Winterized at dealer now rusty water in engine so it needs a new one!

[rockywakes]

2001 Sportster LE 130hp, I sold this boat earlier this year to a local buyer. I had it winterized in September and it was stored in my garage for 8 months before the new owner bought it. He went to the lake last week (First time using it) and it wouldn't start, checked plugs and saw rusty water coming out. Went to dealer and they say he needs a new engine.

I'm shocked how this could have happened? Does the dealer start the engine while doing a winterize? Perhaps the new owner did something since picking it up from my garage and the first time he went out on the water to cause this?

Any help much appreciated fellow Seadooers

 

[seadoo GTS 1993]

Sounds like dealer didnt winterize it. Thats why i'll never take my ski to a stealership. When did the new owner buy it? Doubt he coulda got water in it when it was in ur garage

 

[timmyboy76]

not to sound like a d***, but, its his problem, not yours.

 

[kevspyder]

I had a similiar issue with a car I sold. It's not your problem anymore. It does suck for them and you might feel bad but o well. One of the things that is stressed big time on this site is having a dealership inspect something before buying. Whether someone does that or not is up to that person but it seems like if he would have done this maybe something would have been caught?

I'd say not to worry about it, specially since he's buying something used from someone with no warranty or anything like that coming with the boat

 

[rockywakes]

Thanks for the comments folks :cheers:

My real problem is if the dealer really didn't do a proper winterize on the boat and thats what caused it then I really should avoid this dealer with my current seadoo boat...

What else can cause water in the engine?

 

[rockywakes]

Sounds like dealer didnt winterize it. Thats why i'll never take my ski to a stealership. When did the new owner buy it? Doubt he coulda got water in it when it was in ur garage

The owner bought it in late March or early April and towed it out of my garage to his, right after the deal was finished.

 

[Dr Honda]

First… he has had it for 3 months… it’s really not your problem. How do you know he didn’t put it in the water the day you dropped it off, and it’s been sitting for that time, after he did something to it? If you dropped it off, and the next morning he said there was a problem… that may be a little different… but, it’s still not your prob since he should have checked it over better.

Second… didn’t the new owner start the boat, and listen to it?? If he didn’t… he’s an idiot.

Lastly… if you sold it knowing that it was in good running condition… don’t worry about it, and sleep easy.

Even with that said… I would not return to that dealer for service.

 

[rockywakes]

Even with that said… I would not return to that dealer for service.

I've had a great relationship with this dealer and felt very confident with their service but now I'm not sure who here to blame? They've helped me save $$$ and work out problems while they're on the phone and I'm on the lake hundreds of miles away :hat:

Still waiting for their call back to find out if they really could have stooped so low :reddevil:

 

[rookie101]

Rocky, sorry to hear about your problem. I know I would feel sick, but at the end of the day it's not your responsibility. The first thought that comes to mind for me is that the new owner started the boat on the hose once he got it home and filled it with water himself without realizing it.

Aaron:cheers:

 

[scooper77515]

My gut instinct says he ran it on the hose to show it off to his friends way back in March or April, then cut the engine before cutting the hose. and the hose water backed up into the rest of the system, then sat there till this week and rusted the engine up.

I cannot see how even a non-winterized engine could end up with water in the cylinders.

Hell, when I acquired the XP hand-me-down, it had sat in a ground level garage on Surfside Island (near Galveston), on a trailer, tied to one of the house stilts. It had sat through 2 hurricanes and several tropical storms, just floating around under the house with the trailer tied to it each time the island flooded. Hadn't run in 6 or 7 years.

I got it running in 2 hours with less than $200 work put into it. No water in the cylinders.