How common is a bad neutral safety switch? Any way to test?

[uraceulose]

So I had been dealing with an issue where all gauges light up but the engine wouldn’t turn over. After pulling the shifter back out and loosening up a couple of the plastic flathead screws that I tightened up thinking they might be the cable tightening adjusters for the throttle...the boat cranked over and I had it running good and firing up again and again.

Now I bled the oil pumps and finished up a couple of other things on the to do list, went to crank it over and again it’s the same thing, put key on dess post and it’ll light up the dash but no 2 beeps anymore and no crank/turn over?

I’m leaning towards neutral safety switch due to the fact that messing with the shifter the boat started cranking right over.

My question is, are these common or is there a way to test/check?

Thanks for any advice

Donnie

 

[Dr Honda]

It's common on these old boats. And, they normally become intermittent. SO... because of that... if you suspect it... don't even bother testing... just replace it.

 

[racerxxx]

Disconnect the plug. It's 2 wires. Set your meter to continuity, take the leads and put them in the plug. One lead on each wire. Depress the plunger on the switch, when the switch changes state your meter will change from 0.0 to OL or the opposite depending on what the switch is, if it's a normally open or normally closed switch. Very simple to verify.

 

[uraceulose]

Thank you gentlemen

 

[uraceulose]

One more question...are there any tricks to swapping out the switch or is it pretty self explanatory once I get in there? I got one ordered today from westside powersports

Thanks,

Donnie

 

[racerxxx]

It's straight forward. Just slow as easy with the screws. WD-40 is your friend.

 

[uraceulose]

Ty sir

 

[uraceulose]

Ok so I can’t get this thing to crank. The switch still hasn’t showed but i tried connecting both ends of the leads together to bypass the switch? Should this bypass it or not?
The lights turn on and all accessories but no beeps and won’t turn over.

Why me?! Lol

Thanks for any advice

Donnie

 

[racerxxx]

Well, you should get lights before the switch even comes into play. You need to make sure you have voltage to the fuses, solenoid etc... I would verify the battery is putting voltage to the solenoid. You can use a test light to verify the ground. Just clip it on the + of the battery follow the battery ground to the starter or where ever it's hooked up to and touch the tip of the test light to the starter body and the light should come on. If not test it direct to the battery ground terminal on the battery. The first way is checking that the ground cable actually is grounded and had a connection back to the battery. It that checks out start checking the fuses.

 

[uraceulose]

Will do. It did crank over fine a few times the other day after messing with the shifter...and fired up and ran both engines multiple times. and all fuses were good each time I’ve checked since replacing the bilge and lights fuses.
I charged up both batteries the other night and went and bought a new battery charger.
Will do the test light diagnostic you speak of tomorrow am and post up. Neither engine will turn over.
I’ll check the fuses again but it’s going to end up being either something like the ground being loose like you’re saying or a bad switch/relay somewhere that is intermittent. (This is my hunch anyway)

Does connecting the two leads from the neutral safety switch bypass it?

Mine is the boat that has leaks in the oil hoses that never leak...I replaced both oil pumps went through all the steps and now they’re leaking from somewhere. It’s just a pain in the butt I can’t wait to get this thing going again.

 

[uraceulose]

And which do fuses would you check? I don’t see one related to ignition and I find it odd that the issue is intermittent if it was fuse related but I am not arguing just ignorant to this type of stuff

 

[uraceulose]

Another thing, this boat has 2 batteries. (96 speedster) One of the grounds runs into the grey MPEM box and the other ground runs down to the starter. Will post back ASAP on this thanks again.

 

[uraceulose]

OK so now I’ve tried a different neutral safety switch, checked all fuses in both fuse boxes and all are good. I even swapped the main 20 amp fuse just to be sure and the test light pops on via both batteries as well as if I run it from the positive down to the body of the starter on the passenger side engine

 

[uraceulose]

Still no beeps and no crank on either engine but I did get one beep when I tried to start it when I put the boat in reverse but it would not crank

 

[uraceulose]

Any more ideas to check? It’s odd because of all of the maintenance and repairs I’ve done on this thing the last month there was nothing I did electrical except replace the bilge pump, fuse and nav light fuse.
I’d like to take to the seadoo dealer but when I called they said that they won’t even work on the 2 strokes anymore

I’m down to these last 2 things.

. 1)Replace big oil lines due to a leak somewhere.

2) Figure out what is preventing it from turning over.

Batteries and fuses are good.

Is there any way to scan for codes or anything?

I would have sworn it was the neutral safety switch after unscrewing the shifter/throttle lever housing the other day and getting it to crank multiple times and fire right up. BUT since then I’ve tried jumping the neutral safety switch wires together as well as tried a different switch and still no 2 beeps like it should and it won’t turn over either engine.

 

[uraceulose]

For the heck of it tomorrow AM I’m going to try and disconnect the ground wire where it connects to the starter area down under the exhaust pipe and make sure it’s good and clean. The other one runs into the mpem box.
Can I try to jump the solenoid somehow and see if it will crank?
The start/stop switches im thinking are NOT the issue due to the fact that neither one works.

 

[uraceulose]

OK so I know you guys are probably like come on man what is this guys problem but I just went out and tried jumping across both solenoids with a pair of needle nose pliers and I got it to crank over. Then after putting the key on the dess post sure enough I got two beeps and she cranks over fine. It’s 10 pm here so I can’t fire it but do you guys have any ideas what the issue could be based on that?

 

[racerxxx]

Did you check continuity of the start button? Not sure why it works now just because you jumped the solenoid. Is there a ground wire between both engines?

 

[uraceulose]

No, I did not check the continuity. Do I just set ohms and touch a lead to each of the wires coming out of the switch with my meter? I made sure both grounds were tight down there by the starter but I didn’t check to see if there is a ground wire running from one engine to the other...I figured it was all as the factory set it up. Do you know where the ground wire from one engine to the other should be routed?

 

[uraceulose]

96 seadoo speedster no beeps

This thread and specifically post #9 was my reason for trying to jump the solenoid posts.

I’m going to pull the grounds off the starter and try to clean up with a wire brush. What do you guys think?

Should I pull the exhaust pipe to get at them in your opinion?

 

[racerxxx]

The later boats had a ground going from one mag housing to the other. Each starter should have its own ground wire going to the battery which powers the appropriate solenoid. Wire brush every battery cable, file the starter ear, anything that will work, just think what it would have looked like when it was brand new, that's what you're shooting for. If it looks bad it's gonna work bad. Some guys will ground directly to the engine case, I don't agree with that. Your starter is what essentially needs the ground to work so that is what should be grounded.

 

[uraceulose]

Thanks so much racerx. Will get on it in today.

 

[uraceulose]

Ok so I’ve got all ground straps and mounting points completely filed and wire brushed. Checked and double checked fuses, test light kicks right on when touching to any ground and positive. Tried 2 different neutral safety switches, messing with the shifter while hitting both start/stop buttons and even ran the neutral safety switch wires together to try eliminate that possibility.
I did pull the batteries and charge up a couple weeks ago as well. It has started and ran multiple times since I jumped the starter solenoid and got both engines to crank/start.

Now I go out today to try and get on my off idle issue from rebuilding the carbs and again no crank on either engine.

What do you guys think?

My plan is to re connect the neutral safety switch wires together again then if that doesn’t work jump the solenoid again.

That will probably get it to crank.

Then I’m almost ready to go buy 2 more batteries just eliminate that possibility.

But I don’t just want to throw money at it if you guys have any more ideas?

All gauges light up and work and the driver side engine was started as well as ran as recent as 3-4 days ago.

Thanks

Donnie

 

[uraceulose]

Another idea I have to try and eliminate the start/stop switches...can I jump those 2 wires together to turn it over bypassing the switch?

 

[uraceulose]

So this time it didn’t crank over when I used the jump the solenoid method. It did jump when I jumped across the solenoid but won’t crank with the key/button.