noob issues... :(

[kevinb721]

slow cranking, 90 sp

ok im kinda new to all this jet ski stuff, so i'll get right down to it.

-1990 seadoo sp
-ran great when i picked it up
-wasnt aware that it had no drain plug
-put it out on the water, ran it great for about 15 mins
-brought it into shore, was gunna take a friend out
-tried starting it, was cranking really slow but nothing...lifted up the seat and there was water up about a quarter way up the hull
-got it out of the water and emptied the water out and started working on it this morning per directions from various threads on the forums

so heres the issues now. i got it to start ONCE with both plugs in. i didnt want to run it too long with no water so i hooked up the garden hose and bam nothing. started swapping plugs and drying them, and it will start with one plug in but slowly...with NO water. it cranks slow...i have a few batteries and none of them seem to be making it any better. as soon as i put both plugs in it cranks so so slow and will not fire up. what do you guys think? any help would be appreciated...thanks

kevin

 

[kevinb721]

ugh...bump i thought i had fixed it but now its doing it again

 

[rksnow1]

Kevin, Hi. Im just as new and had a similar problem yesterday. I took my new 1990 out for a first run. when I got back after riding for 10 minutes I had water through out the whole inside. I had my drain plug in so Im not sure why I got so much water in. Im having alot of trouble getting it to start now and cant find where the water came in through. If you find out anything with yours please post.
thanks
Ray

 

[kevinb721]

Kevin, Hi. Im just as new and had a similar problem yesterday. I took my new 1990 out for a first run. when I got back after riding for 10 minutes I had water through out the whole inside. I had my drain plug in so Im not sure why I got so much water in. Im having alot of trouble getting it to start now and cant find where the water came in through. If you find out anything with yours please post.
thanks
Ray

i did get mine started but its really spotty now...the engine cranks but BARELY when the spark plugs are in. even with only 1 plug it barely cranks. when the plugs are out though it cranks fast. just keep trying dude tip it on its side and crank it with no plugs and water will come out. then just keep trying with 1 plug at a time to get it to crank and keep pulling the plugs out and drying them. it will work. i think i might need a new starter now...

 

[kustomkarl]

I think you should check the wire connectors from the battery to be sure you are getting a good connection first. Check the connection of the ground near the starter. If the wires aren't corroded and making a good connection and the battery is fully charged and doesn't have any bad cells then it might be the starter. If you have the spark plug caps remove, be sure you put them on the grounding post when you crank it over so it won't over load the external coils of excess electrical power and cause more problems. If your in doubt of the battery condition have it Load tested at like Auto Zone for free. If your battery has a bad cell it won't have the amps to crank over the seadoo. I would do a compression test to see what is going on inside.

Karl

 

[kevinb721]

battery is good...ive used 2 different ones and a car battery and they drain very quickly after trying to start for a few minutes. i had the ski running 2 days ago and i tried to start it this morning and it turned over normally a few times then started to turn reeeally slow again like before. wheres the ground near the starter located?

 

[kustomkarl]

Follow the ground wire from the battery to the end by the starter.

Karl

 

[kevinb721]

Follow the ground wire from the battery to the end by the starter.

Karl

i think i may have to snap a pic of my ground wire cause its no where near the starter...is that bad?

 

[kustomkarl]

It should be at the point of least resistance, but it might have been moved for convenience. It can be hard to reach in the starter position. Just be sure it has a good connection and it isn't corroded internally if it looks real bad cut the end off and add a new end. The Ground is a very vital wire to have a good connection.

Karl

 

[kevinb721]

It should be at the point of least resistance, but it might have been moved for convenience. It can be hard to reach in the starter position. Just be sure it has a good connection and it isn't corroded internally if it looks real bad cut the end off and add a new end. The Ground is a very vital wire to have a good connection.

Karl

would a bad ground drain the battery out?

 

[kustomkarl]

It won't drain the battery,but it won't allow it to allow proper electrical current travel to the starter. You might have another issue with a power draw somewhere. If the battery is low it won't have enough Amps to start the engine.

Karl

 

[kevinb721]

cause i'll throw the battery on a trickle charger for 20 mins and re-attach and it will crank close to normal for a few cranks...and you can hear it dying down again to slow slow cranking...

 

[kustomkarl]

20 minutes isn't enough time to fully charge up the battery. It needs a good 6-8 hrs to have a full charge. If the battery is more than 6 months old have it Load tested at like Auto Zone for free, as I described in Post #5.

Karl

 

[kevinb721]

ok...worked on getting the starter out...found out there was only 1 bolt holding the starter on took it out, tested it and it spun great, nothing seemed worn out at all had plenty of torque...so i reattached it with all 3 bolts thinking that was the issue...still a slow crank with both plugs in...im so clueless as to whats going on...i can start the engine with 1 ONE PLUG in...either cylinder will fire and the engine will run but only 1 plug...as soon as i put both plugs in it has the worst time trying to turn over...i cleaned off every ground and hot wire i could...cut and redid terminals for the battery cables...still not starting with both plugs. the battery ground is grounded to a stud on the top of the exhaust mani...that black curved pipe that comes from the yellow manifold and has 4 studs with nuts...would that cause an issue trying to start it? im really out of ideas im so frustrated now

 

[kustomkarl]

It sounds like it's lacking full power to the starter. Move the ground wire from the battery to a different area on the engine near the starter. Be sure the ground is clean and has a good connection. Double check all battery connections. You said the battery has been checked? If it has a bad cell it will cause this problem too. If you can, do a compression test on the cylinders. I just hope having that water in it from the start of the problem didn't do any damage internally. If you need advise on doing compression test properly, let me know. It should ideally be at 150 psi. per cylinder.

Karl

 

[kevinb721]

could my rotary valve timing be off? im still learning about all this stuff but would the rotary valve have anything to do with only starting with 1 plug and not both?

 

[kevinb721]

ok so i moved the ground to the starter and low and behold it started right up. thanks for all the help karl...and sorry for my language lol

 

[kustomkarl]

I've seen this same problem uh...let me see...uh.. maybe 1,274 times...:ack: :rofl:

Karl