2012 RXT iS 260 Engine Surging

[JohnG28]

Hi everyone,

New to the forum and new to SeaDoo watercraft, but not new to PWCs.

So I just purchased a 2012 RXT iS 260 and got my first run time with it this past weekend. The machine has 68 hrs on it and I bought it on a consignment sale from the original point of sale that knows the owner. Dropped it in the water Friday night and it ran flawless for the couple quick runs I made up/down the lake. Next day, I took it out and it was struggling to get on plane and didn't want to get up to full RPM. I did a few short runs over a couple hour period to see if would run better, but it continued to have surging issues. I managed to get up to full power/RPM a couple times through the day, but saw continued surging issues. No warning lights came on. Spark plugs checked and like new-no moisture or anything foul present with plugs or boots. Battery is charged. Oil is clean and shows no signs of any contamination so far.

I would appreciate any info or recommendations anyone can provide! The previous owner was meticulous with the machine, so I don't assume any damage. But I'm at a loss currently.

Thank you in advance!

John

 

[skiasylum]

Sounds like water in the fuel or just old fuel and we usually recommend to change spark plugs also. They can look brand new and still be the problem.

 

[JohnG28]

The fuel was my next thought. The machine came with a full tank of fuel, but I have no idea how old it is or if there is any water in it. It had occurred to me that it could have been filled up early in the year or possibly end of last season, then sat for a long period of time. I'm going to grab a set of plugs for it and try to get a siphon into the tank to remove as much fuel as I can.

 

[ski-d00]

change your spark plugs, you can't tell anything by looking at them and that is exactly how they start to fail when the engine will surge in and out

 

[JohnG28]

Thanks for the additional info. I threw in a new set of plugs yesterday, unfortunately I'm not sure when I may get a chance to run it again. I'm in upstate NY and the weather is starting to get October-like. Hopefully will see a decent day over the weekend or an evening after work where I can get out for a couple quick runs to see how it's running. Thanks again.