Not sure where to start with 2000 RX millenium that won't start

[BYOC]

I recently purchased a 2000 RX Millenium Edition. The seller let me test ride it. Started fine. Ran great. I took it home. Put it in the river. I forgot to close the bilge plugs!!!

Started up just fine. My kid was sitting on it while it idled for about 3 minutes while I parked the trailer. My kid is pretty light, so he didn't have much of an effect, but when I got on it, I knew something wasn't right. That's when I realized what I had done (or had forgotten to do). I got off and went to get the trailer. I left the engine running. When I got the trailer back in the water, I could no longer get on the Jet Ski because water was coming in over the sidewalls. So I turned it off and just dragged in onto the trailer.

I pulled the Jet Ski out of the water and let the bilge drain. I closed the plugs and put it back in the water, only this time, it would not start.

I've tried two more times to get it started without success.

When I plug in the DESS I get the two short beeps and it acts like it's ready to start. I can scroll through all the mode options and the VTS works. But when I hit the start button, the engine will crank just one time and then it cuts off the starter motor completely and just gives me a long beep. It will beep for as long as I depress the start button.

Sometimes the engine will turn over once, but instead of stopping the starter motor completely and beeping continuously, it will try to turn the engine over again, but only like a quarter turn, then it will chirp real quick and do another quarter turn, stop and chirp, quarter turn, stop and chirp, and continue this for as long as I hold the start button.

I don't think the water filled the bilge enough to get into the engine, but I don't really know much. Maybe it affected the electrical. Where do you guys think I should start looking? Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[mikidymac]

Pull the sparkplugs and try to turn it over. See if water shoots out or not. If water is in the engine you need to get it out and running immediately and run it long and hard in the water to burn it all out.

You could have also gotten water in the electrical boxes so check those also.

 

[BYOC]

Pull the sparkplugs and try to turn it over. See if water shoots out or not. If water is in the engine you need to get it out and running immediately and run it long and hard in the water to burn it all out.

You could have also gotten water in the electrical boxes so check those also.

I removed the spark plugs. The engine will now turn, but unfortunately, it was indeed full of water.

I cranked it with no plugs in. Then cranked it with one of the holes plugged up, and then the other. Then poured a little gas in, replaced the plugs and tried starting it.

I repeated this process 4 or 5 times. I can get it to sputter a little bit, but I haven't gotten it to actually start yet. The battery died on my. I charged it last night and will try again after work.

When I get it to start, should I run it without the flush water hooked up to let the engine get hot quicker?

It's had water in the engine for about a week now. Is this a lost cause?

 

[mikidymac]

Yes, that is very bad to let it sit with water in it.

The reason it keeps sputtering is there is still water down in the crankcase and every time it sputters it pulls water up into the combustion chamber and bridges the sparkplug gap so no spark.

It's a slow process but eventually it will fire.

Fog the crap out of it and get it on the water ASAP once it is runnig then fog the crap out of it again.

There is a chance nothing has rusted but just a chance.

 

[BYOC]

Yes, that is very bad to let it sit with water in it.

The reason it keeps sputtering is there is still water down in the crankcase and every time it sputters it pulls water up into the combustion chamber and bridges the sparkplug gap so no spark.

It's a slow process but eventually it will fire.

Fog the crap out of it and get it on the water ASAP once it is runnig then fog the crap out of it again.

There is a chance nothing has rusted but just a chance.

Success! I charged the battery overnight. I left the spark plugs out and put a towel over the holes to keep bugs out. It sat in the hot desert sun all day while I was at work. When I got home, I hooked up the battery, put the plugs back in and it fired right up on the first try. Had it out on the river today and it’s running great.

Thanks!