1998 gtx limited. Wont start or turn over.

[Rickross667]

Well to start this is my friends sea doo and he pretty much left it at my house a year ago and said fix it you can have it. Now since i broke my boat i want this to be fixed and running

I dont know much about these things. But i know when i plug the key in nothing happens. No beeps no gauges nothing. I try to jump the starter wires to see if it turns over and it doesnt even do that.

Where do i start. The four or five i dont remember how many fuses up front look good. And so does the one in the back.

Im pulling my hair out.

 

[strongbow]

I will ask the obvious question, is the battery charged?

 

[Rickross667]

Yes. I believe so. Im going to buy a new one this afternoon just to be sure. Even with a small jumper pack it doesnt do a thing.

 

[XP 787]

Don't use a jumper pack. You can fry the computer.

 

[Rickross667]

Well. Knowing my luck im sure thats the problem. But regardless. When jumping the wire shouldnt it still at least turn over?

 

[mikidymac]

Pull the spark plugs out and make sure you can turn it over by hand first.

 

[Rickross667]

I can do that. But i know it ran fine before magically not getting power to anything. Id at least hear the starter do something but nothing. I dont get it.

 

[mikidymac]

If it turns by hand then jump the two big terminals on the starter solenoid with a screwdriver. This will tell you if the starter, cables and battery are good.

 

[Rickross667]

I did jump those wires. Nothing happens. Not even a sound. No power to gauges. No key beep either

 

[Coastiejoe]

There is a good chance the crank case is full of oil.

Pull the plugs and turn the PTO by hand. See if it spins and if anything comes out of the plug holes.

 

[Rickross667]

Got a brand new battery. Still nothing. Going to take dess post out tomorrow and test it and the key. Then id say its a bad mpem. Any way to test it?

 

[Coastiejoe]

What happens when you jump the solenoid with pliers or a screw driver?

 

[Rickross667]

Absolutely nothing

 

[Coastiejoe]

Ok,, if you jump the solenoid and NOTHING happens, then you have a cable, connection, battery or starter issue.

The fact it did NOTHING tells me that the voltage is not making it to the input side of the solenoid unless the starter is absolutely destroyed and has an "open circuit" which is very rare.

Do you have Jumper cables?

 

[Rickross667]

Yes i have some. So even if say the mpem and key are bad. The emgine should still turn over if i jump the two wires in the rear electrical box?

 

[Coastiejoe]

Yes i have some. So even if say the mpem and key are bad. The emgine should still turn over if i jump the two wires in the rear electrical box?

As long as you were jumping the SOLENOID wires, yes..

Ok, take the jumper cables and go from your vehicle battery (not the one in the ski as it will not give a good test and it will give wires power via the battery cables which will defeat what I am after).

Take the hot wire and go from your car hot to the OUTPUT side of the solenoid. Again, the OUTPUT side,,,
Then take the ground and go from your car battery to the block. It will spark a little, but it shod crank the engine.

If the pugs are out, leave them out, it may be full of oil and we don't want to hydro-lock the engine.

 

[Rickross667]

Ok. Everything ive read said dont ever use jumper pack or cables bc it will fry the mpem. Its definitely ok to try this?

 

[Coastiejoe]

Ok. Everything ive read said dont ever use jumper pack or cables bc it will fry the mpem. Its definitely ok to try this?

You are correct, but not in this case as long as you do what I stated.. Go to the OUTPUT side of the solenoid. By doing so NOTHING in the ski will receive any power except the cable that feeds the starter and the starter. The output side will be the side with a single large wire, no other wires and it will go directly to the starter hot terminal.

Follow me?

 

[Rickross667]

Yupp. Gotcha. On the input side theres the cable that goes to the battery and one other yellow/red smaller wire. I take it thats the wire that powers the electronics on the ski?

Just wondering. But yes. Tomorrow i will try what you stated. Can i ground to anywhere on the block? Or do i have to start taking stuff apart to get to the ground cable location

 

[Coastiejoe]

Yupp. Gotcha. On the input side theres the cable that goes to the battery and one other yellow/red smaller wire. I take it thats the wire that powers the electronics on the ski?

Just wondering. But yes. Tomorrow i will try what you stated. Can i ground to anywhere on the block? Or do i have to start taking stuff apart to get to the ground cable location

Correct, input has the feed wire for the MPEM in most cases.

Any part of the block will work as the entire block is one chunk of metal and is grounded.

Stick with me and we will find the issue. In your case, due to limited knowledge and what your issues are, it will be a stepping stone process.. Once we get it to crank, we can start to narrow this down..

 

[Rickross667]

Ok perfect. Im very mechanically inclined. I build engines. Have lots of toys. None of which are stock. But this sea doo with all the electronics have me a little stumped. Thank you. Ill let you know tomorrow

 

[Rickross667]

Correct, input has the feed wire for the MPEM in most cases.

Any part of the block will work as the entire block is one chunk of metal and is grounded.

Stick with me and we will find the issue. In your case, due to limited knowledge and what your issues are, it will be a stepping stone process.. Once we get it to crank, we can start to narrow this down..

Update. Did what you said and it turns over.

 

[Coastiejoe]

Ok. We know you have a good starter and it is grounded well and the cable that feeds the starter is good.

Remove the large red wire on the INPUT side of the solenoid and use the nut you removed to install the large red wire on the output side. This will stop power from getting to the MPEM. Use you car battery and go to the hot if the ski battery where the ski large wire should still be bolted to. Now take the ground and go to the ground of the ski battery.

The engine should crank. If not, you have a bad ground, cable or connection.

 

[Rickross667]

Well previously ive tried a jumper pack. Went negative to the ground cable. And positive to the output side of the solenoid. And nothing. So im guessing bad ground cable. Or connection

 

[Coastiejoe]

The best way to determine it is to do as I described but go one step further. Remove the cables from the battery as it may have a shirt in it. If so, it will absorb the external battery voltage and the engine won't crank.