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Problem starting 1996 XP in the water.....

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Banditsteve

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Hi All,
New here so be gentle with me..... Hehe. I am having problems with my 1996 XP and wondered if someone could help me out. Already had a bit of advice from Seadoosnipe (Thanx Snipe) but don't want to keep bothering him so I thought I woulld throw this out to everybody. Are you sitting comfortably? Then I will begin... Hehe. I will keep it as short as possible so you dont get bored..... Bought my first jet ski a couple of months ago and found it had more problems than I was led to believe it had but hey ho. It has a few problems but the main one (Or 2?) is that it is difficult to start in the water sometimes and runs very roughly up to about a quarter throttle. Not sure whether the 2 problems are related or not?? So far I have replaced the spark plugs, snipped quarter of an inch off the plug leads, replaced both exhaust manifold gaskets (wrere leaking water), removed and stripped and cleaned carbs (lots of salt in there), adjusted HSA to 0 turns out and LSA to 1 turn out (were both originally 0 turns out), replaced the battery, cleaned fuel filter and little carb filters, and a couple of other things that I have forgotten about!! It seems to start fine on the trailer every time but nearly always struggles to start in the water but annoyingly it sometimes starts fine in the water as well just to confuse me!! We dont have the fuel pipe degradation problem over here in the uk so I am thinking carb problem?? The only thing I noticed in the carbs was the tiny little flap thing (Sorry for the poor description) on the regulator block was rusty and looked horrible, which I believe is to stop fuel leaking back from errrr... somewhere to somewhere else? Sorry again! Hehe. I also didn't check the "pop off" pressures which I was unsure about doing. The only other thing I have read somewhere on this forum was there might be a problem with the rubber exhaust hose at the back but didn't know what to look for. And I assume it cant be compression problems cos its ok sometimes and does about 60 according to the speedo (Before that broke!!) So thats about it for today kiddies! There are other problems but they will keep for another day. So all I need to know basically is which direction to head in or are my problems nothing to do with any of these? Looking forward to your replies. Thanx for you patience if you are still reading!! Hehe. Keep it sunny side up, Steve :cheers:
 
have you checked your electrics? stator spinning on the trailer with higher rpms at idle putting out enough power, but in the water and at 1/4 throttle no rpms, but then when you get it back up it might not be putting out enough juice. in the water it might be putting out enough to run the engine roughly, but until you get it revving it cant handle it... just a thought since you seem to have done the fuel 1/2 of it.

check with a multimeter voltages while running and gassing in and out of the water.

i am not a mechanic but am trying to analyze this logically

good luck
 
when it does not start in the water, what do the plugs look like?
you talk about rotted exhaust gaskets and salty deposits
i had a old kamasaki ski that refused to start in the water
turned out to be a pin hole in the exhaust manifold on the inside, just above the exhaust ports.
when you would shut off engine in water, this pin hole would leak water into the combustion chamber and water foul the plugs!!!
i had to lift the end of the ski and clear water out of exhaust before i shut her down or i couldnt get it started, lucky it was a ole js 440
just going out on a limb on this one, but check the plugs when this happens.
good luck
mud
 
It sounds like you are having some of the issue that I was having after having my carbs rebuilt. It will start fine out of the water first try, but when in the water and cold meaning not being started for a few days it will take a few try's. I was told by a seadoo mechanic that it probably has to do with the needle adjustment in the carbs, I am not great with carbs and did not feel like tarring into them but I found if I started the ski for a few seconds out of the water at the launch and then shut it down it would start right away in the water, again I don't know if this helps at all just my two cents but I would look into testing the pop off:cheers:
 
Maybe it's a fear of water?.............

Thanks for your replies guys. Maybe my ski has a fear of water!! :confused: It is literally as soon as it goes in the water. Start it at home before I leave for the lake (Which is literally 5 minutes from my home) and it starts fine! Start it at the lake before it gets backed into the water and it starts fine! Get it in the water and leave it in there for 5 mins while I park my Jeep and get suited and booted and then it needs about 7 or 8 seconds turning over and a good half throttle before it starts! Yet on the trailer you cant even hear the starter turning, just one press of the starter button and it fires up instantly! And then every now and again after I have stopped for 5 mins for a coffee (This is England remember, its getting cold, Hehe) it starts ok, thats why I am thinking it must just be a fuel problem? Either flooding or this pop off thing that I am not sure about... Yet... Anybody know what I need to check for with this rubber exhaust hose thing that I read about but now cant find again? Or would that not cause the problems I am having? Thanks again guys, I will get it sorted one day!! Keep it sunny side up! Steve :cheers:
 
Rubber exhaust hose thing

http://partsfinder.onlinemicrofiche.com/seadooforums/Seadoo_oem/Seadoo_PWC.asp?Type=13&A=68&B=6

# 29 in the drawing. It is a rubber hose connecting the exhaust manifold (exhaust coming off the motor) to the exhaust pipe (round long canister exahusting out of the back end of the jetski). I have had problems with that in the past on my 97 SPX. I repaired the hose with a radiator hose I cut up and also realized that one of the capscrews mounting the exhaust manifold to the engine block had backed its way out causing far too much vibration by this "rubber exhaust hose thing."
 
Exhaust hose......

Thanks for the reply mate. I will check that when I get some time to get in the garage. Does it split or just go soft and allow some restrictive blockage or something? Got some carb kits ordered and made myself a pop off tester so hopefully I will get to the root of the problem soon. Thanks again Mate. Steve
 
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