Pre-starting out of the water

[JoelKatz]

I notice it sometimes takes a bit of cranking to get fuel to the engine on both of my SeaDoo's. I was wondering if it would be easier on the mechanics to crank the engine out of the water, just until the first sign of spark, and then put it in the water. The goal is not to start the ski, but it get it so that it's about to start.

This should be easier on the starter and battery as they won't have to push water through the pump as they get the fuel system going. However, it might be a bit worse on the carbon seal and engine, as they're not going to be wet.

Any opinions on whether this is a good idea, bad idea, or doesn't make a bit of difference? (If it matters, I'm thinking about only 2-cycle SeaDoo's, 1996-2002 or so.)

 

[LouDoo]

I've been riding SeaDoo's for more years than I care to count, and I have never even considered what you are proposing. If your SeaDoo's are that hard to start maybe you should find out why. I would start with a compression check.

Lou

 

[seadoodoopartsofcf]

Maybe it's time for a carb rebuild or maybe you might wanna put a fuel primer on the ski.

 

[Spimothy Leary]

hmmm, i've been riding for yrs as well, generally i start my ski on the trailer in the driveway.. before I leave the house,

(ps I use a primer, not a choke)

i always start it on the trailer at the ramp right b4 I take my straps off..

it starts on a dime in the water, but thats b-cause its been started minimum of once, if not twice in the last hour, even if it's only run for a few seconds.

honestly i've never ever considered not starting it b4 dropping it in the water... seems pointless to drive to the ramp, drop it in the water, only to have a dead ski when you try to drive off... pointless and embarrassing.

 

[nevitt4]

i have always started mine on the trailer before i leave the house just to be sure it starts, spim great minds think alike...

 

[manolocross]

I always start the ski on trailer just before launch to make sure it starts fine then launch and since the carbs are already primed it starts much easier in water... One press and vroom...

 

[mike_dmt]

I always start mine out of the water. Right before I dunk 'em, I start them up and let them idle for 15-20 seconds, maybe rev them a few times. Drop them in and they restart like a dream, and go.

Maybe some of the more experienced guys can give a reason not to, but it's worked for me so far.

 

[Stand-Up Guy]

Agree with the rest who pre start. A wrestling with a ski while trying to get it started is no fun in 50 degree water. Nice to know going in it will start.....SUG

 

[seadoodoopartsofcf]

And we have another...I always start my ski's if not once then twice...Once leaving the shop where they are kept...another time at the ramp before I put one of my family members on the other ski...I have thought about forgetting to put the drain plugs in when my mother inlaw rode last year ...but that's another story..

 

[harryb]

Yuuuup; Always start mine before I hook the trailer up to my truck, better to find that problem at home than at a busy launch site. I have a "pre-flight" check list that I go over with my grandson at home and at the launch, teaches him a little responsibility.:thumbsup:

 

[racerxxx]

I always prestart before I leave the house to make sure everything is good to go, nothing worse than finding out you have a weak or dead battery. Then while de-rigging I always prestart again so when I hit the water it's a tap of the button and I'm good to go. On a single ramp there is nothing I loath more than a guy with a no-start or a hard start, I don't want to wait to have fun.

 

[LouDoo]

I will admit, especially if I haven't ridden the ski in a while (more than a week), I will start it before I leave home. When I get to the lake I drop it in and go.

Lou

 

[Hghgrad]

I usually start them before I leave the house, but Ive been driving an hour to the lake. Want to make sure everything fires up before I leave the house. Don't want to get there and find out that one won't start or something.

 

[m.colley]

I start the Sportster before i hook the truck to the trailer everytime I get ready to take her out. Usually I crank her while she's on the trailer but in the water prior to pulling the truck away.. like others have said, nothing worse than a no start sitting in the way at the ramp..

 

[RodInEscondido]

I will admit, especially if I haven't ridden the ski in a while (more than a week), I will start it before I leave home. When I get to the lake I drop it in and go.

Lou

Nice backpeddle Lou
Rod

 

[SabrToothSqrl]

I start both of my skis on the trailer at my house, no water.

Run them until the idle smooths out (30 sec max).

Then you don't launch and look like an idiot. Not to mention they fire up super easy when warm.

 

[bigJake]

Nothing sucks worse than being all geared up for a ride and sitting on a ski in the water with a dead battery
At least that was just in my back yard and not at a public launch. Got rid of those damn walmart batteries and got sealed gel batteries but now I always start and run my skis for 5 seconds right before they go in the water

 

[Thumper3322]

Mines on a ramp. I always pre start it run it for a few seconds then push it in. don't see anything wrong with that. There would be less load on the engine/starter doing it this way.

 

[JoelKatz]

When I go out riding with inexperienced riders, I'd rather that I cold start my jet skis than them.

I find that if I haven't run them for a week, they take about 30 seconds to start and some technique is needed. If I start them in the driveway before driving to the lake, they start in four or five seconds no matter what you do. It just seems to make more sense.

I run them for less than thirty seconds. I turn the fuel selector to off after I stop the engine.

My question was supposed to be more of a technical one, though the conflicting opinions are amusing -- is the reduction of wear and tear on the start worth the additional wear from the run time out of the water?

 

[SabrToothSqrl]

What wear do you believe is occurring from running without water?

 

[JoelKatz]

What wear do you believe is occurring from running without water?

Heat in the engine and exhaust due to a lack of coolant water. Wear on the driveline components like the carbon seal from running dry.

 

[SabrToothSqrl]

Under 30 seconds won't phase them.

 

[Spimothy Leary]

When I go out riding with inexperienced riders, I'd rather that I cold start my jet skis than them.

I find that if I haven't run them for a week, they take about 30 seconds to start and some technique is needed. If I start them in the driveway before driving to the lake, they start in four or five seconds no matter what you do. It just seems to make more sense.

I run them for less than thirty seconds. I turn the fuel selector to off after I stop the engine.

My question was supposed to be more of a technical one, though the conflicting opinions are amusing -- is the reduction of wear and tear on the start worth the additional wear from the run time out of the water?

to answer the question... yes... its worth it, IMO the "out of water" time won't hurt it at bit as long as its not run for an extended period.

so keep starting it out of the water, it will be fine.

 

[Dr Honda]

I guess I'll throw in my 2 cents.

I always start my toys in the staging area. (Where you take off the tie-downs, and put in your plugs) I never want to be the D-bag blocking the ramp because of problems.

SO......(story time).................................

the last time I was out with the Islandia... some guy decided to rush in front of me, when I was getting the trailer to get out of the water. (he actually cut down a parking lane, and didn't follow the normal path to the ramp) Well... he decided to by-pass the staging area all together, and went straight to the ramp. He then parked right in the middle. After putting chocks under the wheels of his tow vehicle, (obviously a problem with that too) he then starts prepping his boat to put in the water. Mind you... this ramp is big enough for 3 jetskis/small boat's... or 2 large boats with extra room. But, the way he was parked... no one else was getting in.

I sat there getting pissed off becasue he was F'ing around wit his boat. Then his buddy finally backed it in the water, and they pissed with it for about 10 minutes trying to get it to start. I finally got out of the truck and yelled at him to get his hunk of cr@p out of the way, and fix his sh!t on his own time. I think his knee-jerk reaction was to yell back... but he knew what I was saying was true. So... after a total of 20 minutes of pissing around... he had his buddy pull the boat out.

I hate having to be the A-hole at the ramp... but make sure your stuff is ready to go, so you don't block the ramp when there are other people who are ready.

With that said... I did tell him that as soon as I got my boat out of the water... I would help him get his boat started. Also... this wouldn't have been a problem if he would have simply had his boat on one side or the other, so there was room for a second person to use the ramp, or prepped/checked his boat in the proper area.


So the moral of the story is..... "Please use some courtesy at the dock, when you see other people want to also use it."

 

[SabrToothSqrl]

Ramp-Asses

NO! I demand to use the center of the launch. THEN, I will launch with no one on the boat, only a rope attached to the front (rope, not line because I know nothing about boats).

THEN. I will hold a 20+ foot 4,000 lb floating tub by a 1/4" line from the dock like a chump, while you go park the car crooked with the trailer 1/2 in another spot.

Finally we will bring the boat over to the floating dock. Now that it's on the water we can load it up! Forget loading it up when it was all of 5 feet from the car, let's tie up to the dock, blocking everyone else while we load 20 coolers, a tub, 6 tubes, 32 people who can't swim, and the kitchen sink. literally...

NOW is the time to find out if your boat actually works. Let's begin by pumping the throttle twenty times and flooding it. You have a 2 stroke outboard, so it's cool to produce so much smoke that you can't see anything within a mile, while small birds and fish drop dead around you. Yay! the motor starts. then stops. then starts? No? Ohh shit! you forgot the plug? Well, no reason to risk getting your silly ass wet! Ohh that's not for you. Unload the boat as fast as you possibly can, then as recklessly as possible, go get your trailer, attempt to use nothing but fat people and a rope to load the boat since you can't actually start it. pull it out of the water! yay! let it drain on the ramp, blocking everyone else for the next 30 minutes. admire your work.

Put in the plug.

launch the boat again, with no one on it.

load it back up.

Realize that now the batteries dead, and it won't start...

flag down a competent boater... see if they can jump start you while your bilge fills with gasoline fumes.

Cry as your stupidity causes your boat to catch on fire. Jump off the boat, remembering to at least, save the beer.

Collect insurance money, do it all again next weekend.