I have a 96 xp and I am having trouble diagnosing my problem. When go to start the ski all I get is a click from the solenoid and no crank so I figured I had a bad solenoid. I took off the started just to check it by directly hooking it up to the battery, it spins just fine (so it seems) off the ski ....but if i hook it up through the solenoid I can stop the gears with my hand. So why would directly hooking up the starter to a battery vs the solenoid produce such differences? I thought a solenoid just work or didnt work...is that not he case, could it not be pulling enough amps? or is my starter really going bad?
-
This site contains eBay affiliate links for which Sea-Doo Forum may be compensated.
Starter solenoid???
- Thread starter mikesumer
- Start date
- Status
Amps?...
When you say you pulled it off and hooked it directly to the battery. Are you saying you hooked it directly to the battery of the ski, the one your trying to also start from?
It sounds like you have a weak battery. If all you get from the solenoid is clicks, it can mean that the solenoid is bad. But, it can also mean the battery is bad. As for the amount it's spinning. Yes, you should notice the difference only if you used the same battery and if the battery is bad. The reason is simple. Hooking it to the battery is direct, low resistance because of line drop. The shorter travel time to the starter from the battery has less resistance than if you run all the way through your electrical system.
I'd say put it back in your ski. If you don't have access to another battery to test it with, use a pair of jumper cables and a really strong car battery. Remember, the battery you are jumping off from must NOT be running. If you forget and leave that other motor running when jumping, you could blow the mpem..........:cheers:
When you say you pulled it off and hooked it directly to the battery. Are you saying you hooked it directly to the battery of the ski, the one your trying to also start from?
It sounds like you have a weak battery. If all you get from the solenoid is clicks, it can mean that the solenoid is bad. But, it can also mean the battery is bad. As for the amount it's spinning. Yes, you should notice the difference only if you used the same battery and if the battery is bad. The reason is simple. Hooking it to the battery is direct, low resistance because of line drop. The shorter travel time to the starter from the battery has less resistance than if you run all the way through your electrical system.
I'd say put it back in your ski. If you don't have access to another battery to test it with, use a pair of jumper cables and a really strong car battery. Remember, the battery you are jumping off from must NOT be running. If you forget and leave that other motor running when jumping, you could blow the mpem..........:cheers:
bad solenoid?
The battery is brand new and fully charged and starts my other ski's. So if the solenoid is bad, would it just not work period? The reason I am asking is because I can pull the starter off and ground it to the motor and it will spin when pushing the start button while connected to the solenoid, but as soon as I put the starter back on it does not turn the motor. I can spin the motor so I dont think its seized. Does that sound like a bad starter or solenoid..or something else? It just seems that its not getting enough juice to the starter.
The battery is brand new and fully charged and starts my other ski's. So if the solenoid is bad, would it just not work period? The reason I am asking is because I can pull the starter off and ground it to the motor and it will spin when pushing the start button while connected to the solenoid, but as soon as I put the starter back on it does not turn the motor. I can spin the motor so I dont think its seized. Does that sound like a bad starter or solenoid..or something else? It just seems that its not getting enough juice to the starter.
crisso
New Member
I just had a very similar problem.I did not take out the starter but one by one I took off each lead,cleaned it,and put it back on.Each time I tried to start the ski.Eventually I found it was the starter power lead.It "looked ' clean ,but it wasn't.The ski started and has since.Could yours be an earth lead?It would have cost me heaps for a shop to do what I did.Hope this helps
bbrickey223
New Member
okay, if i were you, i would bridge the leads of the solenoid. easy way to see. don't directly hook the starter up, but just take a screwdriver with a heavy rubber/plastic handle, and bridge the 2 leads. that way you know if it is the solenoid. keep the starter installed, and just bridge it. if it seems alright, then it's your solenoid.
ski-d00
Well-Known Member
I have seen a couple solenoids partially/intermittently fail, it will click and sound like it's working but will supply no or very little current, normally not enough to even turn the starter over. Then randomly with enough starter button pushing, it will just work and supply enough current to start the engine. Jump it with a screwdriver to test the solenoid.
The new solenoid design that is all black plastic ultrasonically welded together I think will prove to be a much more reliable part than the older brown plastic solenoid with riveted metal plate on the back.
The new solenoid design that is all black plastic ultrasonically welded together I think will prove to be a much more reliable part than the older brown plastic solenoid with riveted metal plate on the back.
- Status
