2006 GTI SE 4-Tec only tops out at 30 mph!

[Prather]

Hello all,

Brand new user here at the forum, and first-time Sea Doo owner!

To start with, I know car engines and boats...PWC's perplex me!

I have been doing some searching, but can't quite figure out what my problem might be...if any.

The Sea Doo only tops out at about 30 mph, and I've read other people saying theirs gets up in the 50's. It's running with the yellow key. I'll have to wait until this weekend to get back on the water to tell you the RPM's.

I understand Sea Doos have speed limiters on them, and you can feel it with this one. Still, it seems it should go faster than 30.

Through my searching, I've read about wear rings, learner keys and performance kits. But, I'm still as confused as ever.

Are these models supposed to go faster? If so, where do I start looking?

Any help is greatly appreciated!

 

[Hawk388]

Most likely the wear ring. You should hit 50-53mph GPS on that thing. I'c check the wear ring and the impeller for damage.

 

[Prather]

Thanks for the info! What do I look for on the wear ring? Would the damage be obvious?

 

[maxthebird]

There is a gap between the wear ring and the impeller that needs to be very small to push the water through the jet pump and create thrust. The wear ring is plastic and wears out after time from debris in the water and the gap gets larger, decreasing thrust and speed. RPMS will be high without an increase in speed, sort of like a slipping clutch. Your ski should do about 55 mph at about 7500 rpms if everything is in good shape. Your ski is 11 years old and the wear ring is probably worn out. The yellow key is the full power key, the white key is the learning or low power key. It's possible to reprogram the keys so maybe the yellow key was reprogrammed as a learning key.

 

[Prather]

Thanks for your input, guys. Sea Doos are quite different to work on than a vehicle or an outboard motor, so I'm still learning!

I found a video on how to change the wear ring. Of course, they time-lapse and edit out all of the snags they come across. In your opinion, is this something I should / could tackle on my own? About how many hours are we looking at?

 

[ski-d00]

We need a better description of exactly what it is doing so we aren't just randomly guessing. Does it start easily and idle smoothly at what rpm? Does it accelerate quickly or does it feel like it is slipping and over revving when you do full acceleration? As noted, what rpm are you getting?

You didn't mention the slipping feeling when accelerating which is a sign of a bad wear ring which is what the others are guessing. I'll make a different guess and say you need to change your spark plugs. The 4tecs do go through plugs unlike most 4 strokes and need to changed on a regular basis.

 

[Prather]

It is DEFINITELY the wear ring! I took a flashlight to take a look. It is completely cracked the entire width of the ring...I'm surprised this thing is making any thrust at all! At least it will be easy to take out since it's already cracked down the middle!

I'll get it changed out and post the results. :thumbsup:

Thank you for your replies!

 

[gti 130 wow]

I bought a solas stainless steel ring and have had no problems . No reduction in performance over time .

https://www.google.com/search?q=solas+ware+ring

 

[Prather]

Hello all,

I just wanted to give an update on this thread for the next guy with the same problem.

I turns out the wear ring was definitely a mess, but that was the LEAST of my problems! The pump and nozzle were also destroyed. I'm surprised it would even get to 30 mph!

I found out that the pump is made out of plastic, which they don't do anymore. Replacement parts are aluminum. It would have cost about $1500 with the parts and labor. Fortunately, the guy was able to find another plastic one to save me money. So, $650 later it's fixed.

It appears it sucked up a rock or stick and messed up a lot of stuff in there. Now it goes 50+ with me (I'm 220 lbs).

Thank you all for your input!