2004 GTX 4-tec 155hp wakeboard changing spark plugs

[AircraftDoc]

Bad battery. Do a stress test. Low voltage will do that. Seadoo's need their battery voltage and amps high.
9 times out of ten, it is the battery. Low battery then causes everything else to start to fail.
.. Mine did the same thing. Wait 8 hrs if you just charged the battery to do the stress test.

 

[Coastiejoe]

Hmm...I'm reading that a bad solenoid will cause clicking when you press the start button. Mine is NOT clicking. It's just hesitating before it actually starts to turn over after you press the start button.

Then, as I said, last night....I wasn't even pressing the START button and it started turning over??

I have not read through the entire post, so forgive me if I touch on something already discussed.

Solenoids: A solenoid can fail in many ways, and in some case in two ways at the same time. The end result is often the same issue, but for slightly different reasons. A solenoid operated when power is fed to a series of winding that create a magnetic field. When the magnetic field happens it pull a disk of metal down and bridges a gap. This gap has wires on each side. Thus, it is acting as a switch much like that of an of and on light switch except a spring pushes the metal disk away from the wires when there is no longer power being sent to the trigger wire of the solenoid. Why so much detail, to give just a few examples of what can fail. They fail both open and closed. Which means they can crank when they want to or not crank when YOU want it to. They require a very good ground source as the load of the starter is substantial. Sometime the solenoid itself is not actually grounded. In these cases, the need for quality ground cables is equally important coming to and from the batter and the block as that is where the load is being applied.

As you mentioned, they do often click when they fail. But that is not always the case. If you really want to see what is happening, You need to use a meter and test for voltage along the route of the wire. So first at the battery? Then from the NEG of the battery to the hot side of the solenoid? Then NEG of battery to other side of solenoid when hitting the start button? These numbers should all be nearly identical. If not, then depending on where they drop off you can determine that you have a bad connection, bad cables, or bad solenoid.

I have seen solenoids fail in a way that requires them to "Load up" before the starter works. So you push start, the solenoid closes, a short moment later the starter works. However, when this type of starting happens it is normally the starter itself.

 

[Sportster-2001-951C-Stock]

This is the one you want, this particular one is a bit high by a few bucks but it has the same waterproof connector on it so those cost a few dollars more then the basic $20 solenoid.

Money well spent though, to avoid tearing up your starter, and these things do tend to stick. Again, you need to check out your starter button too, it might be binding as well. Why risk it though? The reason I think the solenoid is sticking is b/c the idle speed was not acting right and it's very common for the solenoid to stick, it's very similar to many other marine types and I probably find 10 or more that either are burned, don't make contact, or tend to stick.

This device shuts on and off, the power to your electric starter.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SeaDoo-Star..._Accessories_Gear&hash=item4ad35c072c&vxp=mtr

So just follow the big fat cable that leads from your starter and you'll find it leads to this solenoid. Before changine it, disconnect your negative battery cable from the battery. There are two nuts on top threaded onto the studs, remove them and the cables that connect to the studs. Then you'll see an electrical connector attached to the side of the solenoid, it has a little latching lever on it, slip a small flat screwdriver under that, or maybe your finger nail and lift the latching lever (try not to break it off) and pull the connector off the solenoid.

Reverse the process to install, be careful not to torque the two nuts too much b/c the studs are copper and can strip the threads, they must not be lose though or they won't carry the high current.

 

[AircraftDoc]

Bad battery.
Use stress test

 

[Walls89]

Bought it!! Thanks!

 

[Walls89]

Gonna charge the battery AircraftDoc, place the solenoid i just ordered on it, and look for corrosion in the start button. I will let you know in a few days after I get the part how everything turns out!!

Thanks so much guys for all your help!

 

[AircraftDoc]

Gonna charge the battery AircraftDoc, place the solenoid i just ordered on it, and look for corrosion in the start button. I will let you know in a few days after I get the part how everything turns out!!

Thanks so much guys for all your help!

Wait 8 hrs after charging battery. Then stress test. 12+ volts to start.

Take it to an Auto parts store if you do have one. This is a good one. Anything below 300 amps is no good for a seadoo.

 

[Sportster-2001-951C-Stock]

60MPH seems pretty dang fast to me, even 50MPH seems fast on the water.

 

[Walls89]

Gotcha Aircraftdoc!

Oh, I wanted to ask one more thing. I think this is normal. But want to be sure

I placed the lanyard key right at the post...i did not secure it on the post at all...but i did make very light contact with the lanyard key and the outer point of the post. I heard a buzzing sound in the electrical system. Something kicked on down there right by the electrical box/battery.

It made me think there was definitely some type of short after the starter turning over without me pressing the start button earlier on the water.

So, I did the same thing with my 2005 RXP...just lightly tapped the lanyard key on the key post...again, did not even come close to placing it on securely...and same sound.

Is this normal?

 

[Walls89]

I wasn't sure if the GTX should go faster than 60MPH. I just wanted to make sure it was doing all it was supposed to be doing. If not, as usual, there are probably some engine issues

 

[AircraftDoc]

Sorry about all the battery posts. I was having trouble attaching the photo. The forum seem to glitch.
Do the cheap and simple tests first. I ran through the same thing you are. Low voltage will make everything act funny.

 

[Walls89]

No problem. My initial thought was bad battery as well. It has some corrosion on the terminals. Any links for a good battery fairly cheap? One that will fit right in there? Hopefully around $50. I don't like the ones that you have to put acid in. Acid scares me..lol

 

[Sportster-2001-951C-Stock]

Gotcha Aircraftdoc!

Oh, I wanted to ask one more thing. I think this is normal. But want to be sure

I placed the lanyard key right at the post...i did not secure it on the post at all...but i did make very light contact with the lanyard key and the outer point of the post. I heard a buzzing sound in the electrical system. Something kicked on down there right by the electrical box/battery.

It made me think there was definitely some type of short after the starter turning over without me pressing the start button earlier on the water.

So, I did the same thing with my 2005 RXP...just lightly tapped the lanyard key on the key post...again, did not even come close to placing it on securely...and same sound.

Is this normal?

I wonder if this sound you hear is the electric fuel pump coming on? I don't have one of these skis so not knowing what to expect for sure(60+MPH!?!?!? :O) but I think someone else mentioned this before when the lanyard was placed near the lanyard post.

 

[Walls89]

May have been the fuel pump? Both of my skis did it. So, I'm hoping its normal..lol

 

[AircraftDoc]

No problem. My initial thought was bad battery as well. It has some corrosion on the terminals. Any links for a good battery fairly cheap? One that will fit right in there? Hopefully around $50. I don't like the ones that you have to put acid in. Acid scares me..lol

... I spent $130 on a good AGM (absorbent glass mat) sealed battery. Will last a long time and is 200 more amps. Wave jumping etc, will deplete the electrolyte in a vented battery. Air is bad for a battery. I went through a brand new Interstate Battery (vented) after 6 hrs and 1 month of storage. It would pass the stress test after an overnight charging, but would only start the SeaDoo one time. That is why you have to wait a while to test after charging.

 

[Sportster-2001-951C-Stock]

May have been the fuel pump? Both of my skis did it. So, I'm hoping its normal..lol

I'm saying it's normal, the first thing that has to happen in a fuel injected system is the fuel pump has to come on to pressurize the fuel injector rail, otherwise the motor will be hard to start without fuel and there may not be an impressive amount of power remaining to accomplish this while the starter is cranking over the motor.

 

[Sportster-2001-951C-Stock]

I don't like the ones that you have to put acid in. Acid scares me..lol

Yeah, we have to water the small ski batteries that come in here, but the large ones are pre-watered. One time I was carrying one the top wasn't welded onto all the way around and the acid spilled all over the place, down my jeans. About 15 minutes later my leg was burning so I had to hose myself down, and those pants had a big hole in them after they came out of the washing machine, LOL.

But heck, that's nothing compared to the hydrofluric acid we use to wash pontoons with.

 

[Walls89]

Least it ate a hole in the pants and not your legs. My uncle had a battery explode in his eyes. Acid had him blind for awhile. Miraculously he regained his eyesight. I don't like acid