Starting problems. Battery Readings? Other Suggestions?

[pwnzor18]

I have a 97 XP thats been a pain in the rear lately. It needed a new starter so i replaced it. Now it will only crank about half a revolution with the plugs in but without the plugs cranks no problem. There was a fair bit of oil in the rear cylinder that but i took the top end plates off and cleaned out the cylinder in hopes of it staring...still doesnt. Ive read a bit about it and it seems like most cases seem to be either a weak battery or crappy cables. So I was wondering what the reading with a multimeter should be at the battery, at the solenoid, and at the starter both unloaded and with a load. Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated as well ! :cheers:

 

[howie099]

More than likely you have a bad battery. Seadoo starts rarely fail. Check the voltage when you try to start it I bet it is low under 11 volts.

 

[racerxxx]

Yep, check the voltage drop on the battery when it's trying to turn over. If you want to take it one step further check it at the positive stud on the starter. Static you should have the same voltage across the battery and from the battery to the battery side of the solenoid. The the battery to the starter positive static you should have 0 volts at rest, once you hit the start button you will see voltage but it should be close to the battery voltage, how much it drops depends on the battery and connections.

When you replaced the starter, did you sand the paint off the ear for the ground cable? Who's starter did you buy? The best is OEM, they are rebuildable for cheap, like cheaper than a new China starter. Ebay, SBT, WCSS they all sell the same China starter. Nippondenso is the original starter and the only way to fly.

 

[pwnzor18]

i figure its the battery too but i hooked the seadoo up to a car battery(engine off) and it still did the same thing. Now im hoping it was because of the jumper cables(they were smaller cables...i believe for like a motorcycle or something. I had a tow truck driver say they would really be enough to start a car) but its kind of has me worried that it isnt the battery. Whats your guys opinions on that?

 

[pwnzor18]

When you replaced the starter, did you sand the paint off the ear for the ground cable? Who's starter did you buy? The best is OEM, they are rebuildable for cheap, like cheaper than a new China starter. Ebay, SBT, WCSS they all sell the same China starter. Nippondenso is the original starter and the only way to fly.

I replaced the starter with an aftermarket one from my local seadoo dealer. Now i know everyone is probably going to hate on me for not getting OEM but the starter cost me around $200 (i know its a lot but i was desperate to get out on the water) so it should at the least get me through this season, no ?

 

[Coastiejoe]

A bad battery hooked up to a good battery via cables will often do no better. The bad battery sucks the energy from the good battery and you simply get what you had.

You need to do a load test on the battery, then do the load drop test as suggested above. This will tell you where the issue is as, you will either get a drop in voltage or you won't. If not, the issue is at the starter even though it is new. (Could be a connection at the starter). Also, see if there is oil in the cylinder again? If so, you have a bad crank seal.

 

[pwnzor18]

so if i do the load test myself, then i shouldnt get anything under 11 volts right ? Also, should the reading at the starter be the same?

 

[Coastiejoe]

so if i do the load test myself, then i shouldnt get anything under 11 volts right ? Also, should the reading at the starter be the same?

11 volts is even to low. At 10.8 volts the MPEM begins to not work.

You should pull the battery and go to a local auto parts store for the load test. You can do a decent test by putting a meter on the battery, pres the start buttong and see where the volts go.

 

[pwnzor18]

so I had my battery chanrgin all night then brought it in for load testing. It turned out to be a good battery with 13.06 under a load. Now if i hook it up to the jetski, the seadoo now turns(unlike before where id get half a revolution) but only about 10-15 revolutions then the battery dies out. I was just curious if this is normal on a good battery or if mine is crapping out?

 

[Joshualmarley]

Does the battery have enough cca? Lots of people think you can just use any battery and it's not true.


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[TurnerBFC]

I would start with a brand new battery. JMHO.

 

[Coastiejoe]

You may have swayed the load test by charging it all night b. Get another load when the battery dies not come off the charger.


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[howie099]

Spend the $60 and go get a new battery. The battery should last more the 13 revolutions.

 

[racerxxx]

A battery off charge will probably always pass the test, you should let it sit static for 24hrs before a load test.

 

[pwnzor18]

so basically the consensus is stop being a cheap son of a gun and just go buy a new battery alright i guess ill be doing that tomorrow then and i will let you guys know how things turn out!

 

[pwnzor18]

what is the best type of battery to get for these machines? They're clearly extremely picky when it come to batteries, volts and everything else, so any suggestions ?

 

[TurnerBFC]

what is the best type of battery to get for these machines? They're clearly extremely picky when it come to batteries, volts and everything else, so any suggestions ?

This has always been my battery of choice. Yuasa YTX20HL-BS-PW

http://yuasabatteries.com/vehicle_search.php?action=showListing (search for yourself)