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96 seadoo xp only cranks with spark plugs out

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vaser21

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hey guys i changed everything on this ski solenoid starter and it still wont crank over. i it hit the start button it goes clunk and then stops, but when i pull the spark plugs out it cranks fine :confused: i dont know what to do guys. any ideas why this is happening

thanks
 
Make sure you've got a fully charged battery and have it load tested to make sure it has enough cranking power to turn over your ski. Make sure battery connections are clean from corrosion and the battery cables are all corrosion free and tight. If all those check ok, you may have a weak starter.

Before you replace/rebuild starter, put plugs in and remove the grey plastic PTO cover. Try to rotate the engine over by hand. feel for any grinding or rumble noises coming from the crank or pump bearing. When you pull the plugs out and crank it..does any liquid come out of the cylinders?
 
Put a volt meter on the battery and crank it. Then tell us what the voltage reading is while cranking (with the plugs in).
 
If the N&S leak gas or the crankseals are leaking oil, into the lower cases, It may be what is called "hydrolocking". Commonly when people flip the ski and get water into the lower cases. It will take maybe 1-2 minutes of cranking (at intervals to prevent starter over-heating) to get the engine to puke out any liquid. If a bearing has gone south, it may be mechanically locking, when the *plugs are in and affecting the piston's. It also could be the RV gear has stripped. It could also be a broken ring getting caught in the rave. Suggest you spin and wait for any liquid first. Then pull raves, you can at least look at the pistons. Then pull RV cover off as a unit. Ect Ect
 
battery is brand new but i will load test it just in case. starter was just replaced did the same thing with two different starters. all connections are perfect i went over them sanded of the corrosion and put di electric grease on them.. the engine turns over by hand with plugs in just fine i beleive ... i will take plugs again crank it and see if anything comes out.... just a little oil shoots out right now.. then i will continue onto the rave valves. any advice on how to pull them or should i just search the forum and look for previous threads..
 
Feel your battery cables. If Hot or warm they are internally corroded, and not enough strands to carry the Amperage needed. When I come across that problem, I cut off the cables lugs, solder on new and marine shrink-wrap them.

Bills86e
 
do the voltage test as Biff suggeted.If just pushing you finger onto the plug hole stops the cranking, that is one lazy starter and/or bad wiring
 
good move.Just put new ones in.Easy to do and you coat them with anti-corrision.Its cheap and great piece of mind.
 
I would guess its the wires...the ground rots from the inside and you'll never know it till you change it out. I have also had my positive bend-break from the vibration down to a few strands.
 
Nick, Could this be my problem of having "no power" sometimes.
I assume you are talking about the 2 cables from the battery -
Could the ground at the starter, if loose, cause the same symptoms?
 
Definitely...when you have "no power" on a DESS machine always hit the start button 5 times and see if it lights up. If it does its prob your Post or key. If nothing lights up, its a connection issue somewhere.

You may have never swamped the machine...but you never know if someone else did years ago. they might have taken care of the motor...but if every connector wasnt recently greased (di-electric) you may have a corroded connection. I have a 98 GTXL in the shop that had intermittent issues...turned out to be red wire/connector on the rear ebox had corroded and broke when I pulled the connector apart.

After I fixed the wire by crimping a new pin on, I put grease in between the rubber cover and the connector on the back, then put some in the pin side. I did the same with the other side of the connector and put them together. Cleaned up all the extra that oozed out and that connection is protected for years to come.
 
Thanks, I now have a new starting point to work on. It sunk in July of this year. I started to have the no power issue in August, even though I've had the "no beep" problem for several yrs. I found the beeper was bad...it worked when touched to a battery but not when on the ski..another beeper worked just fine.

OH, BTW, also thanks for the quick delivery of the parts.
 
Yeah....its most likely a corroded connection, or a bad ground.


That also brings up a good point...most people dont spend the time to get the eboxes sealed correctly. I find most customers skis come in with the seal jammed up into the top...it looks like thats the way its supposed to be, but its not. Pull the seal out with a pick, put a little grease on it and put it on the enclosure. then put the top on it making sure the tabs are on the outside of the seal. Push down slowly and make sure the seal slides under the top. Use your fingernail to push it up under the lid.

No problem on the parts...I appreciate the business! I try very hard to be better than everyone else...I pack better, and ship faster. Plus..free stickers!!! Bonus!! LOL
 
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my ground should be ok, it took it off with starter cleaned it and twisted all the connectors and they were firmly on there. i will double check the positive
 
If my battery/power cables were corroded on the inside, is there a way to test them without slitting open the rubber covering? The ground on the starter will be a bear to reach easily.

I'm in the process of opening as many connections that I can reach and coating them with the Di-electric grease.
Can I also use the grease on the bigger plug on the back box?
 
I would personally just use another cable and bolt it to the motor somewhere...just to test. I think you can test ohms resistance on a cable, but I personally go with the swap and try it method.

Yes grease on all connections.

OP>> It can be your starter too...if the armature or brushes are gummed up and are barely making a connection inside. I think you said you replaced it...when troubleshooting you can never 100% count on a replacement being good.
 
I didn't replace the starter. I think it's the original from 96..unless the PO replaced it B4 2006.

Do you mean to add a Positive cable and attach to the engine or a neg cable to test it.

If I tested the other end of the pos. cable (attached to the battery) with both meter probes, would it give the volt reading or would I be shocked by the battery power?
Without it attached to the battery I'm pretty sure that it could be tested for Ohms. Is there a certain reading you want for Ohms?
Thanks.
 
I would think you would unhook both ends of a wire and test the ohms and see how much resistance it has.

I was talking about the ground...but you could do the same pretty easy with the power cable...pull the cap off the rear ebox, and put a differnent wire between the solenoid and the starter.
 
OK, sorry i didn't make myself too clear. As I said it's not hooked to the battery
Yes to test for Ohms you D/C it from the battery. How much resistance should it have? Or just enough to get a reading as usual.

I thought i might be able to test for voltage with it hooked to the battery..to be sure it not corroded. Either the pos or neg cables?

Wish we had chat capability.
 
You can get voltage through one tiny wire that is left in there.It cost about 10 bucks to replace the wires with new ones.Omhs should be ZERO .That equels no resistance.
 
ok guys i am cranking the heck out of it without plugs in to see if anything will come out of the holes, and i am getting alot of oil out of the front cylander only, like alot of oil coming out, whats this mean??
 
FINALLY GOT IT STARTED!! ok so i cranked it alot with no plugs in it till all the oil came out of it, put the plugs in it and it started up right away>> but my question is, why was there so much oil in thereee?
 
If it IS oil, its crank seal on that side. If the carb needle is leaking it would go into the lower case. It could get some carbon blowby and may look similiar to oil. If you were cleaning the Raves, you could see the piston sides thru the port. With *pluga out and a piston at TDC use a light to observe the top piston wash. If black its all carboned up.
Whats the recent History of the motor?

Bills86e
 
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