Solely a ground issue?

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lamajama

lamajama

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1st ride on a new-to-me 04 GTX SC and on the first ride the GTX suddenly died mid-ride with a "check-engine" message.

So I pop the seat off and yep, the engine is still there. So I begin to check connections and
finally determine the negative battery cable is a little loose. I tighten it up and the seadoo
fires up and away I go for the rest of the day. Get back to the garage and I tighten both cables
with a socket.

2nd ride the same thing happens. The cable appears tight enough but I monkey around with it, tightening it up as much as a screwdriver can. Still no start. Poke around other connections and tighten neg cable again (pos seems fine, machine is turning over fine). Machine fires up and off I
go for about 5 minutes and it dies again. I'm moving the neg cable a bit each time attempting to
find the sweet spot. After 3-4 attempts machine fires right up and I decide to get back to the launch where I get another 100 yards and it dies again. I try to find the same sweet spot and no luck. Finally a "sensor" message appears on the panel and I give up and get towed in.

Frustrated I leave the machine a day and plug the key in and machine fires right up..ok..:banghead:

I plug the machine in to my Candoo and no error faults at all - no idea what the "sensor" message
was - does the brain react when you try multiple times to start it when you have a "check engine" message and throw a "sensor" message for some reason?

I'm still going to clean the contact and use some lock washers (I know I know...) but I'm a little gun-shy with the reliability (and I went from DI models...!!) of this machine. :eek:

Any idea from anyone here on any other potential issue?

I did hear the TOPS valve buzzing for a bit after I tried to start the machine each time but after a brief period it shut off or stopped buzzing. Would this be a faulty TOPS valve and would it cause the seadoo to just die and/or trigger a "sensor" message on the instrument panel?

Thanks for the help everyone..
 
Is it a known good battery ? Maybe poor connection internally at the Neg post.

Also check the ground wires on the front of the block.
 
I had a new battery only last 2 months. The regular vented batteries die often. The new AGM (absorbent glass mat) sealed battery is the way to go. It takes vibration better.
Air damages batteries causing internal shorts. Reg batteries will work, then die. Work then die. Charge, then only give one start.

My AGM is on its second year.
 
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I'm thinking it's not the battery as the crank is just fine. I understand what you're saying but I hope
you're not right!
 
It drove me nuts until I figured it out. Mine would work, then would not start. I would charge it and it would only work for two starts, then die. Please use the search box and type "how to test your battery".
Do a stress test on the battery, but let it sit overnight if you just charged it. If you don't have a real tester, any auto parts store can help.
 
sounds like maybe your ground wire is corroded internally and you jiggle it around and make contact. just a thought...
 
I would agree with Bigjake. It most cases, once you move the cable it works. You should be able tighten the cable so that is does not move. Squeeze and bend the cablle. If it makes crunching noises or white powder comes out the cable is junk...
 
So...to update...

- negative cable is not dried out - looks to be very flexible
- load tested battery - all good (new in Fall 2013)
- connection to block is tight
- cleaned/sanded connection and posts
- added a locking washer to each (previously none) - keeping in mind I've never with many many seadoo's I've had/sold required a lock washer...:) )

- Plug in key and first time get a longer beep and "sensor" appears
- machine fires right up, sensor message disappears
- repeat 5-6 times - sometimes I get the 2 beep and fires right up - the odd time - maybe twice I got the
no-beep or longer beep with "sensor" and machine still fires right up; sensor disappears 1-2 seconds
- Candoo says no faults.

Any friggin idea on why what appears to be a "harmless" sensor message appears...?
 
Low oil shut off, or oil pressure sensor. Sensor could be going bad, or the oil pressure is indeed dropping. Hookup oil pressure tester??
.. What oil are you using?
 
That's an interesting thought. When I got the Doo in the Fall, I changed the oil and knew I had over-filled it but
as I was not taking it out until this Spring I wasn't worried about it. Just before I took it out I leveled the machine
and ended up taking out enough to have the level mid dip stick.

I'll re-check the oil level for sure. I tend to agree with the oil pressure sensor as they go all the time on these things. I have already ordered replacements to have on hand. Would something like this be sporadic in terms of the machine just dying suddenly then (assuming the battery post connection was not the issue) restarting as if nothing was wrong? The first run I had to "tighten" the neg post once and then it was fine. The 2nd run I had to fool around with the neg connection (assuming that was the issue) 3 times before the "sensor" came on - at which point I towed it in. I was into the run about an hour when both issues happened. As I mentioned earlier, the machine started right up fine a few days later.

Perhaps I should just change the oil sensor anyway? Should I change both or just the front one?

I'm using Seadoo 4 stroke oil.
 
Normally the SENSOR message when you first start it out of water is the depth sensor trying to read. It goes away after a few seconds and won't register a fault. I assume you don't have a depth sounder but could you have added it with CanDoo? On BUDS, it is a simple check box to activate.
 
So you already checked or did that. And Checked the spark plugs for oil and Gaps. Use the search box for oil sensor replacement. The subject on replacing one or both is in another thread.
 
oil sensor failure will trigger a fault occurrence, and will give an OIL message in the display. I don't think it is an oil sensor issue.
 
ski-d00 said:
Normally the SENSOR message when you first start it out of water is the depth sensor trying to read. It goes away after a few seconds and won't register a fault. I assume you don't have a depth sounder but could you have added it with CanDoo? On BUDS, it is a simple check box to activate.
Click to expand...

X2

Get the Candoo out and see if the depth sounder option is selected unless of course you have a depth sounder then it may be faulty.
 
It does have a depth sensor and it does appear to be working.

If that triggers the sensor without making an active fault that may be the answer.

I will be checking for the oil in the SC hose for sure. I did do a brief test run last Fall after changing the
Oil (and over -filling it) to test the rebuilt SC. So this also may be causing some issues.
 
Before then next ride turn off the depth finder and see if that fixes the sensor message. If it does there is a problem with the depth finder.
 
Tytan said:
Before then next ride turn off the depth finder and see if that fixes the sensor message. If it does there is a problem with the depth finder.
Click to expand...

I was thinking that was a good idea too....hopefully it isn't a problem as it was kind of neat having that and knowing the depth of the water - you know...making sure I'm always in 3 feet of water at least...so I never beach myself and have to wait for the tide to come in. Of course as long as I don't run out of beer I could probably handle that. :);)
 
lamajama said:
I was thinking that was a good idea too....hopefully it isn't a problem as it was kind of neat having that and knowing the depth of the water - you know...making sure I'm always in 3 feet of water at least...so I never beach myself and have to wait for the tide to come in. Of course as long as I don't run out of beer I could probably handle that. :);)
Click to expand...


:facepalm:

Not the best day on the water. Nobody was injured and nothing was damaged so I guess it could have been worse.
 
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