96 xp starts Ok then -Nada-

[JohnnyC]

A friend of mine (he's 72) asked me to take a look at his 96 XP. It will start up fine when the battery is fully charged but if you shut it off and try and restart it wont start. This is all in the space of 30 seconds so it shouldn't be heat related. The starter seems to be draining this brand new battery fairly quickly. Is it possible that starter draw is dragging the current down enough that it wont fire the second time out? Any suggestions appreciated before I start tearing it apart. JC

[Bryan Glynn]

With it running, measure the voltage at the battery. Then measure the voltage of the battery detatched.

[Bill O'Neal]

Probably needs the rectifier replaced. $40 at Sea Doo parts...

[JohnnyC]

I bought a new rectifier but before I installed it I thought I would check all the basics one more time. Charged brand new wal-mart special(12.8 v). Ground good. Starter turning (or trying to). Reinstalled battery. It fired up after a bit of cranking to blow out excess fuel.
I estimate 30 to 45 seconds total cranking. Then it was the same old **** . It would either try to turn over but wimp out or turn over but no start. Battery was measuring 12.0 volts and would draw down to 5.9 or 6 when starter was engaged. I then figured that the Wal-mart battery was potentially bad out of the box so I put in my known good bench battery. The ski fired right off 24 times in a row (total crank time ap. 30 seconds) then back to previous symptoms.

Question: Could the starter be drawing too much current and how do you check it? (the armature and brushes look good)

Is there any reason to go ahead and install the rectifier.?

Thanks, JC

[Bill O'Neal]

I think I would change the negative lead first from the battery to the block. Or, at least install a fat wire as a second ground between the motor and the battery negative post.

Might not be the starter at all.

If everything works normally otherwise, I see no reason to replace the rectifier...