2004 GTX 155 - Have about had it. About to create an artificial reef due to relay issue.

[Scriz]

I, like several others here, have an issue with my 2004 GTX 4 TEC continuously running the startup sequence (oil and fuel pump priming over and over again) until the battery dies. No codes show up in BUDs and I finally broke down and ordered a new DESS post, a used functioning MPEM, and a used functioning wire harness. After installing all of this stuff, I still have the same issue and now the engine temp sensor is bad, which may have been bad the whole time, though it never threw a code with the previous harness. I ordered a new starter relay, though the one in there tests fine but who knows. My question is this, can the tops relay create an open switch to keep trying to start the engine? It is the only thing I haven't replaced besides the starter relay, but I don't know if it can affect the fuel pump or not as it primes during the sequence. The frustration is high right now with the whole thing.

 

[Digdog]

How did the starter relay test fine? Did you have a test harness to give it power? The engine should have turned over if you did it this way. Does it click when you press the start button? Reason I am asking is maybe the relay or the starter is bad. TOPS could prevent starting , the manual has a test for that.

 

[Scriz]

I tested the starter relay by removing the small plug that attaches to it. BUDS picked up the relay sensor missing and I cleared the code after reattaching. The jetski starts and runs fine most of the time, though it does become hard to restart sometimes in the water. I will have to get my hands on a manual for the tops testing. I went through the regular owners manual and there was no testing procedures. Guess I will have to get the upgraded membership.

 

[Digdog]

The test you did for the starter relay only shows that the circuit to the coil side of it is valid, the contacts inside for the starter could be bad and it's not giving full power to the starter, this is a common problem, load testing or replacing it will tell all. Hard starting after it's been running for a while is pointing towards it or the starter, or the charging may not be 100% , you should be over 14 volts when it's running. A bad starter/low voltage can also cause a relay to overheat and lose full contact ability yet still kind of work.

 

[Scriz]

I ordered a new starter relay already. The battery maintains charge and is over 13v after every ride, so I don't think the electrical system is bad. I am really not looking forward to getting to the starter, but I will put it on my list for this weekend after I try the new starter relay. Thanks for all the information. I am pretty new to Seadoos and jetskis and your suggestions are very helpful.

 

[jonniex5]

I had the exact issue with a ski doo E tek 600 snowmobile.
It was the voltage regulator. there are diodes in the regulator that went bad and it lets power pass back through and was running the gauge and pump until the battery went dead,
Go out and when it is doing it, unplug the voltage regulator.
if it stops, I would replace the regulator.
It fixed the snowmobile problem.
JMO

 

[Scriz]

I will give it a shot. I just plugged everything back in and I am getting an overheat error that I now have to tackle as well. The overheat may explain the hard starts after running. When I put in the new harness it popped up. It is crazy that I have two of these and one is always broke and the other just keeps on chugging.

 

[Scriz]

Heh heh. So when you are reconnecting an entire wiring harness, the coolant temp sensor plug and another sensor plug (maybe the knock sensor) have the same plug and I switched them. Once I fixed that, engine temp code is gone. I also tried to unplug the rectifier and still have start sequence issue. The only way to stop it is to either unplug the right side MPEM wire harness plug or the ECM ( I tried plug B), so I am going to assume that the ECM is bad since I have replaced everything else. Still an ouch as the cheapest one is $450 and I would have to buy the upgraded BUDs to marry the key to the ECM, but I just don't think it is really worth it for a 16 year old ski. Think I am just going to stick with the kill switch for now and see if the new harness fixes the hard start issue. I will post here with updates on the starting issue and if I get a wild hair, I may go ahead with ECM and upgrade my BUDs.

 

[joe.burns91]

Do you know anyone with a ski that has a matching ECM? I know it's a stretch but I was dealing with a nightmare of electrical problems that were unrelated and thus difficult to track down. What finally got me on the right track was pulling parts off a buddies ski and swapping one by one. If the problem persisted I went back to my original.

You can check my post about it, but basically I was scouring forums for info thinking it could be wiring harnesses, MPEM (2-stroke ski), Rectifier, Stator, etc. Started eliminating those things one by one until I got to my issue.