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1997 Gsx Wont Start!!!

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kfx4001442

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I have a 1997 Seadoo GSX 787. Last summer durring the last trip it was launched without the plugs in and sank low in the water. After draining it ran fine all day. I brought it home and stored it. Yesterday I get it out and when press the start button nothing happens. After looking around under the seat I found that the box the solenoid and ignition are in was full of water and has been for about 8 months. When I jump the solenoid with a screw driver the starter runs, but dosnt kick out and turn the motor. I have tried a new battery already. All the lights and trim work. What do I need to do?


I ran a whole tank of gas thrugh the engine and it ran awesom all day long. I really dont think the engine is froze up. Like I said nothing happens when I press the start button, but if I short the solenoid with a screwdriver the starter just free revs. It dosn't even try to turn the engine over. Would a bad solenoid keep the starter from kicking out and turnning the engine over? I really dont want to pull the head just to check.
 
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The solenoid could be toast. Take apart everything in the black box and clean the terminals - all of them. Brush them with a brass bristle brush, reassemble, apply dielectric grease. Oh and there is a fuse in there that might have blown.

The 96 GSX I helped a friend with looked like this:
 
Ok... I cleaned all the connections and gave the solenoid a few good taps with the handle of a screw driver. Now when I put the lanyard in most of the time I get two beeps and the starter now works when I press the red button. Only thing is that the starter is just free spinning, it isn't trying to kick out and turn the engine over. I have been pressing the button and tapping on the starter with a small hammer, but that isn't making it kick out. What's next?
 
I think the starter is full of corrosion and won't connect to engage to turn the engine over. I would pull the starter and check it out. If you have to hit the solenoid it needs replacing also. Soon it won't connect at all.

Karl
 
Possibly a clean by itself will get things running. It depends on the extent of the corrosion.
 
Usually if you take it apart and clean it, it will work...you have to look at it.

Karl
 
Ok, I'm gonna take it off and clean it. I'll let you know tonight if it works or not. Thanks for all the help guys!
 
Hey, while you are in there, take photos of the starter. This will help us see what state the guts are in. Also serves as a calibration point for other members to see what they would be up against in similar situations with a starter.
 
I got it off. It dosn't look to like there is enough corrosion to keep it from working. Like I said earlier, It runs fins fine, it just dosn't kick out and turn the engine over. What exactly do I need to clean?
I'm trying to post the picture, but it's telling me that my picture file is to big for the file type to be posted. How do I post these pictures?
 
I cleaned it up then hooked it to a bigger battery to "make" it kick out. Then I cleaned all that moves in that action really well. Finally I dunked it in a bucket of WD-40. Now it kicks out every time I hook it to the battery with jumper cables and also pulls back in when I unhook the cables. I'm fairly confident that it's ready to go. I'm going to re-install it tommorrow and let you guys know what happens.


p.s. I have pics of the starter before and after I cleaned it to post if someone would just let me know how to post them. Seeing as they are to big a file. I think it would be a great peice of knowledge to anyone with this problem later.
 
Glad to hear that you worked the starter through. I fell out of love with WD-40 a decade ago - but after working on these Seadoos for the last year, I have learned to love WD-40 again.

I use putfile.com for hosting pictures - then you just embed the photo link to your posts. Others use photobucket.com or Yahoo!'s Flickr.com.
 
That o-ring should be fine, but it could be overcome by any major hull-filling situation. And thanks for setting up the pictures. Always nice to know you nailed it by identifying exactly the problem. :)
 
I'm glad I got it fixed my self and didn't have to take it somewhere. I'm it would've ended up costing about $325.00 after buying parts, paying labor, and if I take mine anywhere it's about an hour drive to either of the two nearby marinas. And gas ain't cheap homie!
 
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