Perils of a machine not ran for 5 years?

[lamajama]

I'm looking at a 2002 RXDI (yes I know the issues with a DI model alone...:ack: ) but this guy
also says that "it's been in the garage for 5 years". When I emailed him for the hours to start he
said he needed to charge the battery as it "hadn't been used for 5 years"...personally I think he's lucky if
the battery will hold a charge after sitting for "5 years". He's still has not got back to me.

It looks good from the pics but if the hours are high then I'm passing anyway BUT before I invest my
time in looking at this machine, what are the issues to look for after sitting for so long?

I'm sure pump oil etc, gas (hopefully he emptied the tank), not sure about the oil (but that can be changed)
is all an issue. What about potential issues with the gas lines, or gaskets drying out - or the motor itself
(if he didn't fog it etc) or even the electronics?

Hopefully it hasn't been "out-of-sight-out-of-mind" and just sitting in the corner for 5 years....The house appears
fairly new and well kept so perhaps he's smart enough to maintain this machine despite not taking it out.

I haven't spoke to him other than email as I'm not wasting my time if, as I said, the hours are high. If those are
sufficiently low, then I'll talk to him direct with the questions regarding method of storage maintenance etc.

 

[Minnetonka4me]

I really wouldnt worry about anything other than getting that old gas out. I cant remember right off hand, but I think the RXs have sharp angles on the fuel filler and getting a siphon in there isnt very easy.

Bring a fresh battery, hook it up, and make sure to grab the Throttle to keep the fuel pump from pumping. Do a compression check, inspect it throughly and make a informed offer.

 

[lamajama]

Thanks for the info. I was thinking that the Di carbs should be OK. If it was the normal 2 stroke the carbs would be gummed
up and need rebuilding. I'm hoping that the "kept in garage" means it was heated all this time. Thanks again.

 

[Minnetonka4me]

Yeah the throttle bodies are fine but i would pop the fuel line off the rail and allow all the old crap to drain out of the rail....maybe even spray some carb cleaner in the rail and air it out. thats about the best you can do.

Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Dr Honda]

Carb cleaner in the rail could be bad. I'm not sure everything in there will like it.

I've never tried to revive a Di ski... but all you can do is put some fresh fuel in it... and a good battery... and cross your fingers.

If it was in a dry, warm garage... you will probably be OK. If you pop the seat off, and see rust... I don't think I would play with it. The air pump, or fuel system could also have rust... and it can get expensive quick. (even if it has good compression)

 

[lamajama]

Thanks Doc. I think I'm a glutton for punishment with the Di's...As far as the rust goes, yeah - I hope he's honest on that. He may
have had it garaged for the 5 years...but it may have been kept outside for 4 years and moved inside for a year....we need to start
a thread on "craigslist language"..

I've been waiting 3 days for the hours on the machine. He said he was charging his 5 year old battery in order to get the hours.

I'm going to assume (as I said to him in a reply email) that he can't get the 5 year old battery to hold a charge...

I don't get these people though. List a seadoo by saying "It has been in the garage for 5 years, and has only been run in fresh water.
Battery is probably dead, but everything should run great.".

Yes....let's sell my seadoo with no battery. No one will ask about hours, or compression, or want to hear it running, or even
do a test run.

 

[bell99man]

Yes, that's code for "it has a problem I can't figure out so I'm going to pass it on to someone else in a lie."

 

[Spimothy Leary]

is it that far away? if not... grab a battery, drive over there, and see what happens. in 3 days you could have driven to SanFran and back.

 

[lamajama]

is it that far away? if not... grab a battery, drive over there, and see what happens. in 3 days you could have driven to SanFran and back.

It's a 3 hour drive away so you're looking at 6 hours round trip which isn't a really long way but I'm not moving unless I get a better feel about this. I'm anticipating the hours at about 60-80 but who knows? If this guy is unrealistic about the machine and the price then
why waste my time and gas...I've looked at these things enough that the ones who are not even interested enough to have a working battery are usually the ones who 1) are trying to cover an issue 2) too cheap to negotiate a realistic price despite not even being able to demonstrate that the machine is in good condition. Between me and my buddy we've bought a considerable number and probably 50% of them needed a battery - but we ended up buying those because we got a good deal and were able to use our own battery to check everything out. The ones we've sold over the years have never needed a battery. In fact in many of them we put in a brand new battery (albeit a $50 Wal Mart special...)

This machine you're looking at $100 immediately just for the battery let alone what might be lurking.

Hopefully this guy will answer and we'll look at it this weekend if we get the right answers....

PS we always take a good battery with us anyway. Saved a useless trip and bad purchase more than once.

 

[Spimothy Leary]

having made a few purchases myself, i understand if its 6 hours round trip.

what this guys price range right now ?

 

[lamajama]

He's about $2600 right now without discussing the battery issue etc. I'm not paying that - even though in this
neck of the woods that's not a bad price. I'm more at the $2100-$2300 max and even that's a stretch as the DI models
can add up $$ real quick. Plus I have a 12% tax bringing it back...

Man I look at that Florida craigslist thread and drool.

 

[Spimothy Leary]

wow, ya, here in FL, we can't get $2600 for that thing right now even if its running spot on !!! maybe in the spring it might fetch 3,000 max.

i bought a similar DI model that needed an engine, paid under $600 on a double trailer
There's another one for sale nearby, he was asking 6, i offered 450 and its still for sale 3 weeks later

 

[lamajama]

Oh man....:cuss:

That machine - in good condition is worth around $3700-$4000 in Canada.

I know it's partly due to supply but I would think that most in Florida are salt-water ridden vs pretty much all
here are fresh water - so does that have that much of an impact?

In any respect......rats. PS a double trailer up here is a $1000 bill minimum even if 15 years old. A single is $500.

 

[Spimothy Leary]

salt doesn't have impact,,, its sheer volume....

10 skis come up for sale almost every day in my county,

double trailer, i have one, mint, in my back yard, had it for sale for a month for $450 (new tires, new bunks, nice winches) and i took it off the listing after 4 weeks because Nobody called, period. pulled it cuz my kid is coming down for thanksgiving break soon and i figured we'd go out for a ride and take two ski's. i'll re-list it after december 1 and hope for the best.

single trailer that rolls (needs love) $100, nice single trailer $200.
doubles, I can get one for $300 and probably buy one a week at that price...

but again, we trip over ski's down here... everybody and their brother has one in the back yard.

 

[lamajama]

<sigh>. Those prices are crazy. Even at those prices I mentioned half the time something still needs to be done - lights
rewired or bunks recarpeted....<sigh>.

What a wild pic. It looks like an invasion!!

 

[sselzer]

salt doesn't have impact,,, its sheer volume....

10 skis come up for sale almost every day in my county,

double trailer, i have one, mint, in my back yard, had it for sale for a month for $450 (new tires, new bunks, nice winches) and i took it off the listing after 4 weeks because Nobody called, period. pulled it cuz my kid is coming down for thanksgiving break soon and i figured we'd go out for a ride and take two ski's. i'll re-list it after december 1 and hope for the best.

single trailer that rolls (needs love) $100, nice single trailer $200.
doubles, I can get one for $300 and probably buy one a week at that price...

but again, we trip over ski's down here... everybody and their brother has one in the back yard.

I live down in Florida in Hernando Co and have two single trailers for trade for a double trailer if interested.

 

[Spimothy Leary]

I live down in Florida in Hernando Co and have two single trailers for trade for a double trailer if interested.

not really, I have a spare single trailer as well. Since I flip a few ski's here and there, its important that I always have a trailer laying around, but lately i've been stripping down ski's more than building them, its getting harder and harder to rebuild an engine inside a 90's hull cost effectively and still sell it for a profit. so lately, if the engine is junk, its easier to strip it down, dump the hull, keep the trailer. my last two 787 builds were NOT profitable. I have 4 complete 787 cores in my garage right now ready to go to SBT and no plans to build them, SBT pays $150.

 

[Toadman]

Back to the rxdi. He wants retail for off season unknown condition. It sounds like u will inherit someone else's problem. Pass.

 

[lamajama]

Well I'm not paying retail believe me. He said he's finding out for me tonight....I'm not holding my breath...