2010 GTX 155 Engine Break-in

[ekoo]

First off, greetings all! This forum has been great in answering my questions while looking for the right Sea-Doo, so, thanks!

I've finally purchased my 2010 GTX 155 and will be picking it up and putting it in the water on Friday. Realllly looking forward to it, it's been a long time coming.

My question is regarding proper break-in procedures. I'd been told "just follow the owner's manual exactly" but, quite frankly, the owner's manual is quite lacking on info for break-in.

To quote them:

During this period, maximum throttle should not exceed 1/2 to 3/4 opening. However, brief full acceleration and speed variations contribute to a good break-in.

... pretty brief.

I read on here (can't find the post) the following:

Break in Process for 4-stroke SeaDoo

Before each ride, do a visual inspection of Oil level, all hoses an for any loose clamps, brackets etc.

Warm up the engine completely. first(in water) (off plane for 2-3 minutes).

Take it easy for the first hr, no more than 4000-5000 rpm.

Vary throttle for first two hrs, no more than 5000 rpm. Don't stay at one rpm for long periods. Only use 66% max throttle.

Let ski completely cool, down then repeat (this de-stresses the block).

After 3-4 hrs, short bursts of WOT are good, but don't go to top speed, just accelerate, then back off to 5000 rpm then repeat.

After 6 hrs, go to WOT for no more than 10 seconds.

After 7 hrs, your pretty much all done, ride it as you like but just refrain from long term WOT runs (more than 30 seconds).

10 hrs, change the oil.

As for the learning key, NO, use the normal key.

If the growling noise is between 4500 and 5000 rpm, its normal.

This explanation seems MUCH more useful, and I'm wondering your opinions. I want to make sure I get the break-in right, so I can enjoy this for years to come and can avoid any warranty hassles.

Also, any other tips for a first-time owner? I've done the whole boating safety course (required by law here), gotten my lines and fenders, and all sorts of other equipment, got a portable VHF, and know the waters where I'll be riding pretty well thanks to my friend who has a boat there. I'm just wondering if there are any other "typical first-timer mistakes" that I should watch out for.

This is all fresh-water, and will be kept on a raised platform out of the water at the marina. Any specific post-ride procedures that need to be done (flush, etc.)?

Thanks in advance, and for all the great info on these forums.

 

[Weaverama]

ekoo,

Welcome to the Board, I am also a new member and purchased a 2010 GTX 155 on July 6 of this year. As of this weekend (Sept 26) I have 68 hours on it! My dealer recommended that I use the Learner Key for the first 10 hours and that is what I did. It was hard not to use the regular key but I racked up 10 hours within a few days and got it back to the dealer for an oil change and 10 hour service. Everything checked out A-OK. I am still amazed to see 3 year old ski's with less than 50 hours. I don't know how they do that.

I am a first time buyer/user of any PWC and at 50 years old, I am kicking myself for not doing this earlier in life. I chose the normally aspirated 155 for its simplicity and ease of maintenance. Heck, with a supercharger, I would have already been worrying about washers and stuff. I just want to be on the water, not towing it to the shop. I won't need to take mine back to the dealer until Spring for its 100 hour oil change and dewinterization.

Since the break-in, it has operated flawlessly. My two boys are still required to use the learner key until they have proven to me that they are responsible operators and can do basic maintenance and trouble shooting.

I take off for hours at a time. I use it to explore the rivers and creeks along the Chesapeake Bay. I have gone over 80 miles at a clip a few times; it is a nice big, comfortable machine. I am still tring to figure out where the sweet spot is that gives me the best fuel mileage and speed. Somewhere around 30-34mph I think. I have also used it to troll for Rockfish and Blues on the Chesapeake and am trying to design rod holders using suction cups that won't f-up the fiberglass.

I too took a Boater Safety course but mostly to be able to be the Boy Scout Boater Safety Merit Badge Counselor for my boys' Troop. On-board I carry a portable VHF, "American Horizon" waterproof model and traded in my old cell phone for a water proof (yeah sure) Motorola both of which are mandatory equipment on my Seadoo. I opted for the retractile ski pole on mine to yank the kids around a little easier. But, you still have to be careful about sucking up that tow rope which I have done twice now, fortunately at idle. It's an easy fix if you shut it down quicky, and it was a good lesson for the boys on troubleshooting. But the real lesson is to carry a knife on board to remove ropes from the shaft. I also use the knife to cut fish line, etc.

I keep mine on a lift at a vacation home I have. The dealer just recommends running it for a few seconds once it is clear of the water to blow out anything that may still be up in there. That's all they recommend be done after riding. I hose it down because of the salt water and dry it off and occassionally use some spray on Turtle Wax. I also bought the Seadoo cover that goes on when I leave it for an extended period. The cover can be a challenge to put on. It can't be done while the ski is on the lift unless you stand in the water. Where I am, the water is not always conducive to stand in, it can get pretty ugly. Your lift and water conditions are probably different though.

My only complaint so far is the cheap plastic cowling and latches they use and that the front end looks like it was designed by a nine year old with a transformer kit. It just needs to be a better grade of plastic and more streamlined. Those mirrors won't win any battles with a pier on a choppy day. Mechanically though, I think it is very well engineered and I have a lot of confidence in the Rotax engine.

Anyway, I am still in the infatuation phase and can't seem to get enough ski-time. I am considering getting a wet suit to extend my season here in Maryland/Virginia; the water temps are still in the low 70's and the big fish are starting to move into the Bay. My fishing boat has not been used hardly at a all this year. We''ll see how much I want to ride when the weather turns cool.

Take Care and Good Luck

Weaverama

 

[ekoo]

Hey, thanks for the great reply! Sounds like you're having a great time. I also got a wetsuit so that I can enjoy this for a few more weekends at least.

Yeah, I'm really excited to get out there tomorrow and try it out.. I'm still wondering if I should use the learner's key or not. I think I can control the urge to go too high on the rpm, but who knows, it's probably better to play it safe.

As for the break-in, did you do the steps that I quoted in the original post? I kinda like that layout, since I can go putter around for 2 hours and then take a break at a nice spot that I know and have lunch, then get back to things after a full cool-down, and put a few more hours on it.

I also noticed the somewhat cheap plastic on the front cowling, but I guessed it was to try and keep the craft light. I'll just have to be careful with it.

I'll be keeping mine raised out of the water as well, on a lift at the marina. Have to go there tomorrow and get everything adjusted for my PWC, but I'm not anticipating any issues.

I think I finally have everything good to go for tomorrow, can't wait. I'll check back and let ya know how it goes. Thanks again for the info. :cheers:

(oh, one final question, any tips for putting your numbers on the craft? I got the numbers today, ready to go, but I'm worried they'll be all misaligned. I figure I'll use some painter's tape to mark a line, and some marks to space things evenly..)

 

[Weaverama]

Ekoo,

I did not follow that break in sequence specifically. My dealer recommended no full throttle accelerations and just keep varying your speeds and rpms. Don't stay at one speed for more than a few minutes. I stayed with the learner key to stay out of trouble. My dealer said this..." when you bring it in for the 10 hour service we will hook it up to the computer and can see how fast you went and for how long. You don't want to void your warranty do you?" She was pulling my leg but still. I did not want to screw anything up. This is an expensive piece of equipment that I want to have for as long as I can. At my rate though it will be worn out in a few years.

My dealer applied my decals; they did everything for me including whistles fire extinguisher, title, tags and all that stuff. Use a pencil and a bendable straight edge to mark a line. You'll get it close enough. Have a great weekend, hope the rain stops.

 

[mdbennes]

Great info. I just bought a 2010 GTX 155 and will pick it up this Monday. hope to take a half a day on Wednesday and take her out for a spin. All this info is very helpful. I'm going to learn a lot on this forum. Can't wait to ride!!!

 

[ekoo]

Well, I finally picked it up and got it in the water on Friday. Unfortunately, after about 10 min into idling out through the no-wake zone to the channel, the "requires maintenance" light came on and it went into limp mode. So, I turned it around, got it back on the trailer, and took it back to the shop. :cuss:

They looked it over immediately, and got back to me later that evening and apparently there was a throttle sensor that was misconfigured (or something along those lines). They fixed it, and ran it in their test tank for a while to make sure all was well.

I took it back out on Saturday, and it ran like a dream. I put about 3 hours on it, with some rests in between to let the engine cool down. I did the recommended variation of speeds, not staying at a particular RPM for more than a minute or so. I did take it up to near-WOT after about 2.5 hours, but only for about 20 seconds. Wow.. I have to say, I'm REALLY looking forward to being able to open it up full once the break-in period is over with.

The water's definitely getting chilly now, I jumped in this weekend to "cool off" since I was wearing a shorty wetsuit and was getting a bit warm, and that definitely woke me up. Hopefully the rain will clear out by Thursday, it's looking like it's going to be warm enough to get back out. I foresee a vacation day from work this week.

As for the numbers, I just used some painter's tape (and a lot of patience), but they ended up looking great.

 

[Weaverama]

Hey guys,

Other than runining the engine out of the water for a few seconds to blow water out of the exhaust system, my dealer did not recommend any other flushing needed for the 2010 GTX. The manual is vague on this so I just called the dealer to confirm and they said that I should only flush the exhaust using the hose connection when the ski is stored for an extended period. And, and as an aside, never run water through the hose connection while the engine is off. They said the manual is vague on this because Seadoo does not recommend that the engine be flushed after every ride.

I have a neighbor with a 2009 who does hook a hose up to his after every ride. What gives? Was there a huge redesign between the 2009 and 2010 4-tech? What damage could possibly be done by too much flushing?

 

[ekoo]

Yeah, I'm curious about the same. Unfortunately there's no hose at my slip (yet, working on that with the marina), so I haven't done any flushing yet, but apparently I don't need to? All I've done is the quick blow-out once it's out of the water.

Granted, I've only been out twice, but I too don't see what harm could be done by flushing the it after every couple of rides.

The manual is indeed very vague on things like this and engine break-in.

 

[djredman99]

My first reaction to them possibly changing there "flush after every ride" recommendation is not because they changed some aspect of the engine, but rather because a lot of people perform the flushing incorrectly and may end up doing more harm to the motor than good. For example, turning the water on before the engine is running and then turning it off after they stop it.

This, of course is just a guess, but companies do change policies for such reasons. I personally would not trust the dealer either and would try to confirm or deny this myself. I have met plenty of "qualified" mechanics who had no clue.

I certainly cannot see them (BRP) claiming you do not have to flush after every salt water ride, so it shouldn't hurt to do the same after a fresh water ride.