2002 Seadoo GTX 4 tech ticking noise

[Waldow]

Experts, I'm stumped on this one. I have a 2002 GTX 4 tec that I am de-winterizing as the kids want to get out on the water. Schools out in a week and for my sanity need this solved. Trouble I have run into is when I installed the battery there is this immediate faint ticking noise. The noise is a constant fast tick, tick, tick like a pump or something is running. I looked at the maintenance book (lifesaver over the years) and I think maybe the fuel pump is running. The machine starts and runs fine however when engine is stopped the ticking noise stays. I'm worried that the battery will get run down or maybe damage something if I let the kiddos use the machine in this state. Interesting note in that when I pull the fuse from the starter relay to the MPEM the ticking noise stops. Currently I have only cleaned the MPEM connections using deoxit just to make sure nothing was corroded and causing the issue. Other than that .... I'm stumped. Any thoughts and guidance is appreciated.

 

[Scriz]

Does it drain your battery over time? I, like many others, had a similar issue which was solved by replacing the ECU. My symptoms were continuous start up sequence. Faint clicking and thunks, fuel pump prime and repeat over and over again. I temporarily fixed the issue with a cutoff switch mounted in the glove box until I was able to find a reasonably priced ECU. This is an expensive part, so if you know someone with a similar ski, swap the part and see if your issue stops. I hope your issue lies somewhere else, but after I replaced literally everything first (wire harness, DESS post, MPEM, starter relay, and battery) it would have been cheaper to bite the bullet and swap out the ECU.

 

[Waldow]

Hi Scriz, thanks for the response. Yes it runs the battery down. I'm hoping it is not the MPEM as this would be a pretty pricy piece to replace. Interesting that you mention the DESS post. As part of my de-winterization after changing the oil and filter, when I went to start-up the engine I encountered a fault code indicating DESS post shorted to ground code and when cleared the starter solenoid just clicked when pressing the start button. Even when I got this error the faint tick, tick, tick noise was heard. Reading in this forum I guided me to replace the starter solenoid which I did and the error code went away and jet ski started without issue......except the ticking noise is constant. I let the ski run for a bit to get to decent operating temperature (of course with water running through cooling plate) and when shut off the faint ticking never turned off. I'm thinking my easy and less expensive track may be to replace the DESS post before dropping > $700 for a new MPEM or ECU.

 

[Scriz]

Hi Scriz, thanks for the response. Yes it runs the battery down. I'm hoping it is not the MPEM as this would be a pretty pricy piece to replace. Interesting that you mention the DESS post. As part of my de-winterization after changing the oil and filter, when I went to start-up the engine I encountered a fault code indicating DESS post shorted to ground code and when cleared the starter solenoid just clicked when pressing the start button. Even when I got this error the faint tick, tick, tick noise was heard. Reading in this forum I guided me to replace the starter solenoid which I did and the error code went away and jet ski started without issue......except the ticking noise is constant. I let the ski run for a bit to get to decent operating temperature (of course with water running through cooling plate) and when shut off the faint ticking never turned off. I'm thinking my easy and less expensive track may be to replace the DESS post before dropping > $700 for a new MPEM or ECU.

I went down this rabbit hole, but I am pretty sure it is the ECU (part# 420664130). Don't buy another MPEM, they are usually fine when experiencing these symptoms. The ECU is not cheap. Here is one on Ebay (Sea-Doo Gtx 4 Tec Ecu | eBay) that is at least an auction. I don't even know how high it will go, but prices are usually between $600-$700 for a working one. Here is a link for other parts that fit: 4-tec ecu compatibility

Cutoff switch is much cheaper if you don't want to throw money at an older ski.

 

[Waldow]

Appreciate the links and advice. I stay on the lookout for a reasonably priced ECU. I'll try and clean the connections on the ECU just to see if that may help. If not, cutoff switch may be it for this season. Appreciate the feedback.