Starting problem, any help for a noob?

[DryDocked]

Hey guys!


I am having some problems with my SeaDoo XPL (1998) and was hoping you techies can help me out. Last summer I was having problems with my VTS (would go down but not up, not the only time I had that problem, but enough of the personal problems!). I was advised to inspect the start/VTS switch. I removed the grip and took a look at the connections. Nothing out of the ordinary, no corrosion, etc. I thought I would try and move the VTS but accidentally hit the start button. It did not start, but immediately backfired very loudly. I got the grip back on and covered the ski, not wanting to do any more damage. A few short days later I was called up for a hitch in Iraq. While I was gone, my fiancee took the ski to a local shop for winterization. The other day I went to start the ski for the summer, and while the starter turned over the ski did not start. The key does beep, and the starter turns the motor, but no fire. And ideas? Thanks!

 

[DryDocked]

Hey guys!


I am having some problems with my SeaDoo XPL (1998) and was hoping you techies can help me out. Last summer I was having problems with my VTS (would go down but not up, not the only time I had that problem, but enough of the personal problems!). I was advised to inspect the start/VTS switch. I removed the grip and took a look at the connections. Nothing out of the ordinary, no corrosion, etc. I thought I would try and move the VTS but accidentally hit the start button. It did not start, but immediately backfired very loudly. I got the grip back on and covered the ski, not wanting to do any more damage. A few short days later I was called up for a hitch in Iraq. While I was gone, my fiancee took the ski to a local shop for winterization. The other day I went to start the ski for the summer, and while the starter turned over the ski did not start. The key does beep, and the starter turns the motor, but no fire. And ideas? Thanks!

Anyone????

 

[popasodatastie]

hmmm try this?

have you checked the sparkplugs? The next thing i would do is get a volt meter and check the battery for 12.4 to 12.6 volts if you have that then your battery maybe be ok. Next go to the starter selonid and check to see if you have power at the selonid and touch the meter to the other side and see if you get anything if not then the selonid is probably shot. But you can take a wire or a jumper cable clamp and just jump across the starter selonid and your starter should spin of not you may have a bad starter. Also check to see if any fuses may have blown.. let me know how that goes?

 

[DryDocked]

have you checked the sparkplugs? The next thing i would do is get a volt meter and check the battery for 12.4 to 12.6 volts if you have that then your battery maybe be ok. Next go to the starter selonid and check to see if you have power at the selonid and touch the meter to the other side and see if you get anything if not then the selonid is probably shot. But you can take a wire or a jumper cable clamp and just jump across the starter selonid and your starter should spin of not you may have a bad starter. Also check to see if any fuses may have blown.. let me know how that goes?

Yup. New plugs and double checked the gaps. The plugs have not been run long enough to discolor, so I can't say if the ski is running rich or lean, but the old plugs looked just right. Battery is good, it was slow charged just the other day and am getting around 12.5-12.6V. The starter actually spins strong and the motor turns, but the engine just does not fire over.

 

[popasodatastie]

do you have a inline spark tester?

 

[popasodatastie]

another thing you can try is getting some starting fluid and shoot some down into the cylinders and see if if that will fire it off. that could let you know if you had a fuel problem as far and not getting any from the carbs. if you have spark than the starting fluid should fire it off but make sure the fuel selector valve is open and that you have fuel in it.

 

[DryDocked]

another thing you can try is getting some starting fluid and shoot some down into the cylinders and see if if that will fire it off. that could let you know if you had a fuel problem as far and not getting any from the carbs. if you have spark than the starting fluid should fire it off but make sure the fuel selector valve is open and that you have fuel in it.

Sounds good, I will try that tomorrow. What kind of starter fluid do I need.. just some regular old charcoal starter fluid? I keed, I keed. But seriously, just some Auto Zone starter fluid, or do I need something special since it is a 2 stroke? Where do I need to shoot it? Will shooting it directly into the plug holes be okay? Unfortunately, I don't have a spark tester, I have always just cranked the motor with the plugs out of the cylinders on other machines I have owned, just to see if it sparks, but I don't have anything to check the duration/spark of the plug.

 

[cbjrumble]

Absolutely not charcoal started fluid kill yourself doing something like that i think. He means like Prestone engine started fluid. And you shouldnt use starter fluid either I hear it can damage 2 stroke engines. The best thing to use is a spray bottle with gas and just a dab of oil in it. Spray that few times down the cylinder put the plugs back in and give it a go.

 

[popasodatastie]

Starting Fluid

The starting fluid you can use is stuff from autozone just regular starting fluid but you don't want to use a whole lot like cbjrumble said engine damage can result. just about a spritz in each of the spark plug holes. You can use gas and oild mixture but since you can say if the fuel oil mixture is too rich - the eather (starting fluid) would help you determine if it was an incorrect fuel miture. The next thing if you dont get it to pop off would be to pull the plugs and set them aginst block and try dry firing them to see if you get a good spark. Let us know how that goes....

 

[timmyboy76]

cut the plug wires at boots' ends' 1/4in...and priorto that, check/re-check all the fuses.

 

[DryDocked]

Absolutely not charcoal started fluid kill yourself doing something like that i think. He means like Prestone engine started fluid. And you shouldnt use starter fluid either I hear it can damage 2 stroke engines. The best thing to use is a spray bottle with gas and just a dab of oil in it. Spray that few times down the cylinder put the plugs back in and give it a go.

Yeah, I know, I was just kidding about that. But thanks... I wasn't sure wither to go into the plug holes or into the RAVs.

 

[cbjrumble]

lol, you never know. Soon as you said charcoal starting fluid I started to post lol, stopped reading right there.

 

[DryDocked]

cut the plug wires at boots' ends' 1/4in...and priorto that, check/re-check all the fuses.

Checked all the fuses, they are good. Although most of the fuel lines are black, there are a few gray ones, three small grays with a red stripe that is on the carb assembly only, and one large gray line going off to the side of the hull. Do I need to change any of these out as well? Here are a few pics.

 

[DryDocked]

You can see the gray lines with the red stripes on the carb assembly, and the large gray line that runs into the hull behind the oil tank.

 

[DryDocked]

lol, you never know. Soon as you said charcoal starting fluid I started to post lol, stopped reading right there.

Lol, nah that's cool, better safe than sorry. I have seen some people do some really stupid things.