Snyderg167
New Member
OK So - I bought my first jet boat about a month ago... a 2001 Seadoo Sportster LE - Single Engine 130hp Rotax. I am not a mechanical person by any means, so bear with me...
When I picked the boat up from the prior owner, he started it up on the hose and it started right up and seemed to run great. I trailered it to a dealer on my way home and dropped it off for a spring tune up... They ended up putting in a new drive shaft, steering cable... and a few other minor things.. and supposedly water tested it and said it ran great.
I've had it in the water twice since then. The first time in, the boat started having this symptom... I'd move the shifter in to drive, put the throttle forward and the engine would rev but the boat would go very slow and hardly accelerate. I'd put it back in neutral and try again and all the sudden is was like something caught and then it took off and ran great. The more we drove it though, the more often the boat would have the same symptom... It would rev really high and kind of vibrate but it wouldn't take off.... until all of the sudden it did.
So.... the second time in the water same thing.... Ran great at first, then periodically wouldn't take off.... occasionally a little smoke but nothing crazy. We did some tubing behind it and for about an hour straight it never had an issue.... then all of the sudden the engine died as if the safety lanyard had been pulled (Of course my fuel gauge doesn't work either.... so at this point I was thinking we must just be out of gas). Luckily we weren't too far from our camp and the lake is small so we got it home, and the next morning I put a few gallons of new gas in it to see if it would start. It hardly turned and all.... more or less just a clicking noise.....
So - I'm bringing it in but does anyone have any ideas of whether these symptoms would imply a major problem or potentially a small one??? I just keep on reading about "blown engines" and after buying this thing and putting over a grand toward the "spring tune up" - I'm feeling sick about the thought of needing a whole new engine!!
Any insight is GREATLY APPRECIATED!!!
When I picked the boat up from the prior owner, he started it up on the hose and it started right up and seemed to run great. I trailered it to a dealer on my way home and dropped it off for a spring tune up... They ended up putting in a new drive shaft, steering cable... and a few other minor things.. and supposedly water tested it and said it ran great.
I've had it in the water twice since then. The first time in, the boat started having this symptom... I'd move the shifter in to drive, put the throttle forward and the engine would rev but the boat would go very slow and hardly accelerate. I'd put it back in neutral and try again and all the sudden is was like something caught and then it took off and ran great. The more we drove it though, the more often the boat would have the same symptom... It would rev really high and kind of vibrate but it wouldn't take off.... until all of the sudden it did.
So.... the second time in the water same thing.... Ran great at first, then periodically wouldn't take off.... occasionally a little smoke but nothing crazy. We did some tubing behind it and for about an hour straight it never had an issue.... then all of the sudden the engine died as if the safety lanyard had been pulled (Of course my fuel gauge doesn't work either.... so at this point I was thinking we must just be out of gas). Luckily we weren't too far from our camp and the lake is small so we got it home, and the next morning I put a few gallons of new gas in it to see if it would start. It hardly turned and all.... more or less just a clicking noise.....
So - I'm bringing it in but does anyone have any ideas of whether these symptoms would imply a major problem or potentially a small one??? I just keep on reading about "blown engines" and after buying this thing and putting over a grand toward the "spring tune up" - I'm feeling sick about the thought of needing a whole new engine!!
Any insight is GREATLY APPRECIATED!!!
