Help!! My Challenger sunk in a boat slip and now won't run

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Bryandome

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I am in a bit of a pickle and can't seem to find any forums with the same problem I am having with my boat. The start off with I have a 2001 Sea Doo Challenger 2000 boat with the Mercury 2 stroke 240hp motor. All was well with it in the beginning of the year until something was draining my battery, but I kept it on a tender to stop/maintain the draining until one day when the battery was just dead. I spoke with a auto/boat mechanic and he said it was the solenoid so I replaced that and had the starter rebuilt (just to make sure). All was working well and I had rented a boat slip at my lake (Oak Run, Illinois). I had yet to put it in the slip due to mechanical issues until I finally put it in the slip on Saturday (08-03-2013). It stayed in the slip until the next day when I took the boat out again and boated all day. After Sunday left the boat in the slip and went about my work week. Yesterday (08-07-2013) get a call from our Property Owners Association security guys that our boat had a lot of water in it. It rained only about 0.5 of an inch in the last few days. I go out to our boat in the slip and half of the boat was under water. The boat had sunk somehow. Water had fully engulfed the engine compartment and filled the hull. I was able to toss most of the water out and used the bilge pump to get the water out of the engine compartment. The battery was completely toasted after this. I wasn't sure where the water came from either because I couldn't see where it was coming from. Long story short went to the boat in the slip today (08-08-13) and water was again in the hull and had filled about 1.3 of the engine compartment. I bilged out the water. I drove and got a new battery and reinstalled it within an hour, since the battery was shot. I also took the boat out of the water hence not letting anymore water in the boat. The new battery turns the motor over but motor will not fire up. I removed all the spark plugs and they appeared moist. I cleaned them off and put them back in but motor still turns over but doesn't fire up. I put water in the engine compartment but just enough to cover the bilge pump and there isn't any leaks on the bottom of the boat. I am not sure where the water is getting in to the boat and why the boat won't start up. I appreciate any help.

Respectfully Submitted,

Bryan Anderson aka (Bryandome)
 
Not good. A completely submerged motor is bad news. Get yourself a case of WD40 and get busy. Lots of places for water to hide.
 
Yep.... that sucks.


First things first.... GET THAT ENGINE RUNNING !! It needs to start, and get a little heat into it to really purge out the water.


I would start with cranking it with the plugs out. If there is any "Liquid" in there... that will help suck it through.

Next... blast A BUNCH of fogging oil into the engine. And crank it around again. You need to get a coating of oil in the engine before the internals start to rust.


After that... try to make it fire. Start with the basics. Make sure you have spark, and fuel. So... once you verify the spark.... shoot a little fuel into each spark plug hole... and then put them back in, and try to start it.


If you don't have a spark... check to see if your fuel pump(s) are turning on. If they aren't... you may have a roasted computer.




Once you get it running... then go to the water, and go for a real ride, to REALLY purge out the water. Also... while you are there... open the deck lid, and ski locker... and look around, and find the leak. I'm guessing it's around the exhaust. But... if the hose for the bilge pump doesn't have a "U" in it... the water could be flowing directly back though that hose. (the "U" needs to be higher than the water level)


Putting water in the hull to look for a leak almost never works. First... the leak is higher than the bottom of the hull. Second... to put enough water into the boat, to find a leak can weigh more than the boat... or it's high enough to cause damage. (to electronics, or the engine)




Lastly... Please don't PM questions. Make a post, and wait for an answer. This is a free forum, and questions will get answered within 24 hrs. PM's are only for off topic or private conversations.
 
awesome thank you I will try as suggested, sorry abou the pm question didn't know I wasnt supposed to do that I apologize
 
OK turned it over with plugs out and fogged it and turned over. Put plugs back in turn over and not turning on. Fogger oil on sparks plugs too so I know I got it in there good. Took out plugs but left plugged in to wire. No spark in all 6 plugs. Fuel pump is working and rumbles slightly as normal when key turned on. SO........bad plugs, wires, ECU? I ordered new plugs already too.
 
Fogging oil on the plugs could short them. (and no spark)


Once you get the new plugs... double check your spark.


BUT... how high was the water? (how high up the engine)


OK.... just to ask... did you have your lanyard on the post when you checked? With the lanyard off... it will crank, but you won't have spark.
 
The engine compartment and engine was completely covered in water. Yes lanyard was in and even read some of your other posts about running the bilge fan for a minute too. Did all that and still no spark.i will wait and see what new plugs will spark. U told me earlier to fog the cylinders. How do I get the dogger oil out now that I try to run new spark plugs?
 
If you have a good spark... it will simply burn off. My "Shorting' comment was putting oil directly on the plugs.


Since the engine was completely under water... then pull the electrical plugs apart on the engine. Make sure they are dry, and clean. The CDI and switch units are sealed... but since they charge with high voltage from the stator... if you have a wet wire, or bad ground... you aren't going to fire.
 
Dr. Honda you are my boat savior. Put new NGK plugs as recommended by manual and boat fired up faster than ever. Ran even smoother than normal (old plugs had black residue all over them and one of the plugs lead was touching the spark/porcelain area. Now to see why the boat sunk. You said something about maybe the exhaust having a bad seal on it. I have a friend who suggested the drain line in the boat which leads to the outside hole with the plastic ball for a stopper could have not sealed right and caused water to come in the engine compartment? How could I tell if the exhausts have a bad seal? Once again thank you so much for your help.
 
Damnit!!!!!! spoke too soon. Put new plugs in and fired up like brand new. Now it won't fire up. Took out a spark plug and it has spark. Tried to start it normal and won't start. Had to turn wheel all the way right or left and it would try to fire up and even got it running once but wouldn't start when wheel is straight and even wouldn't start when wheel turned to right or left but sound like it was trying to fire up but wouldn't stay on. Any reasons why it would fire up so fast and nice and then not at all after new plugs had it start so fast and smooth? Any help is greatly appreciated, thanks for what you have done so far
 
The scupper valve (the one with the ball) is to drain the passenger compartment. If it's leaking... your feet would be wet... but it shouldn't take on that much water. But... if the screws around the edge are loose, or the seal around it is bad... water could get past. Basically... water can be getting in around any fitting. I normally see it around the exhaust because of heat and vibration.


I wonder if you got water in the fuel.?.? Try draining the large spin on filter, and give it a go.


But... at this point... we need to take a step back, and check some things. Knowing it started OK... then we can assume the compression is ok. But, it can't hurt to check.

Also... we need to get a check on the fuel pressure.
 
What is the large spin on filter? Is it the white oil filter looking thing on the starboard side of the engine? I also ordered a new port side temperature sensor. How do I check the compression and fuel pressure then? Also when I got it started it smoke a ton, but I assumed it was from the fogging oil. The boat was smoking a decent amount when in idle or slow moving hence why I just ordered the port side temperature sensor.
 
Yes... the "Oil Filter" looking thing, on the starboard side is your main fuel filter. It also traps water. You should get a water alarm, if there was water... but it can't hurt to take it off, and dump it out.


The fuel pressure is checked on the Vapor tank. There is a schrader valve next to the regulator. (like the valve to put air in your tires) You can put on a regular pressure gauge there.


Compression: Need a compression gauge, and you put it in the spark plug holes, and crank the engine. Low compression will indicate leaking/warn piston rings.


Yes... the smoke was from your regular 2-stroke oil, and the fogging oil.
 
Well I'm back....... Long story short took boat to mechanic and they said the #6 head was at a compression of 70 but the others were at 130 or so. Luckily I had insurance on motor and contacted them. They had the shop disassemble motor to see what else is broken. Shop comes back and says the entire motor is shot. They said the crank is rusty and shot and so are the pistons. They said a rebuild isnt possible due to damage and rust on motor. They want to put in a remanned power head motor. Problem is the cost to do this is $7,600. Insurance paid $7100. I still owe $6,000 on boat. My question is what to do? New motor? Scrap the boat buy another? Get second opinion on rebuild?
 
reading the thread it sounds like you never got the engine running and let it just sit since last August? That would explain the rust. $500 for a fresh rebuilt engine installed. Sounds like a no brainer to me.
 
If you can do the work yourself, replace the one piston, and run it.

If it's been sitting, and wasn't really run after being under water.., then the engine is dead, and I would just get a rebuilt powered. Here again, if you can do the work, you can get the engine for around $3200. So, they are charging +$3k for labor.
 
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Dr Honda said:
If you can do the work yourself, replace the one piston, and run it.

If it's been sitting, and wasn't really run after being under water.., then the engine is dead, and I would just get a rebuilt powered. Here again, if you can do the work, you can get the engine for around $3200. So, they are charging +$3k for labor.
Click to expand...

I wish I was mechanically inclined and had the time to do a rebuild myself but unfortunately that isn't a viable option for me. They said the remanned motor is 4k. So I guess they would be charging 3k for labor which is crazy high. I'm just not sure what to do at this point. I'm leaning towards parting the boat out, paying off the loan and getting another boat. I really liked the jet boat because of my young kids using the back of the boat as a diving board but this issue kind of irked me, but it wasn't the jets fault either so who knows. If I do junk it out you guys know anyone looking for a project boat, LOL?
 
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He said insurance "PAID" $7100 .....does that mean the insurance comp totaled the boat and paid him $7100.
Even if that happened then buy the boat back for a couple hundred and install the reman motor and be happy with it.
 
I paid the loan on the boat and am now looking for a new motor. Anyone know where I can get a rebuilt mercury m2 efi motor for the jet drive? I looked on that boats.com for a new motor and that is expensive. Tried googling rebuilt m2 motors and didn't find any. Any help on where to look please.
 
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