1998 sea doo sportster

[langdonb]

I need help big time. I have a 1998 sea doo sportster. The starboard side enigne keeps acting like it floods out and dies after starting it. It will start but if you let it idel it is gone and will not start back up for several hrs. If you throttle it up then it is OK but once I try to dock it, at idle or low throttle, it dies. It has new spark plugs, new fuel pump, new filter, rebuild carbs, new spark plugs, good compression [basically everthing I can think of is new]. The mechs seem to have no idea. Can you help???

thanks

[dsolie]

Re: 1998 sea doo sportster

Was it doing this before all that work? have the mechanics checked the RV cover clearance? Were the pop off settings on the carbs double checked?

Sounds like it could be a leaky needle and seat. Are the plugs wet?

[langdonb]

Re: 1998 sea doo sportster

Yes that is why I took it in. the plugs are not wet I don't know about the other stuff. What is the RV cover clearance and pop off settings?

thanks

[dsolie]

Re: 1998 sea doo sportster

If the plugs are not wet, you are not getting fuel... shouldn't be that difficult to diagnose.

If it were me, I would insist the shop goes back through the carbs, since that is what delivers fuel. Also, check the fuel selector switch for clogs.

[langdonb]

Re: 1998 sea doo sportster

thank you for the advise, I will do that.

[langdonb]

Re: 1998 sea doo sportster

where are the selector valves located? I cannot find them in the online diagrams. Does each engine have one?

[Technical Support]

Re: 1998 sea doo sportster

As Dan said, have the rotary clearance checked also. 14 thou is max.

[dsolie]

Re: 1998 sea doo sportster

where are the selector valves located? I cannot find them in the online diagrams. Does each engine have one?

Typically, they would be below your right knee when sitting in the drivers seat...

Not to make you sound un-educated, but how long have you had the boat? The fuel shutoff / selector switch is a very basic and important piece of equipment to know about.

[langdonb]

Re: 1998 sea doo sportster

Only about a year, and yes I am a novice, so I am not offended at all. I do not recall seeing anything below the cockpit except the weedless system. I will check tonight when I get home and let you know. But wouldn't that affect both engines at the same time?

thanks for your help

[langdonb]

Re: 1998 sea doo sportster

how do you check that?

thanks for your help

[langdonb]

Re: 1998 sea doo sportster

Hello, please forgive me for my ignorance but I just went over my owners manual for the sea doo sportster 1800 and it mentioning nothing of this switch. I did look under my console and there is an unmarked black "knob" but it is broke and not connected to anything. Is that it? and if so why would it make one engine run fine and not the other?

[dsolie]

Re: 1998 sea doo sportster

That's it! It could be plugged.

I am not sure where on that boat the fuel line splits into two, it could be at that switch.

[langdonb]

Re: 1998 sea doo sportster

I looked again and there are two wire coming off the broke switch but they are "dead" they do not appear to be attached to anything. So are you saying my Rt engine is switched off? or I need to replace the fuel line?

[dsolie]

Re: 1998 sea doo sportster

You need to trace where the fuel lines coming from the motor are going. There should be 2 lines coming off the carbs. One is a return that will run directly back to the tank, the other will be go to a filter of some type, where does it go from there.

[langdonb]

Re: 1998 sea doo sportster

I will check it when I get home. Can you recommend a good how to manual that will help walk me through stuff like this?