1998 sea do gtx limited won't start no spark plus battery draw down issue and squeaking noise

[schulte]

bought this gtx not running, I unfortunately have a few issues going on. At first i could get the ski to crank but not start, i tested and i was not getting any spark. while it was cranking i was getting a pretty loud squeaking noise while it was cranking trying to start. Not sure what would cause the sound squeaking noise. I put a new battery in it and now I'm barely getting it to crank over battery reads 13.05 before cranking while trying to start it the battery drops down to 7.15 and when i stop it goes back up to 12.87. so need help on figuring out the noise, the battery draw down issue and the no spark issue. Any and all help is greatly appreciated.

Jeff

 

[mikidymac]

First off I would pull the spark plugs ground the leads, remove the rear PTO cover and make sure you can turn the engine easily by hand 360 degrees. If that is a go check the compression and report back. We’ll go forward from there.

 

[falklandsx]

bought this gtx not running, I unfortunately have a few issues going on. At first i could get the ski to crank but not start, i tested and i was not getting any spark. while it was cranking i was getting a pretty loud squeaking noise while it was cranking trying to start. Not sure what would cause the sound squeaking noise. I put a new battery in it and now I'm barely getting it to crank over battery reads 13.05 before cranking while trying to start it the battery drops down to 7.15 and when i stop it goes back up to 12.87. so need help on figuring out the noise, the battery draw down issue and the no spark issue. Any and all help is greatly appreciated.

Jeff

Hey Jeff, quite a bit of information to digest. A decrease in voltage while cranking is normal. It would seem that you have both mechanical and electrical issues to solve. My advice would be to evaluate the issues separately and start on the mechanical side.

Without hearing the squeaking noise, its hard to say, but (assuming the motor is turning freely) the most likely culprits are the pump and/or the starter. A recording or video would be helpful.

I would follow the advice above, but with a slightly different approach. Pull the plugs and turn the motor by hand. With the plugs out, you should feel resistance at certain points in the stroke, but it should feel smooth. If it sounds or feels like a clapped-out belt sander at any point during the test, the next step is to figure out the vicinity of the problem. A mechanics stethoscope is the tool for the job. Your significant other (or maybe a neighbor) might chastise you for breaking out a stethoscope, but being perceived as a nerd for a few minutes is a small price to pay for late 90's glory on lake pleasant.

I would not recommend a compression test or engaging the starter (at all) until you rule out mechanical failure in both the motor and pump.

Ben

 

[TomShadow]

I have a similar sort of issue but might start my own thread so things don't get confusing