namlek
New Member
Have my 2001 challenger 2000 240 in a quick launch facility in SW Florida and service is tough to come by. There is a (1) mechanic who the marina recommends, but he is usually way too busy to get to me quick and since I'm only in FL for a few months every winter it can be a real drag to have the boat not running for weeks at a time. Boat ran great for the first few seasons with a few issues along the way. Rebuilt "fuel rails", and a few other things I can't recall right now. Last year it all of sudden started having starting problems. It would crank fine but not "catch". I had noticed previously that on occasion I'd turn the key and get nothing, but as soon as I tried again it would start so I assumed I'd eventually need a starter. I replaced the starter. Didn't seem to help. Sometimes I'd try for 20 minutes to half an hour before it would go (one time burning out a new starter) I managed to use the boat a few times but couldn't really enjoy it cause I was afraid to shut it off when out on the water. At the end of the season I pulled it out and brought it to a local sea-Doo dealer who hesitantly agreed to work on it. That was April '15. I stayed in touch with their shop off and on throughout last spring and summer while they performed "routine" service and addressed the starting issue. Replaced fuel pump, fly wheel, engine control module, and after paying over $3000 finally got it back in early November. Btw they had "subbed" out the repairs to a Mercury dealer after their initial replacement of the fore mentioned items didn't seem to solve the problem. The first day it ran ok although it had to be jump started due to a dead battery. Next day it had to be jumped again but I took it out anyway because I had a fully charged good size jump box on board. It ran rough and wouldn't go to the point where I thought perhaps I'd got something sucked up in the intake, but eventually it went,but still not at full power. Ran it for awhile and then shut it off and floated around for a couple of hours. When I tried to leave it wouldn't start with or without the jump box and actually sounded exactly like it had prior to the $3000 plus servicing. Had to be towed in and although I immediately replaced the battery it still wouldn't go. Pulled it back out of the water and returned it to the dealer who said it needed a starter (despite me telling them that it cranked fine ) They replaced the starter (+ $300) and said it now started fine , but ran rough. They took it back to the Merc dealer who now says they have it running (+$1200) and replaced a part (a little gas tank where the fuel goes before going to the injectors?) or something , but said it still would need a "throttle positioning sensor" (I think I'm getting that right?) and although it'd only be a 10 minute job the sensor is just shy of $700. They said the engine would eventually foul the plugs w/o the new sensor. I told the Sea-Doo dealer definitely not and that I hadn't expected to spend ANY money after only using the boat for 2-3 hrs. since the original $3300 (service) What bothers me most is that the boat ran great when I dropped it off except for the problems starting. BTW along the way they tested cylinders and there is no problems indicated with "the motor".Although I'm still not convinced they've fixed the original starting issue (I'd already replaced the starter once myself and even if the battery was going bad I always had the jump box on board)Im going to use the boat and I always keep extra plugs on the boat anyway if the plugs load up. (After all it is a 2 stroke!)I'm not sure if I'm looking for suggestions or just sharing a tale of whoa?! Btw I read somewhere in the forum that Mercury dealers will still work on these boats. Not true in my part of the world. Jet dealers told me they wouldn't work on Mercury and Mercury dealers told me they wouldn't work on Jet boats. It's not easy.
