2000 GS No Beeps

[Jugglepins]

2000 GS

No beep when DESS is connected – I picked up this boat in a trade with a friend because he could not keep it running and wanted to get rid of it. I don't claim any expertise. I just try to learn as much as I can and do my best with my limited knowledge. Any help/suggestions would be appreciated.

When I plug the DESS onto the receiver, I get nothing from the boat at all. Here is a list of things that I have done to try to find the problem.

• Battery charged – checks good 12+ volts. Note: I didn’t see the label that says don’t jump start or charge in boat. Negative terminal was disconnected the entire time the battery was being charged. I have read that jumping or charging with the battery in place can destroy the MPEM. With the negative cable disconnected, would it still wreck the MPEM if the battery was charged while the positive was still connected?
• After the battery was connected, the 15A fuse at the rear electrical box AND the 15A fuse at the MPEM were both found to be blown. I don’t know if they were blown before connecting the battery.
• Replaced both 15A fuses and reconnected the battery, the 15A fuse in the rear electrical box blew again. 15A fuse at the MPEM still ok. 5A fuse at the MPEM is good.
• Disconnected stator and replaced 15A fuse in the rear electrical box. Reconnected the battery and now the fuse does not blow anymore.
• Checked stator according to manual and got .5-.6 which is in range and not shorted out.
• Have not reconnected the stator because when it was connected the rear fuse blew.
• When DESS is put in place, not only are there no beeps, but no lights come on or any other indication of power.
• DESS pod checks out ok on ohm test per manual. 0 ohm with key in place, 1 with key not in place.
• Start/Stop button switch failed and will not close a circuit when pressed.
• Beeper seems to not work as I applied 12v to it, but got no sound. I hear these units are notorious for failing.
• Plugged the multi-tester into the leads for the beeper and plugged in the DESS. No signal from the MPEM.
• Disconnected the main wiring harness from the MPEM. Using the wiring diagram, identified the wire bringing power to the MPEM and verified 12v on the line from the rear electrical box.
• Identified the wire to the solenoid and a common. Disconnected the cable from the solenoid to the starter. Jumped the solenoid and common, the solenoid clicked and verified working. Reconnected the cable to the starter and jumped the solenoid again. Starter turned the engine over, but I did not keep it turning once I could see it was working.
• Disconnected the start/stop switch at the plug. Jumped the connector on the MPEM side of the disconnected plug in an attempt to close the circuit as if the start/stop button had been pressed. No response.

My concern right now is that most likely I have destroyed the MPEM by charging the battery with the positive cable still attached. All my reading tells me there really isn't a good way to test the MPEM. It seems the most likely culprit since all wires going to it seem to be good. I don't see how the bad start/stop switch would be the problem since it is normally an open circuit and in its non-working state it is open. I would expect something to happen when the DESS is plugged in. I have left the stator unplugged since I think it is somehow involved in blowing the fuses, but when I tested it, it indicated ok.

Are there other tests that I should do to find this problem? I don't want to buy a new MPEM, then find I have another problem that destroys the new part.

Thanks for any help.

 

[mikidymac]

If the negative was disconnected then you didn’t damage anything by charging it.

The trim system has been known to go bad and blow fuses.

I would disconnect all cables going to the VTS trim unit and see if you are still blowing fuses, you will have to reconnect the stator.

Don’t splice or jump any connections when testing or you might blow something.

 

[GGuillot]

I would disconnect all cables going to the VTS trim unit and see if you are still blowing fuses, you will have to reconnect the stator.

I didn't think the 2000 GS or any GS for that matter had the VTS, there isn't much to that ski on the electrical. I'd say it's likely got either something blown in the MPEM or a short somewhere on the stator. But if the stator checks fine and he bypasses and taps just that ground wire on the plug (MPEM side) and it still blows the 15A fuse, the MPEM is the problem.

 

[GGuillot]

• Checked stator according to manual and got .5-.6 which is in range and not shorted out.
• Have not reconnected the stator because when it was connected the rear fuse blew.

If this is the case, you've got something blown in the MPEM. The red purple (rear 15A) feeds directly to the MPEM, something internal is allowing the current to short to ground, likely a diode in the circuitry is blown. It blows the 15A fuse because when you plug the stator in it completes the ground circuit loop through the engine back to the battery. On these skis, nothing activates until the ground wire on the stator is feed back to the battery negative. As long as the stator can't be plugged in without blowing a fuse you won't get any further.

Are there other tests that I should do to find this problem?

The way you can positively eliminate the stator is tap the ground wire on that plug (MPEM side with it unplugged) and ground it either on the engine (starter bolt) or back to the battery negative. If it still blows the 15A fuse, it's the MPEM.

 

[mikidymac]

I didn't think the 2000 GS or any GS for that matter had the VTS, there isn't much to that ski on the electrical. I'd say it's likely got either something blown in the MPEM or a short somewhere on the stator. But if the stator checks fine and he bypasses and taps just that ground wire on the plug (MPEM side) and it still blows the 15A fuse, the MPEM is the problem.

Thanks for picking this up @GGuillot, I forgot the GS is the stripped base model.

 

[Jugglepins]

GGuillot and mikidymac, Thanks for such a fast response. Greatly appreciated. You are correct that this is the most basic model with no bells or whistles. I'm not sure if I am getting things right on the test you suggested.. Here are the wires I am working with on the stator. There are five wires and I am not sure which is the correct to use as the ground. I would think the black wire still hooked to the plate is the ground, so I think I would not need to jump it to the engine since it is already there. The wiring diagram shows the two yellow wires going to the rectifier and the two black wires going directly into the MPEM. The wiring diagram does not show the fifth wire. I set the multimeter to VDC 20 and checked voltage from each of the wires in the harness to the negative terminal on the battery. The Black wire showed about 11.7 volts, the black/red showed about 11.8 volts. The yellow showed 12.2 which is what I get when I go directly between the positive and negative posts on the battery. The yellow/black showed a very low reading that I don't remember. Nothing I did burned any of the fuses.

 

[GGuillot]

The Black wire showed about 11.7 volts

This is your issue, the solid black shouldn't have voltage on it, which is why when you plug it in the fuse blows. There's diodes in the MPEM that act as check valves on current, when one blows out it'll send that current to ground and cause the direct short.

 

[Jugglepins]

Got it. I appreciate the time you have taken to give me this help. Thank you. I'll get a replacement MPEM. Are there additional checks that I need to do to make sure that there isn't anything wrong that will cause the new MPEM to fail? I could assume that the original MPEM just got old and the diode went bad. I looked around a lot in the forums and that seems to be something that happens a fair amount. I just don't want to buy a replacement, then destroy it because I made a bad assumption.

 

[mikidymac]

Make sure you get a genuine OEM MPEM from someone trusted like Nice or Jess at Westside powersports seadoo.

Most of the aftermarket ones are junk and just cause more problems.

 

[GGuillot]

Make sure you get a genuine OEM MPEM from someone trusted like Nice or Jess at Westside powersports seadoo.

Most of the aftermarket ones are junk and just cause more problems.

Second on Westside powersports, I've dealt with Nick. Give him a call.

 

[Jugglepins]

I have done some more diagnostics, just trying different things. I got the Radio Shack beeper that was recommended in several places, tested it, then wired it up. Although I can get beeps from it, the diameter is too big for the GS, I will have to get a different beeper, but I found places with the right size for a decent price. Now for the MPEM and getting so signs of life. The wiring diagram shows that the solid black is grounded in the stator. There needs to be some ground for the MPEM or it just wouldn't show any power. I used a short wire to jump from the solid black wire to the engine. I can get two beeps now when I plug in the DESS. Although a problem with the MPEM is not ruled out, right now, there is a chance the MPEM is still good. Now I am dealing with the fact that when I plug in the harness to the stator, a short time later (not immediately), the 15 amp fuse in the rear electrical box fails. I think this is an indication that the stator has a short, so I am going to pull things apart and see what I can find there. Hoping I don't have to pull the engine, but thinking that is likely.

 

[GGuillot]

Although I can get beeps from it, the diameter is too big for the GS, I will have to get a different beeper, but I found places with the right size for a decent price.

No need to get a different beeper, I have the Radio Shack 273-068 beeper in both of my skis now. Yes, it is slightly bigger, but there's a solution to that, just hit it on the wheel grinder or on a piece of rough sandpaper on a flat surface until it fits. Then take a wire tie to tighten the tabs around it.

 

[Jugglepins]

I think the GS must use a smaller beeper than the GSX and GTX. Measuring out the diameter of the GS's original beeper shows 1.4 inches. The Radio Shack 273-068 beeper shows just less than 1.7 inches. .3 inches would a lot to grind off. It will definitely go through the outer wall of the beeper. Please don't mind the exposed wires. This is not a long term installation. I know before it goes to the water that I have to get things sealed up.

 

[GGuillot]

I think the GS must use a smaller beeper than the GSX and GTX.

Nope, same beeper. Trust me, you can shave enough off on opposing sides of it and it will fit. I've done it with no ill effects. Then I solder the wires on it. The floyd bell or oem will cost a lot more. I'm seeing used ones on ebay for $20. I just bought the RS one on there a couple weeks ago for $13 shipped. They work fine...

 

[mikidymac]

Or you could buy the correct OEM beeper from the original manufacturer.

Floyd Bell model SP-1136, $17.38.
Just call them at (614) 294-4000.

 

[Jugglepins]

Suspect the stator since every time I had plugged that it, the 15A fuse in the rear electric box burns out. Pulled the flywheel, took the stator out. Two of the stator coils appear to have been contacted by the inside of the flywheel. In the attached picture, you can see the shiny copper where the contact occurred. I don't know if that is what is causing the stator problem, but I know it isn't supposed to do that. The stator was bolted on tight and not loose at all, so it wasn't the stator moving out of place. It seems that it is likely the flywheel was moving. The flywheel was on tight and I had to use a gear puller and some heat to remove it. Seems the only way left for the flywheel to move is if the crankshaft bearings are going or are already gone. Is there any other explanation? I prefer not to pull the engine and rebuild. But I don't think putting a new stator will help the situation for more than a couple rotations of the crank and it gets damaged too. In addition, based on the amount of gunk on the stator (picture is cleaned up a lot) and on the front of the block, I'm guessing the crank seals are also in pretty bad shape. What the heck, its starting to get cold here so I need something to do over the winter. Advice please?

 

[mikidymac]

That's pretty nasty in there. Something on the flywheel is rubbing the stator.

Also you need to replace your crank seals.