Not to sound like a dick, but the boat is over 10 years old what did you expect? We boat our 96' speedster for $3200, knowing full well that we were going to be putting a little money into it. Another $1200 later.....new MPEM, Batteries, Wear Rings, ETC.....she runs like a champ. You have to expect a few hiccups with a boat this age, still better than spending alot more money on a new boat.
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Won't turn over
- Thread starter Dans97challenger
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Mine started to go bad so I replaced with one from ebasicpower. I got the high torque seadoo 800 starter for $178.00. So far so good (Only been to the lake twice this year so far). There were cheaper ones out there but this place has been around for a bit and had a decent warranty. There was also much more expensive ones out there that were unable to justify the cost differancce. I called and email a lot of vendors and almost none of them would even talk to me. Ebasicpower did and they got my business. I hope I am still happy in 3 more years with it 
Dans97challenger
New Member
I know things are going to have problems but I wasn't expecting to have to do everything to it including pulling the motor to find out what the hell was wrong with it. I am all set with it though. When I am done I am selling it for $4500 firm because it isn't going to need a thing. Since September it has received::
New Impellar
New Wear Ring
New Battery
New Starter Relay
New Starter
New Flywheel
The main thing is I hate being lied to by sellers that is all. I was told boat is great and doesn't need a thing that is my beef right now. So I will just stick to my motorcycles that never need anything but oil. I did enjoy it when I used it but not enough to go through this much headache to keep it.
New Impellar
New Wear Ring
New Battery
New Starter Relay
New Starter
New Flywheel
The main thing is I hate being lied to by sellers that is all. I was told boat is great and doesn't need a thing that is my beef right now. So I will just stick to my motorcycles that never need anything but oil. I did enjoy it when I used it but not enough to go through this much headache to keep it.
I think you got it exactly there, it isn't the boat, as much as the seller.
Motorcycles are pretty simple, and you can tell from a quick ride if they have issues... a starter going bad and taking the flywheel with it, could happen to anything with a starter, and that was just bad luck/bad timing...
Wear ring and impeller are like really expensive tires for a boat... so they're common too, but you wouldn't know it unless you'd been through it before (I was lucky and just needed a new seal for now, wear ring/impeller will be for the next guy...)
Motorcycles are pretty simple, and you can tell from a quick ride if they have issues... a starter going bad and taking the flywheel with it, could happen to anything with a starter, and that was just bad luck/bad timing...
Wear ring and impeller are like really expensive tires for a boat... so they're common too, but you wouldn't know it unless you'd been through it before (I was lucky and just needed a new seal for now, wear ring/impeller will be for the next guy...)
timmyboy76
New Member
I dunno man, but, unless ur a big dude, I wouldnt have trust'm as far as i could drop-kik'em.
You ever give this boat a water-trial, or just take his word?
i have had my boat a year and i am out;
new motor (slight mods)
new carbs
new pump
new impeller
new grate
new starter
new bildge pump and hose
new seats (recovered them all)
new fuel lines, oil lines, water lines, propulsion system from pump to pto.
and i am sure i forgot things, like the new water regulater on the water box and the the new rave valves with housings, etc.... I did not buy this as a everyday driver car but more as a project and hobby. I have done evrything but rebuild the engine (I did R&R it though) and i had the seats done (again I R&R them also). It is amazing how much you learn about something when you sink thousands of dollars and countless hours into it.
Thinking of getting a factory pipe for it to pull some more r's and increase the speed a bit. I just bolted the new carbs on with 147.5 and 150 jets and prok arresters so I want to get his dialed in and see what happens.
new motor (slight mods)
new carbs
new pump
new impeller
new grate
new starter
new bildge pump and hose
new seats (recovered them all)
new fuel lines, oil lines, water lines, propulsion system from pump to pto.
and i am sure i forgot things, like the new water regulater on the water box and the the new rave valves with housings, etc.... I did not buy this as a everyday driver car but more as a project and hobby. I have done evrything but rebuild the engine (I did R&R it though) and i had the seats done (again I R&R them also). It is amazing how much you learn about something when you sink thousands of dollars and countless hours into it.
Thinking of getting a factory pipe for it to pull some more r's and increase the speed a bit. I just bolted the new carbs on with 147.5 and 150 jets and prok arresters so I want to get his dialed in and see what happens.
kcr357
Active Member
How about the "It ran before we put it in the backyard for storage" line? I found out the hard way that means "It quit running so we dumped it under a shade tree and neglected to touch it for a year." Ur right, people are a$$es with boats sometimes. Dont let the buyers lowball you with bluebook BS, bluebook imo, reflects a shiny hull with a bunch of problems lurking underneath. Good luck
Dans97challenger
New Member
When I bought the boat I wouldn't buy it without putting it in the water. It seemed to run great when I first took it for a ride. Then I get it back home and all of a sudden it starts bouncing off the revlimiter like crazy and that was because of cavitation. It needed a new impellar really bad. I have the old one it is all chewed up and gouged up. I am thinking when I get it back I am at least taking it out one last time to make sure it is all set before I list it for sale that way I know it is in perfect running order. BTW I threw out the KBB value a long time ago. It says something like $2500 and I can sell it for $4500 no problem.
Dans97challenger
New Member
When I put it up for $4500 before it gave me these problems I received 15 calls in 2 days about it. It would have been sold a while ago but ofcourse this had to happen as I was trying to sell it. Now that I am dumping all this money into it I won't be budging from my $4500 and I know I will get it. Plus the season is upon us for sure. Who knows when I get it in the water and it runs incredible it might just force me to keep it. But I doubt it.
Man, I really do feel for you...
I have been through the same thing, and have had to sink more into mine than you have. Melting RAVE valves several times. Then after my 6th trip out, mine throws a piston and it is time for a completely new engine :ack:
New engine, new starter, new impeller (just because I wanted more bite), new wear ring since I was in there, etc, etc. Still putting money into it (just cosmetics now for the boat, but trailer is rotting out on me).
But I have to admit that sooner or later, you may end up with a decent boat with all the problem areas fixed, and we really LOVE our boat now, despite the several heartbreaks we have had with it.
Oh, and I am guilty as charged for not putting it in the water before we bought it. Trusted the owner, drove to Florida from Texas to pick it up, he started it briefly in his yard, never feared anything could go wrong. But it lost it's ghost just a few trips later.
So, sometimes it is the seller, sometimes just the boat...
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Dans97challenger
New Member
Hey everyone, I just want to give you guys a little insight as to what was wrong with my boat. Well the flywheel was missing a few teeth on it so it needed a new flywheel. I had the stock starter rebuilt and now the boat starts right up and runs great. Although there still was a problem with it that even Bombardier can't figure out what it is. They sent a engineer down to my mechanics shop to see if they could figure it out. It happens to be there is a problem with the starter button it is failing and my tech had 5 other challengers in his shop with the same problem. Even when you push the button and test with a volt meter the starter was still getting 13 volts but not turning over. He ran a hard wired button to the starter and it works perfectly fine. So for those of you with Challengers and they are having starting issues I am sure this is what it is. Bombardier doesn't even have a solution to this so the engineer told my mechanic to continue to hardwire new starter buttons and it fixes the issue. Hopefully this info will benefit some of you out there having problems as well.
I think mine does that too... I push the button and nothing happens at all. Push again, nothing, push again, cranks right over.
It usually happens after it has been running for a while and I turned it off...
I always thought it was either a bad connection on the DESS key, or there was a timer lockout in the MPEM, but pulling the key and putting it back on usually clears it up.
It usually happens after it has been running for a while and I turned it off...
I always thought it was either a bad connection on the DESS key, or there was a timer lockout in the MPEM, but pulling the key and putting it back on usually clears it up.
Dans97challenger
New Member
What I mean by hardwired is that the stock start button goes through the MPEM! My new starter button is wired directly from the battery to the starter with a relay inbetween. That way to start the boat you need the DESS key on the post but when you push the start button it powers the starter directly and doesn't go through the MPEM to start it. Bombardier even said that is the only way around it right now.
Are you still using the same button, just rewired, or did you install another button/switch? What about shutting the ski off with the button? Does that go way and you have to pull the lanyard to shutdown now?
Dans97challenger
New Member
No it will still do nothing if the DESS key isn't on there. I haven't picked it up yet so I don't know if the button shuts off the boat or if you just pull off the Lanyard. He took out the stock button and put the new button right in its place. If I have to pull the Lanyard off to stop it that is fine with me. It is nuts that Seadoo can't figure out why the buttons are failing.
Dans97challenger
New Member
No the problem is definitely in the MPEM for sure. But it is between the push button, MPEM and Starter. My relay is fine and so is the starter they are both brand new actually. Bombardier can't solve the issue either. They are still trouble shooting it but for the meantime a new starter button works.
Yup. Especially since you're trying to sell it
At least now the weather is getting better, so maybe you can take it out a few times before selling?
What I meant was the circuit in the MPEM that controls the relay... either way an MPEM is insanely expensive for no particular reason on a non-computer-controlled engine... So if it happens to me I'll remember this thread and just wire the button directly to the relay...
Thanks
At least now the weather is getting better, so maybe you can take it out a few times before selling?
What I meant was the circuit in the MPEM that controls the relay... either way an MPEM is insanely expensive for no particular reason on a non-computer-controlled engine... So if it happens to me I'll remember this thread and just wire the button directly to the relay...
Thanks
Dans97challenger
New Member
No problem at all. I just put it on craigslist and within 20 minutes had an email already. It will sell quickly and who wouldn't want it after all the work I have done.
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