Help get me out on the water! :)

[Kozmonster]

Hey Everyone!

I got a question about my 96' Sea Doo Challenger, and was wondering if anyone would be willing to give an educated lesson or guess.

I was getting the boat all cleaned up and checking everything over to get ready for the boating season. I cleaned up the raves, replaced the battery, and checked the impeller and wear ring. Well when I hooked up the hose and tried to fire her up, I got my typical beep from the security key, and then when I pressed the start button, all I got was a click that came from the fuse panel. I'm thinking its either a bad starter or solenoid, but I'm definitely not an expert about these things. I checked the battery and connections and everything was fine, so we can rule that out for now. So I'm looking for some advice or maybe even an idea of where to go from here.

I appreciate your help!

 

[jeremiah]

i would get your starter check out

 

[CaptSteve]

Starters don't usually just stop working. Most of the time you get an indication of a starter going bad over time. Not to say it can't happen.

I would put a voltmeter on the battery and make sure it is reading at least 12.3 volts. Many times, even a new battery needs to be charged. If you are getting >12 volts, measure the battery when you try and start it. The voltage should not go down below 11.5. If it does then the battery has a weak cell.

If the battery checks out, then check the solenoid. Measure from the big cables on the solenoid to ground on the engine block. When you push the starter, one of the big cables should go from 0 volts to 12 volts. The other big cable should have 12v all the time. The solenoid is just a switch. If it does not switch then the solenoid is bad. If it does, then the starter is bad. Also check your ground wires on the engine. They should be tight and no corrosion.

 

[parrothd]

dead battery..

 

[YUOnDaGround]

It happened to me, charge your battery and try again. Do not jump/boost your battery.

 

[Kozmonster]

Figured it out... Bad solenoid. Thanks guys.