I just purchased a 2003 GTX 4-tec and have taking it to my families lake house for the weekend which is at 4,500 ft above sea level. The problem im having is that that the engine is hitting 7 to 8,000 rpms but doesnt really go anywhere when accelerating. Its sounds like its bogging when taking off and is extremely slow to build up any speed. Also when i did get it going the top speed was only around 41 mph. Is their anything you need to do to the 4-tecs at higher elevations? Or could this be a drivetrain issue? Ive had alot of experience riding motorcycles and the symptoms seem real similar to a bike when its clutch is slipping. Any input is greatly appreciated!
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03 GTX 4-tec problems at high elevation..Please help!...(Newb)
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Michael211_2000
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You didn't test drive it before purchasing I take it? There's something wrong in the jetpump more than likely, the wear ring almost certainly needs replacing and the impeller may have serious leading-edge damage... you need to pull the pump off and take a good look at it, take and post pics if necessary. If the impeller blades are all dinged up or bent, it'll need to be replaced (expensive) or reconditioned (cheaper but takes longer), it's highly likely the wear ring needs replacing as well. Given it's age it wouldn't hurt to take the cone off the back of the pump and check the bearings inside for any water intrusion or rust in there as well.
Guys ya'll need to test drive these things before you buy them, just like you'd test drive a used automobile before buying it! If the seller doesn't want you to test drive it there's probably a reason why...
Also if it's supercharged how many hours are on it and when was the supercharger last fully rebuilt (they have a 100 hour rebuild interval)? Is the fuel fresh or is it what was in the tank when you bought it? You're getting the right rpm's, not sure if the engine is making good horsepower or not though your description of it "bogging" could apply to the jetpump or the engine I cannot tell which.
Since you just purchased it, tell us everything you know about it please! Has the engine oil and filter been changed recently (as in, this year)? How many hours are on it? Is the fuel good? When were the spark plugs last changed (they should be changed yearly, and engine oil and filter changed yearly as well, and fuel should be treated with a stabilizer like Marine Stabil or SeaFoam every fillup as per directions!)?
- Michael
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Michael thanks for the reply. Here is some more info. It is an 03 non supercharged GTX 4-tec with 83hrs. I took it for a test ride before purchasing and it ran great. Accealeration was good and top speed seemed to be around 55 or so. When i got it home i changed the oil with BRP XPS along with the filter and plugs. I warmed the engine and rechecked my oil level to make sure it was halfway on the fill line of the dipstick. I added 91 octane fuel. I than took it to my families lake house and i noticed immediately once i got it into the water something was not right. When i accelerated the engine was going up to 8,000 rpms but my ski was was really slow to gain speed. Also when i did get it up to speed it was topping out around 42mph.
Michael211_2000
Well-Known Member
Ok it's good to hear you serviced it well and you did test drive it before buying... 55mph for a non-supercharged non-intercooled model sounds about right actually. 83 hours isn't bad at all, my '06 has 80 hrs on it as of last weekend for comparison.... and you have no supercharger to worry about rebuilding or failing!
Now I use 93 octane fuel in my RXT. I'm not saying they won't run on 91 octane mind you, just that they run better on 93 octane.
You're making good RPM's at WOT, actually for a non-supercharged model you're making too many rpm's I'm pretty certain of it. I still think you need to pull the jetpump off and check the wear-ring and impeller condition, you're turning too many rpm's for a non-supercharged model and going too slow... still sounds like a jetpump problem more than an elevation problem. Either something is worn in the jetpump or else something has already gotten sucked up in there and is messing with the water flow thru the pump; a small branch or piece of rope, just about anything foreign in there will screw up the flow and cause the pump to well... not pump right. While they might not make quite as much horsepower at higher elevation as opposed to near ocean level, they should still perform about the same maybe with a few rpm's lost (which you haven't lost rpm's as I understand it, this is what makes me think jetpump problem).
"... a bike when it's clutch is slipping." That really screams jetpump problem in my mind, like something foreign has probably been sucked into the pump. The engine might lose a handful of ponies at your elevation, but the jetpump shouldn't know the difference between ocean level and 4,500 ft or so. Take the pump off, look inside see if anything has gotten sucked into it and while you have it out check the wear ring and impeller conditions! It's not diffucult to pull these pumps off, takes about 30 minutes the 1st time and 15 minutes every time after that (once you know what wrenches/tools you need it's faster than the 1st time).
ps. Does your model actually have a line stamped on the engine oil dipstick? Mine has a bend in the dipstick, and the full point is halfway between the 2 bends there is no actual line stamped on the dipstick.
pps. I also still recommend changing the spark plugs to brand new ones when you change the engine oil (ie. change them now). These 4TEC engines eat spark plugs up and they may show no electrode wear at all but still not spark right under compression. Plus they're cheap and easy to replace... you didn't mention replacing them already, so I think you should so you can eliminate them as a potential source of trouble!
- Michael
Now I use 93 octane fuel in my RXT. I'm not saying they won't run on 91 octane mind you, just that they run better on 93 octane.
You're making good RPM's at WOT, actually for a non-supercharged model you're making too many rpm's I'm pretty certain of it. I still think you need to pull the jetpump off and check the wear-ring and impeller condition, you're turning too many rpm's for a non-supercharged model and going too slow... still sounds like a jetpump problem more than an elevation problem. Either something is worn in the jetpump or else something has already gotten sucked up in there and is messing with the water flow thru the pump; a small branch or piece of rope, just about anything foreign in there will screw up the flow and cause the pump to well... not pump right. While they might not make quite as much horsepower at higher elevation as opposed to near ocean level, they should still perform about the same maybe with a few rpm's lost (which you haven't lost rpm's as I understand it, this is what makes me think jetpump problem).
"... a bike when it's clutch is slipping." That really screams jetpump problem in my mind, like something foreign has probably been sucked into the pump. The engine might lose a handful of ponies at your elevation, but the jetpump shouldn't know the difference between ocean level and 4,500 ft or so. Take the pump off, look inside see if anything has gotten sucked into it and while you have it out check the wear ring and impeller conditions! It's not diffucult to pull these pumps off, takes about 30 minutes the 1st time and 15 minutes every time after that (once you know what wrenches/tools you need it's faster than the 1st time).
ps. Does your model actually have a line stamped on the engine oil dipstick? Mine has a bend in the dipstick, and the full point is halfway between the 2 bends there is no actual line stamped on the dipstick.
pps. I also still recommend changing the spark plugs to brand new ones when you change the engine oil (ie. change them now). These 4TEC engines eat spark plugs up and they may show no electrode wear at all but still not spark right under compression. Plus they're cheap and easy to replace... you didn't mention replacing them already, so I think you should so you can eliminate them as a potential source of trouble!
- Michael
Michael211_2000
Well-Known Member
Oh and, my apologies for suggesting you might not have test driven it prior to purchasing! I should have asked 1st. My bad! :-(
- Michael
- Michael
Lol...no problem. I installed new spark plugs in when i changed the oil. Im gonna pull the jet pump out tomorrow. Thanks for the great info. Ill report back with my findings.
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