1996 Sea doo starter? Maybe?

[Dlessing]

I just bought a 1996 sea doo spx jet ski. It ran when I bought it. The owner said the battery was low and it had trouble starting. But it started and I took it for a test drive and it ran great.

I bought a new Battery and charged it for 8 hours at 2 amps and it said fully charged. I installed the new battery and tried to start it and all I got was a clicking noise at the soleniod So I went to the dealer and bought a new solenoid and replaced it.

Same sound. Solenoid Clicks when I depress the on off switch. Starter does not turn over. Starter does not even turn over at all.

I tried jumping the battery with the car (not running) and nothing.

Do I need a new starter?

[postal]

Re: 1996 Sea doo starter? Maybe?

did you go over all your connections and clean them .positive ground ect .

[Dlessing]

Re: 1996 Sea doo starter? Maybe?

Yes, I also noticed if I take a rubber mallet and tap the starter while trying to start it it makes a periodic whining sound. Almost sounds like its rusted and tight. Is that possible?

[snapon76s]

Re: 1996 Sea doo starter? Maybe?

try turning the motor over by hand by turning the pto to make sure the motor isnt seized.....

[Dlessing]

Re: 1996 Sea doo starter? Maybe?

Ok so heres what I have done since last post. I replaced the solenoid. I took off the starter and connected it to a 12 volt battery and it turned it revved fast. Seems to work fine. I cleaned all the connections with a wire wheel brush with my drill. All connections are siney. I put the starter back on. Connected all the wires. Took the spark plugs out tried to start it and this is what happened.

At first the solenoid just clicked. Then I tapped the starter with a mallet and it started to turn the motor over several seconds the motor turned over without the plugs in. I figured everything is now working fine. So I put the spark plugs back on and went to start it and the clicking sound returned almost like the battery which is brand new was dead. So now I am recharging the battery and hope when its nice and charged it will start.

OK just tried to start the motor and just clicking again. It sounds as if the motor is hard turning and the battery does not have enough juice to turn it over. How long should I let it charge? I had the jet ski out on the lake just last weekend and it ran beautifully. But then I went to start it and the motor would not turn over like the battery was dead.

Is there something between the starter and the motor that siezes and prevents the starter from doing its job?

Where is the PTO located to turn the motor over by hand?

[Dlessing]

Re: 1996 Sea doo starter? Maybe?

Can the motor run perfectly and start right up one minute and then be seized the next minute. Or can the motor be siezed if the motor did turn over when the plugs were out?

[Dlessing]

Re: 1996 Sea doo starter? Maybe?

Took off starter again. But this time I took it apart. ANd low and behold. WHen I took the top part of the starter off pieces of metal fell out the whole top looked like it was burned and dirty and in pieces.


I am buying a new starter and then I will post the results. Sunday 7/24/05

[aforet]

Re: 1996 Sea doo starter? Maybe?

I had the exact same symptoms that you describe. The starter would spin on it's own (or when the plugs were pulled) but only a solenoid click under load. New starter and it works like a charm.
Got 9 years out of the original seadoo starter, FYI.
-Drew