GTX 4-sec supercharged submersion problem

[Eric Lamberts]

Put the boat on the lake for the first time this year. Had changed the oil and filter, charged the battery, put new gas and it ran great. On anchor we noticed that thee back end was almost under water.

Pulled it up on shore and the hull had about a foot of water. Drained it and tried to start--no joy.

Pulled the plugs and turned it over and water squirted out. It almost seemed like it wanted to start.

Now even with the plugs out and a good battery it turns over very slowly. I would like to pull the starter and clean and dry it out.

I removed the two bolts that hold it to the crankcase, and it will wiggle a bit, but it will not come out. I even tried a rope loop around the starter mounting flange and pulling it with a lever. Any ideas?

The leak, by the way was in one of the tubes that hold the OPAS tie rods

Any ideas?? I sure would appreciate and help.

Eric Lamberts Reno NV

 

[Michael211_2000]

Install an automatic electric bilge pump and wire it to be in auto mode full time (ie. auto wire directly to battery). This way if you spring a leak you'll be able to see water being pumped out of the hull... instead of not knowing it till the hull is sinking!

Bolt the starter back in, charge the battery up and try it again. All that cranking may have drained the battery down and these things take quite a bit of battery power to turn over. Also, check your engine oil level and if there's any signs of milkyness in the oil on your dipstick then you'll need to change the oil and filter ASAP!

- Michael

 

[Eric Lamberts]

Great tip on the bilge pump. I did rechage the battery and tried jumping in with a new car battery--Still pokey. I am going to drain the oil, although it is not milky, but I think it has to run to get milky.

Still can't figure out why the starte is so stuck..

 

[Michael211_2000]

Eric it's been recently pointed out on this forum that trying to jump-start a SeaDoo from an automobile can fry the SeaDoo's MPEM (ie. the computer that controls the engine and guages). :-(

You may need to remove the exhaust manifold to get better access to that starter if you think it's bad. I'm not convinced it's the starter motor though, they usually either work or don't work... working slowly is a sign of volt/amp problems IMO. You may want to pull your battery 1st and run it to your local auto parts or Walmart automotive center and have it tested (it's alot easier to pull the battery and go get it checked than to get to that starter motor!).

If you've removed all the right bolts from the starter it should slide right out. But if you're working on it with the exhaust manifold still on the engine then you must be working by feel so you may have missed a bolt I cannot recall off the top of my head just how many bolts hold the starter motor onto the engine right now.

- Michael

 

[Eric Lamberts]

I don't think the MPEM is toast. Seems to beep and light up. It has two bolts, Maybe I got the wrong ones. The manual is not helpful--just says remove the bolts and remove the starter. Guess I'll pull the exhaust manifold.. My left arm is bruised and bleeding.

Thanks a million.
Eric