2005 Supercharged

[GadgetRick]

I'm not sure if this is the right spot for this so I apologize if it is.

Anyway, have someone selling their 2005 Supercharged. It only has 70 hours on it, however. He just replaced the ceramic bearings in the SC 15 hours ago. The price is good but I'm concerned about the low hours.

I'm new to skis and considering various options--including this one. Just want to know what I should look for as far as red flags other than the low hours. I understand Sea Doo fixed a lot of things in 2006.

Thanks.

 

[Rrm1387]

Test ride test ridetest ride.the ceramic washers have been in there a long time. Make sure you have the rebuild in writting. You read other threads about the sodium filled valves if it was me i would run it for as long as you can and pull the oil filter looking for any foreign matter. You could also down load the computer to verify hours and any fault codes.

 

[GadgetRick]

Thanks for that info...very helpful! He's already offered a test ride--a good sign, IMO. Have to look at how to pull the oil filter.

Is there a special tool to pull the codes or will an ODBM scanner work?

 

[Spimothy Leary]

70 hours is not "low"

actually that's quite normal IMO.

What's the price...

 

[GadgetRick]

70 hours is not "low"

actually that's quite normal IMO.

What's the price...

Really? Good to know. I thought it was low for an 11 year old ski. That actually makes me feel a little better.

He's asking $3500 with trailer but I'm sure I could get it for less. I figure, if I can get it inexpensively-enough, if I can get a couple of years out of it, I come out even or ahead.

 

[Spimothy Leary]

35 on a trailer is a very fair price,

seller willing to allow test ride, good sign.

when you get there, before you start it, feel the engine to see if its cold, push/pull on the engine and see if it wiggles (bad mounts) look for rust on crankshaft or water or oil in the hull, signs of leaks.

Bring a good LED flashlight to look around the engine bay and the pump area, 90% of the people forget one.

you want it to start w/o hesitation, and rev up to mid throttle again with no hesitation (on trailer, and on water) Make sure gauges work and are readable (they can be pricey)

check bottom of hull, sides for signs of damage, look at pump area carefully for signs of corrosion, white (salt)

when on the ramp after test ride, keep it on the slope and pull the drain plugs, see if water comes out.

Ask seller for any/all receipts they may have, ask what oil they used if they know.

Expect to invest $5-800 into the ski after purchase to fix anything you don't catch on the inspection, if its less you'll be happy.

Doesn't hurt to ask about cover, life jackets, tow ropes, spare plugs, etc to sweeten the deal.... many sellers will hold some extra stuff back just in case your low-balling, < I know I do. (I removed my spare tire, jackets, covers, emptied the storage bucket on my last sale just in case the dude decided to get cute, he paid full price so after he paid me I said "hold on, here's some extra stuff that might come in handy"

Have him show you how to flush it, maybe because you need to know, but more importantly because you need to know if he knows. I had one about 6 months ago and it looked pretty good, I asked him if he flushed it after ever ride and he said "of course" so I said "well, i'm not sure how you do it, can you show me?" He froze, apparently he wasn't quite expecting that and also apparent that he had never flushed it, I walked away.

BRING CASH !!!!

you'd be surprised at how many people show up and don't have cash, its possible he's accepted a 3K offer and the buyer didn't actually have 3K, so rule #1 money talks, showing somebody a stack of 100's carries a lot of weight.

Make sure you have the right size ball on your hitch, if in doubt, bring both 1 7/8 an 2" or ask ahead of time, its surprising how often that is a problem. Check trailer lights, do they actually work, are tires worn, rust on trailer and bolts, saggy bunks?

 

[Rrm1387]

Under the seat post there is a round canister . You need a 10mm torx . Its a cap with two o rings. I usually take a small scew driver and careully try and wiggle it out

 

[Coastiejoe]

Also to note, the 2004 to mid-2006 had sodium filled exhaust valves. These are known to fail. When they do, they fall into the engine and cause SERIOUS damage.. Can cost three-grand to do the repair. If he has not changed them out, I would take this into consideration when offering him money.

Not sure of the total cost to replace them off-hand, but they cost like $40 each or so. So it could cost $500 or so to replace them, all the gaskets and labor would be my guess..

 

[GadgetRick]

35 on a trailer is a very fair price,

seller willing to allow test ride, good sign.

when you get there, before you start it, feel the engine to see if its cold, push/pull on the engine and see if it wiggles (bad mounts) look for rust on crankshaft or water or oil in the hull, signs of leaks.

Bring a good LED flashlight to look around the engine bay and the pump area, 90% of the people forget one.

you want it to start w/o hesitation, and rev up to mid throttle again with no hesitation (on trailer, and on water) Make sure gauges work and are readable (they can be pricey)

check bottom of hull, sides for signs of damage, look at pump area carefully for signs of corrosion, white (salt)

when on the ramp after test ride, keep it on the slope and pull the drain plugs, see if water comes out.

Ask seller for any/all receipts they may have, ask what oil they used if they know.

Expect to invest $5-800 into the ski after purchase to fix anything you don't catch on the inspection, if its less you'll be happy.

Doesn't hurt to ask about cover, life jackets, tow ropes, spare plugs, etc to sweeten the deal.... many sellers will hold some extra stuff back just in case your low-balling, < I know I do. (I removed my spare tire, jackets, covers, emptied the storage bucket on my last sale just in case the dude decided to get cute, he paid full price so after he paid me I said "hold on, here's some extra stuff that might come in handy"

Have him show you how to flush it, maybe because you need to know, but more importantly because you need to know if he knows. I had one about 6 months ago and it looked pretty good, I asked him if he flushed it after ever ride and he said "of course" so I said "well, i'm not sure how you do it, can you show me?" He froze, apparently he wasn't quite expecting that and also apparent that he had never flushed it, I walked away.

BRING CASH !!!!

you'd be surprised at how many people show up and don't have cash, its possible he's accepted a 3K offer and the buyer didn't actually have 3K, so rule #1 money talks, showing somebody a stack of 100's carries a lot of weight.

Make sure you have the right size ball on your hitch, if in doubt, bring both 1 7/8 an 2" or ask ahead of time, its surprising how often that is a problem. Check trailer lights, do they actually work, are tires worn, rust on trailer and bolts, saggy bunks?

Thanks so much! GREAT info!!!!

 

[GadgetRick]

Also to note, the 2004 to mid-2006 had sodium filled exhaust valves. These are known to fail. When they do, they fall into the engine and cause SERIOUS damage.. Can cost three-grand to do the repair. If he has not changed them out, I would take this into consideration when offering him money.

Not sure of the total cost to replace them off-hand, but they cost like $40 each or so. So it could cost $500 or so to replace them, all the gaskets and labor would be my guess..

I have read about this and it's part of the reason I'm not 100% sold on this--if it's in good shape.

 

[GadgetRick]

Under the seat post there is a round canister . You need a 10mm torx . Its a cap with two o rings. I usually take a small scew driver and careully try and wiggle it out

Thanks. I'll bring some tools when I ride it (if I get that far).

 

[Spimothy Leary]

I have read about this and it's part of the reason I'm not 100% sold on this--if it's in good shape.

IMO its not THAT big of a deal, since to buy a ski that doesn't have those concerns will cost more than the $500 we're discussing here..

just something that needs to be done to help decrease the chances of failure after you buy it.

 

[Coastiejoe]

IMO its not THAT big of a deal, since to buy a ski that doesn't have those concerns will cost more than the $500 we're discussing here..

just something that needs to be done to help decrease the chances of failure after you buy it.

Exactly,,,, This is by no means a deal breaker. Just an item that needs to be addressed. If you REALLY want to know, pull the valve cover and look for a stamping on the stem. A number 72 is the Sodium style, 75 is the solid style..

 

[GadgetRick]

So I was going to go take a look at the ski this afternoon then, if it looked good, ride it this weekend. However, we've got tropical storm Colin rolling in so traffic was so bad I didn't make it out there today. But I did speak with him more about it.

He bought it from someone else and he's not really ridden it much as he has the super fast Yamaha. He told me the bearings for the SC were replaced 15 hours ago and, at the time, they rebuilt the SC. I asked him about how well the other guy took care of it and he wasn't sure but it didn't sound like he thought the guy did really well taking care of it. He said it sat on the guy's dock under a cover and it's a little weathered.

He did say it runs perfectly but, my concern with 70 hours on an 11 year old sled is whether seals are dried out, etc. Might not find that out until it's too late. I'm probably going to still take a look at it and, if it checks out, ride it. If it still checks out, I'll probably pay to have a local shop take a look at it and let me know if it's in good shape or not.

If all is good I'll probably try to get it a bit cheaper. If I can get it for $2500ish, I will probably bite on it unless there's something seriously wrong. But I'm skeptical after speaking with him further.

 

[Coastiejoe]

General rule,,, if they do not have paper work to PROVE things were done, you can't afford to believe them. Sounds harsh, but the reality is it is a VERY expensive mistake. So, if he can't prove the SC was rebuilt, I would pull it and see if it has Ceramic or Metal washers....

 

[GadgetRick]

General rule,,, if they do not have paper work to PROVE things were done, you can't afford to believe them. Sounds harsh, but the reality is it is a VERY expensive mistake. So, if he can't prove the SC was rebuilt, I would pull it and see if it has Ceramic or Metal washers....

I can't disagree with you there...

 

[GadgetRick]

Update:

I spoke with the guy about it at great length the other day. Got more info.

So he bought it from a doctor who had it sitting on his dock under a cover--hence only 70 hours. Apparently, the SC was done but no paperwork. He's ridden it and it starts right up, runs fine. But he doesn't have a whole lot of info on the history.

I spoke with a local shop to see about them looking at it. Only $139 so I would do that. However, with all of the concerns I have--and the things I'll need to do (I'll want to do a full service then replace those valves as quickly as possible.), I told him I'm not comfortable going over $2500 and I'd need to get it inspected (I'd pay for that obviously). I know it's a bit of a low offer (he's asking $3500) but I was thinking we'd wind up around $3000. He's not budging so I think I'm going to walk on the deal. Just too many potential red flags.

Oh well, I'll keep looking...

 

[Hawk388]

Oh well, I'll keep looking...

Man, this thread should be stickied about how to buy a used ski. Or at least parts of it.

Your attitude is awesome. So many people feel like they HAVE to make that deal. As if they're now personally invested in it.

You may find the guy calls you back with another, lower offer.

 

[GadgetRick]

Man, this thread should be stickied about how to buy a used ski. Or at least parts of it.

Your attitude is awesome. So many people feel like they HAVE to make that deal. As if they're now personally invested in it.

You may find the guy calls you back with another, lower offer.

Thanks. Yes, I'd like to make the deal but I keep seeing a $4000 motor replacement in my future and that kills any goodness in the deal.

He may come back to me, we'll see, but I'm not waiting on it or even hoping for it.

I just want to thank EVERYONE who has been so helpful! It's a breath of fresh air to find a group of people online who are more interested in helping people than they are trying to look smarter than everyone and insulting everyone like on so many other boards these days.

 

[Hawk388]

Thanks. Yes, I'd like to make the deal but I keep seeing a $4000 motor replacement in my future and that kills any goodness in the deal.

He may come back to me, we'll see, but I'm not waiting on it or even hoping for it.

I just want to thank EVERYONE who has been so helpful! It's a breath of fresh air to find a group of people online who are more interested in helping people than they are trying to look smarter than everyone and insulting everyone like on so many other boards these days.

Brother, I'm 47. I've been a computer geek since AOL in its infancy. There has never been a reason for me to be different online than in person. Bearing that in mind, this place has impressed me tremendously. I always join forums for my hobbies. This place, more than most, has a maturity level that is rare on the Internet.

The people here are helpful. I try to help, but I'm basing the majority of my thoughts on my many years of vehicular maintenance and rebuilds as well as my extensive aviation experience. As well, I have a lot of boating experience, but I feel pretty small in comparison to the Coastiejoe dude who has all of his experience in the Coast Guard. It is what it is.

I will always try to assist. If you were close to me, I'd be your back up.

 

[GadgetRick]

Brother, I'm 47. I've been a computer geek since AOL in its infancy. There has never been a reason for me to be different online than in person. Bearing that in mind, this place has impressed me tremendously. I always join forums for my hobbies. This place, more than most, has a maturity level that is rare on the Internet.

The people here are helpful. I try to help, but I'm basing the majority of my thoughts on my many years of vehicular maintenance and rebuilds as well as my extensive aviation experience. As well, I have a lot of boating experience, but I feel pretty small in comparison to the Coastiejoe dude who has all of his experience in the Coast Guard. It is what it is.

I will always try to assist. If you were close to me, I'd be your back up.

I'm with ya. I'll be 47 in August. I was a charter member of AOHell. I believe I was member number 687 if I remember correctly. Bringing back memories...or nightmares! LOL!

But I'm with ya. Most of these places have degraded so badly, I rarely post any longer. This place is the way it used to be.

 

[benjilafouine]

At 53 and being an IT guy, I win this contest! But this forum is great indeed. I am addicted to it!

That being said, a used ski, and a 10 years old plus one as a matter of fact is a very used ski no matter what. 70 hours is low but hey, unless you stick a computer in it, you can't be sure. Yes, I own a 13-year old car but guess what: I bought it new. I know what it's worth. But if was to sell it, I would never get close to the price I believe it is worth. My point is: if you are not comfortable with the deal, don't buy it.

Benji.