not sure I noticed anything with the pump, so maybe a different problem. I do know that the problem I had can be fairly common with the 240 EFI from what I've heard.

 

[Suededog]

Not sure I noticed anything with the pump, so maybe a different problem. I do know that the problem I had can be fairly common with the 240 EFI from what I've heard.

I'll definitely check that out, but I am thinking something else may be going on. I assume you mean the temp guage on the engine and not in the dashboard??

 

[benpalazzo]

Yes my apologies temp sensor on the engine

 

[youssef]

I don't know if this would apply to your problem, but I have challenger 2000 with a Mercury 240 EFI. I had almost the same problem, the boat would start right away and run fine then when I turn off the engine for a short time it would not start again. Sometimes it would even die while running and would not start. After checking couple of things I found the problem to be very simple in my case. It was a bad connection at the ECM at harness connector (picture attached), moving it would let the engine run and stop. I cleaned the connector and the engine been running fine since then.