2006 Seadoo RXP Starting Problem

[carlito]

Longtime viewer... first post. I just pulled my Seadoo out of rack storage and had the oil changed. I dropped it in the water yesterday for the first time, and it started right up without any problems. After about a minute in the water, the engine lost power and began dropping in RPM to the point it was more of a sputter. I was able to get it to the floating dock before it quit out on me.

I tried restarting the ski to no avail - certain that the problem was the battery, I loaded the ski and drove directly to a nearby AutoZone to see if I could make the swap quickly and get back out on the water. I changed the battery and nada... it still would not crank over. It's gotten to the point now that when I press the ignition switch, it begins to turn over for a fraction of a second and then just quits.

I exchanged the battery for a new one and tried, just in case the battery was inadequately charged... same thing.

The starter solenoid was changed last year when I got the proverbial clicking noise that seems inevitable in a Seadoo's lifetime, so it doesn't seem that may be the issue - the engine is trying to crank, it just quits very early in the process. Someone had mentioned that they thought it may be a sensor??

Any thoughts?

 

[Coastiejoe]

Jump the solenoid. Does it crank as it should or just like the present issue you are having? This will help us determine what direction to head in.


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[carlito]

I just put a 100% battery in the ski and tried starting the engine - same thing. Coastiejoe, I tried jumping the solenoid hoping that would solve the issue - I got the same failure to start. I'm attaching a link for a video I made in order for you to get an idea of the sound it makes.

[video=youtube;rpuhV0PfALA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpuhV0PfALA[/video]

 

[Coastiejoe]

Ok,, you have what amounts to pretty much a dead short. Or, the engine is locked up and the starter can not do its job and that is why it is sparking so hard. So, you need to a few things to further figure out the direction you need to head. If you have not already done so, pull the plugs and see if it will crank. If not, then you kind of have to make a choice, but I would pull the pump housing next. If the bearings seize the impeller can not spin, as the impeller is a direct drive item mounted to the drive shaft, this means the engine can not spin. So, pull the pump and see if the impeller spins once it is in your hand. If so, then the next step would be to pull the starter. They sometimes lock up and or get jammed against the flywheel. All this said, something created the initial issue. I am betting the engine was seizing up and it is now seized. But,,, you need to do the steps mentions so that you can figure things out for sure.


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[carlito]

The impeller does not spin... the ski worked beautifully before I put it in storage in Atlantic City with Jet Tek H2O. I picked it up last week after they did an oil change. Do you think they forgot to put oil in the engine!? What are common reasons for a Seadoo engine to seize? I was immediately thinking that is what happened because, while on the water, the engine began shuttering and then it seemed to just slow to halt. When I tried to crank it over, it was sounding like the engine was getting heavier and heavier until the point it just stops turning over.

 

[Coastiejoe]

Some clarity please.. You say the impeller does not turn, do you have the pump removed or is it not turning and is still installed in the ski? If still installed, it will ONLY turn when the engine turns. You need to remove the pump assembly to see if the impeller turns.

Have you pulled the dipstick to see if there is oil in the engine?


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[clmboating]

I would've checked if there was oil before you took it out on the water, but the only way to tell if the bearings seized up is to remove the whole pump and see if the impeller will spin freely. Also, have you tried hand spinning the PTO?

 

[carlito]

I attempted to rotate the driveshaft and the impeller while it was still installed in the pump housing... I will disassemble the housing and see if there is any rotation like you mention I should do. I checked the dipstick, and it shows oil in the motor - I'm just spitballing to figure out what would make the engine seize up like that? Let me try to inspect the impeller without the housing, and I will report back.

 

[Coastiejoe]

Yep. Pull the pump assembly and see if the impeller spins.


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[carlito]

I will also pull the plugs and see if the engine turns over without compression.

 

[pwgsx]

Pull plugs and see if it turns, if not pull the pump like they stated above and see if it turns. Something is locked up. You might have sucked up a stick or something in the pump.

 

[carlito]

Well boys, I pulled the plugs and immediately saw the pistons were full of water. I cranked it over and water shot out like a geyser.

 

[pwgsx]

Well boys, I pulled the plugs and immediately saw the pistons were full of water. I cranked it over and water shot out like a geyser.

That's not good and hopefully you didn't bend a rod or valve. Keep cranking to get the water out. Change the oil and follow the steps in the manual on water removal. You will be changing the oil a few yes and doing the boil out procedure to remove all the water. However with water being in there for this long it might be toast. Did the ski flip or take on water?

 

[Nike12000]

that sucks man I hope nothings bent or comp destroyed. keep us updated

 

[Coastiejoe]

Future reference... Pulling plugs should be one of the first things you do. I just assumed you had done this when you mentioned trying to turn it over by hand.

So where sis the water come from? Was it run on a hose?

The fact that it never cranked, I doubt that anything is bent.


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[carlito]

So here is my dilemma... I'm hoping that the vast amount of experience with fellow forum members can help me piece this together to help determine where the issue may have started.

Last year, I used the ski in late August for the last time, and it has ALWAYS been in outstanding operating order. The owner before me installed a Stage 1 and Stage 2 Riva Racing upgrade and always had the ski indoors during winterization periods. Since owning it in 2012, I have always babied it and taken the time to use water dispersion solutions in the engine compartment and routinely disassemble the jet pump and check for issues. I just moved to NJ from California and did not have a residence with a garage, so I sourced a company named JetTekH2O in Atlantic City to winterize the ski and shrinkwrap for outdoor rack storage.

I called the company to pick up the ski and there was a huge delay in them getting it ready. The guy sounded like scrambled eggs and didn't really seem like he had anything put together. He asked if I wanted a summarization and oil change... I figured it would save me time and hassle, so I agreed to have the services done. I just picked up the ski last weekend when I called again, and he said he was getting it washed up, and it was ready for pickup. I arrived at the place and the ski wasn't washed but it was on a trailer and had water in the footwells (possibly quickly cleaned). I paid the guy and hitched up the ski... to check the battery, I started the ski briefly - it started, and I shut it down.

I drove the ski home and the next day, the lady and I headed to the Delaware River. I pulled my truck down the ramp, as I always have done, and launched the ski from the trailer. Once on the ski, I started the engine and noticed that it sounded as if it was sucking in water... I put the ski in reverse, and it had a hard time coming off the trailer despite being adequately submerged, I had to rev almost 6500 RPM before the ski backed off the trailer... once off, I idled in a few circles and my lady parked the truck (maybe 3 minutes). I then idled to the floating dock, strapped up, and shut down.

Once my lady made it down to the dock, she hopped on, and I started back up... we idled away from the dock approximately 15 feet. I gave it some throttle, and it began to bog down. I laid off the throttle, and the engine began stuttering and slowing down dramatically. I was able to turn around and idle back to the dock where it completely died. Thinking it was a dead battery, I tried cranking it over to no avail.

As far as the usual suspects: The drain plugs were in... after taking the ski out of the water, I unscrewed the plugs and there was no water that came out at all. I never hooked a hose to the inlet to run the engine with clean water... I just launched in a condition that I thought was "summarized" by the guy at JetTekH2O.

My suspicions tell me that the guy over at JetTekH2O may have left the hose running on the inlet while the engine was off OR perhaps was screwing around with the ski in the water and flipped it over? I just don't understand how this could have happened and really need your thoughts to help identify the culprit.

 

[carlito]

When I pulled the plugs, I could see the water in the pistons... I got the phone and started recording because I had a pretty good feeling what was going to happen when I cranked her over....

[video=youtube;AP5JdeoSGKc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AP5JdeoSGKc[/video]

 

[carlito]

I forgot to mention that I DID get the engine running again.. the only problem is that, when I checked the oil, the oil was milky and mixed with water... there was also a milky substance (oil) coming out of the exhaust with the purged water.

[video=youtube;CxrsVSogbII]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxrsVSogbII[/video]

 

[pwgsx]

You must do a oil, filter change and do the boil out steps. Change oil AGAIN and go ride and probably change it again. Here are the first steps......download the manual for your year ski and look under maintenance- water flooded engine

 

[pwgsx]

WATER-FLOODED ENGINE 0
GENERAL
NOTE: This procedure to be performed for each
engine.
If an engine becomes water-flooded, it must be
serviced within a few hours after the event. Otherwise
engine(s) will have to be overhauled.
CAUTION: Each water-flooded engine must be
properly lubricated, operated then lubricated
again, otherwise parts will be seriously damaged.
PROCEDURE
Check fuel reservoir for water contamination. If
necessary, siphon and refill with fresh fuel.
To limit damages to the engine(s), perform the following
procedure as soon as possible for each engine.
Drain bilge if water is present.
If it was submerged in salt water, spray bilge and
all components with fresh water using a garden
hose to stop the salt corroding effect.
CAUTION: Never try to crank or start the
engines. Water trapped in the intake manifold
would enter the combustion chambers
through the intake valves and may cause damage
to the engines.
Whenever the engines are stopped, all the valves
close to prevent water from being ingested in the
engines.
If water is suspected to be in the intake manifolds
and the exhaust systems, they must be drained as
follows:
Remove each intake manifold and suck out the
water from the intake valve ports. Refer to subsection
INTAKE SYSTEM.
Remove the water from each engine’s oil/air separator
breather hose.
Remove the exhaust pipes, the mufflers and the
resonators and drain them. Refer to subsection
EXHAUST SYSTEM.
If water gets in the oil (oil will appear milky),
change the engine oil and filter as follows for each
engine:
Oil Change Procedure
ENGINE WITHOUT THE SCAVENGE OIL PUMP
COVER DRAIN PLUG
CAUTION: Never crank or start an engine when
siphon tube is in dipstick hole. Never start an
engine when there is no oil in that engine.
1. Using the oil VAC (P/N 529 035 880), siphon oil
through dipstick hole.
2. Remove the oil VAC tool from the dip stick
hole.
3. While in drowned engine mode, crank the engine
for 5 seconds.
4. Remove the oil filter cap and the oil filter.
5. Again, siphon oil from the reservoir.
6. Install a new oil filter and reinstall the oil filter
cap.
7. Fill up the reservoir with fresh oil.
8. Run the engine for 3 minutes in a test tank or
connected to a flush kit
9. Repeat the above steps 1 to 7.
10. Boil out the remaining water as follows:
a. Recommended procedure: BOIL OUT PROCEDURE
IN A TEST TANK OR TIED TO A
TRAILER WITH SPORT BOAT IN WATER.
b. Optional procedure: BOIL OUT PROCEDURE
CONNECTED TO A FLUSH KIT.
1. Scavenge

 

[Coastiejoe]

You will NEVER be able to do a Boil Out while connected to a hose without doing additional work and or without overheating the engine (specifically a 4-tec). The carbon seal is cooled by the water the ski is sitting in. And, the closed loop system is cooled by the ride plate that is cooled by the water your are sitting in.

Yes, you can get it running on the hose, but get it to the ramp either on the trailer or out for a ride to get a good Boil Out...

 

[carlito]

Does anyone have any idea of what may have caused this?

 

[pwgsx]

Ski was flipped in water and turned over the wrong way OR he ran it on the hose and turned the engine off with the hose still on for a few mins- enough to fill the waterbox and backfill into the motor OR maybe somehow water filled the inside of the hull and went into the intake.

 

[devonte007]

I don't disagree with any of the other posts, who knows what happened to your ski while the shop had it. I would probably be down there having a little discussion with them if anything like that happened to my ski...

Aside from that, you may also want to investigate the intercooler or even exhaust manifold. Either one could let water puddle in the cylinders if they are leaking.

 

[carlito]

Do you think if this jackass didn't properly winterize it before storing that water could have expanded and ruptured something that would make this happen?