97 xp click click click!!!

[jneighbors23]

i have a 97 xp i rode all last year.parked for the winter went to start it, put in a brand new battery. all i got is click click from the little box up front on the port side. sometimes it makes a lil clicking noise. some time it is silent. what do i do?

 

[Dr Honda]

Did you charge the battery? Just because it's new, doesn't mean it has a good charge.

If it is charged... then check all the cable connections. A loose connection, or a dirty terminal will keep it from spinning.

If that all checks out... it's time to rebuild the starter. it could have had water in it, then, it sat all winter. (makes for good rust)

Let us know what you find.

 

[jneighbors23]

i charged the batt. its fine. starter is new as well.

 

[scooper77515]

Take all cables off, sand the connectors a little to make the copper shiny, and bolt them back up. Ground cables, red cables that look like battery cables, etc. To and from the battery, to and from the starter, and all grounds.

This is common on boats and watercraft. The connections get corroded over the winter.

Also, grab the copper ends and wiggle them a little against the wire. Sometimes they are rusted away just under the wire insulation, and they will snap off in your hands.

Warning, if you DO find a bad cable, it will be one that connects in the hardest to reach place. :ack: Those ones get the most moisture on them and corrode the most.

 

[seadooya]

i'd pull the sparkplugs, then hit start button, but make sure yuo got rag over plug holes..sounds your hydrolocked.

 

[scooper77515]

You know, Seadooya has a point. If you fogged the engine and sprayed the 15 seconds into each cylinder, often that seeps past the rings, but not always.

You may have enough winterizer lube in there to hydrolock it.

If nothing else, if the plugs are out and your compression is freed up, you can at least test to see if starter is working.

You can also use this opportunity to try to turn the engine over by hand at the flywheel at the back. It should turn pretty easily and without any grinding feeling to it.

So pull those plugs, cover the holes with a rag, hit the button and let us know what you get! :cheers:

 

[scooper77515]

One more thing. I did this once on my XP. It wouldn't start, and wouldn't turn over by hand with the plugs out. Starter was hitting a froze engine.

I pulled the heads, and put marvel oil on top of the pistons, let it sit a while and then tapped the pistons lightly. The rings freed up and the engine started to turn over. Put it all back together and have run the snot out of it jumping waves off the beaches for the past 2 summers. No other work done to it.

I probably lost some compression from the damage, but it still runs 55 mph on the gps and gets there in about 3 seconds, and jumps 8' off waves, so as far as I am concerned, it is a "fine running ski". :reddevil:

 

[seadooya]

I probably lost some compression from the damage, but it still runs 55 mph on the gps and gets there in about 3 seconds, and jumps 8' off waves, so as far as I am concerned, it is a "fine running ski". :reddevil:

you know it,...get'n my kep programmed friday, so i can get MASSIVE 6-8ft swell jump'n, w/ my 96xp THATS RIGHT....