My Winter Project

[itsdgm]

So here goes step four: inspect air box and air filter.

Well, they did a great job of stuffing this air box down in this ski. It’s sandwiched between the engine and fuel tank and has the fuel line running above it.

IMG_0825

• itsdgm
• Dec 3, 2017

Can't wait to start diving into this !!!

I started by loosening the hose clamp that secures the air intake hose to the throttle body. Then I cut a pair of zip ties that secure the main wiring harness to the air box and loosened the reusable one that secures the fuel line. There are six screws that hold down the lid to the air box. I removed those but was having difficulty getting the lid around the fuel line so I decided to just remove the entire air box. Also, I noticed that these six screws were greased. To me this was a sign that a mechanic had been in there at one time and anticipated doing maintenance in the future and wanted to make sure that these didn't corrode in place. So couple that with the preventative maintenance on the coils and I was pleasantly surprised. Anyway, The entire air box is held down to the hull at four points down below. However, only the two bolts on the right side need to be removed and the air box can slip out to the right leaving the two rubber mounts and boots on the left still in place. This would've been nice to know before I pulled those out first because those bolts aren't the easiest to reach and only having to remove two would've saved some time. Anyway, after some maneuvering, the air box was out.

IMG_0746

• itsdgm
• Dec 11, 2017

So, once it was out it was easy to see that there was quite a bit of oil in the box on the engine side of the filter. Also, as @buckbuck noticed (stop cheating and looking ahead ) the air filter which was dry now due to lack of recent use, had at one point been soaked and splattered in oil. So that'll need to be replaced too.

IMG_0744

• itsdgm
• Dec 11, 2017

IMG_0745

• itsdgm
• Dec 11, 2017

IMG_0748

• itsdgm
• Dec 11, 2017

IMG_0747

• itsdgm
• Dec 11, 2017

At this point, once my battery arrives, my plan is to attempt to turn the engine over without the spark plugs and air box installed and see if it is actually locked up. I figured that it would give me more room to operate in there if I need to pull the engine.

 

[Ronnie]

Consider replacing the air filter with an aftermarket unit from riva or r&d. I think island racing carries them both and possibly a third brand. I dont think it will improve performance over a stock filter but its cleanable/reusable so it should be the last one you buy for thet ski.

 

[itsdgm]

Consider replacing the air filter with an aftermarket unit from riva or r&d. I think island racing carries them both and possibly a third brand. I dont think it will improve performance over a stock filter but its cleanable/reusable so it should be the last one you buy for thet ski.

Thanks @Ronnie you must've been reading my mind. I did see an r&d one and was wondering if it's like a k&n fikter? It it washable? Is it cotton and uses oil? Thanks for any input on that. I'm making a list of things to buy once I decide which way this project goes (fixable or am I parting this one out). So an aftermarket air filter is on the list.

Btw. Does anybody have a factory flush adapter that they're not using? I believe I threw mine away when I changed ,y boat flush adapters over to Island Racings flush kit.

 

[itsdgm]

Well, the battery arrived:

So like a kid on Christmas, I grabbed the box with the battery and opened it up, compared it to the old one and installed it in the ski.

IMG_0757

• itsdgm
• Dec 13, 2017

IMG_0758

• itsdgm
• Dec 13, 2017

IMG_0759

• itsdgm
• Dec 13, 2017

I nervously pressed the start button and nothing happened, not even a click. I thought, Ok, maybe it needs the lanyard. So I got the lanyard out of the glove box and installed it. I bumped the start button again, still nothing. Well, I figured that this is why I bought this thing, to try and figure out what's wrong with it.

IMG_0764

• itsdgm
• Dec 13, 2017

IMG_0766

• itsdgm
• Dec 13, 2017

I then checked all of the fuses in the fuse block and they all tested good. Even the spare fuses on the left column were good too. I used the fuse puller that is stored under the round lid which made it much easier to pull them out.

IMG_0762

• itsdgm
• Dec 13, 2017

IMG_0761

• itsdgm
• Dec 13, 2017

IMG_0760

• itsdgm
• Dec 13, 2017

One thing that I did notice was that in the "glove box" where the lanyard was stored is that there was a little "key fob" type device. It appeared to have its own slot built into the cup holder area. I had never noticed this before and the seller never mentioned it. It is a factory Yamaha device of some kind and has a "locked" and "un-locked" or L-mode button on it. So I pressed one of the two buttons, I believe the unlock button and the dash came to life. Also, I could hear the fuel pump activated and building pressure and the throttle body coming to life. Then I pushed the start button again and the engine immeadetly began to crank.

IMG_0767

• itsdgm
• Dec 13, 2017

IMG_0768

• itsdgm
• Dec 13, 2017

IMG_0769

• itsdgm
• Dec 13, 2017

As the engine was cranking, the paper towels that I had placed into the spark plug tubes popped out one at a time. One thing that I learned last year when my boat had a stuck exhaust valve, was that a cylinder with 0 compression wouldn't pop out the paper towel. So at least I know that there's some kind of compression in all 4 cylinders. I'll have to check with a gauge next time I get a chance.

IMG_0777

• itsdgm
• Dec 13, 2017

So to this point, success. The engine turns over, the pump isn't locked up. Since I had all of the coils and plugs pulled out I didn't expect to hope for anything other than the starter to click if the engine was locked up like the seller had said. So I'm kind of shocked that in cranked and turned over at all.

All out of time today, dinners on the table. So tomorrow I'll reinstall the coils and spark plugs, hookup the YDS and try to fire up the engine.

 

[swatski]

Great progress! I would run w/o the air filter, you won't hurt a thing, and decide later.

As far as Yamaha (ski) fobs - there are many threads on those on greenhulk (if no one chimes in here). But it sounds like you already found yours! You my have another one hidden still somewhere else, by the steering column or in one of the storage places - from what I understand they usually come with two.

This is becoming my favorite thread here. I hope there are no surprises!

--

 

[Ronnie]

Dennis the aftermarket filters use a metal mesh element and also double as flame arrestors should you want to remove the stock ones and /or replace them with velocity stacks. I think The difference between the riva and r&d versions is the cut out on the bottom I bought an r&d air filter along with r&d stacks so I knew they would be compatible. I don’t recommend the stacks , just removed the flame arrest or elements from their rubber mounts for the same results at no cost.

I was surprised to see the your ski cane with a security /learning key fob/remote. I rarely use the one on my 06 fx. Only a few functions as I recall , enable or disable the ignition system and turn on and off the learning mode. Learning mode limits the top speed/rpm to about 30 mph.

Congrats on the progress so far. Fingers crossed for you on getting it started soon.

 

[itsdgm]

Dennis the aftermarket filters use a metal mesh element and also double as flame arrestors should you want to remove the stock ones and /or replace them with velocity stacks. I think The difference between the riva and r&d versions is the cut out on the bottom I bought an r&d air filter along with r&d stacks so I knew they would be compatible. I don’t recommend the stacks , just removed the flame arrest or elements from their rubber mounts for the same results at no cost.

I was surprised to see the your ski cane with a security /learning key fob/remote. I rarely use the one on my 06 fx. Only a few functions as I recall , enable or disable the ignition system and turn on and off the learning mode. Learning mode limits the top speed/rpm to about 30 mph.

Congrats on the progress so far. Fingers crossed for you on getting it started soon.

Thanks @Ronnie for better explaining the "L-mode". Here's a pic of the r&d air cleaner that I was thinking of getting. It would sit in the original air box like stock. It looks washable like a k&n, but there's no info on the eBay adds.

 

[Ronnie]

The r&d models are washable and cleanable. I think all i did was wipe it down woth a paper towel the last time i overfilled the oil in the ski.

The one in your pic looks more like the one in my boat with 1,812 cc motors. The ones on my fix are rectangular boxes that sit over the 4 flame arrestors. The r&d filters also have text embossed on them indicating they are U.s. Coast guard approved/certified flame arrestors.

 

[swatski]

Either R&D or Riva.
https://www.4-tecperformance.com/in...&cPath=16_86&zenid=svqc7kikekolnc9901neffvdl1

I like Riva parts, because they send me T-shirts


--

 

[itsdgm]

So I got out my YDS and hooked it up to the WaveRunner. I wanted to see if there was any codes stored in the computer and determine how many hours were actually on the ski. The YDS plug on the WaveRunner is behind the removable panel in the front storage compartment.

IMG_0770

• itsdgm
• Dec 14, 2017

IMG_0771

• itsdgm
• Dec 14, 2017

Once hooked up, I bumped the starter to activate the ski (throttle body self check, fuel pump builds psi, etc). Then I ran the YDS software and of course got a communications error. It seems that every time I run this software I have to switch the USB drive to run on COM port 1. So on my laptop, running windows 10, I find my way to the device manager and go to properties for the device and advanced settings to select COM1. I'm going from memory on how to set the port, so I'm sure I didn't describe it exactly as it is.

Once that was figured out, the software ran flawlessly. I was really wondering if this ski was going to show a tale of an engine ridden hard and long. So I was absolutely stunned when I saw that this 2005 waverunner only had 121.7 hours on it. I mean pretty much everything on the ski looks great for a 2005. Especially one that's been used in the ocean.

IMG_0772

• itsdgm
• Dec 14, 2017

So I pressed on and read the error codes that were recorded. Looks like codes having to do with the throttle position sensor and electronic throttle system were recorded. Also, I noticed that the screen also shows diagnostic info for each type of code. So that might come in handy with diagnosing any issues down the road.

IMG_0773

• itsdgm
• Dec 14, 2017

One thing that I did see a while ago was that the throttle position sensor was covered in grease as if it had been either looked at or again like many other things on the ski prepped for preventative maintenance. Or this could've been a repair due to the prior error codes as indicated on the YDS records.

IMG_0712

• itsdgm
• Dec 14, 2017

While running through the YDS software I decided to test the fuel injectors. It only takes a second to test each cylinder, so why not? The fuel injector test revealed that cylinders 1 & 4 seemed normal. I could hear the clicking that those injectors made associated with the test. But cylinders 2 & 3 didn't make any noise. Hmmm, that can't be right. I guess I'll have to make a note of that and move on. I wonder if those injectors are stuck, or even worse the ECU isn't telling them to Fire correctly.

Anyway, time to put the coils and plugs back in and attempt to fire it up.

 

[swatski]

While running through the YDS software I decided to test the fuel injectors. It only takes a second to test each cylinder, so why not? The fuel injector test revealed that cylinders 1 & 4 seemed normal. I could hear the clicking that those injectors made associated with the test. But cylinders 2 & 3 didn't make any noise. Hmmm, that can't be right. I guess I'll have to make a note of that and move on. I wonder if those injectors are stuck, or even worse the ECU isn't telling them to Fire correctly.

Hmm... the plot thickens.

--

 

[Ronnie]

I admire how methodically you are following your plan of attack on this project but wonder if the previous owner just forgot about the security system when he discovered it wouldn't start and sold it as a fixer upper? That is,maybe the ski will start up immediately now that you have disengaged the security system with the key fob. How do you resist cranking it up just to see what happens, after maybe doing a compression check and/or lubing the cylinder walls a little?

For a 2005 it looks great and averaging only 10 hours a year with less than 5% at WOT, nice, better still if it starts right up. I recommend a keel guard as a future mod.

I didn't realize that year had the key fob or the foam fitting in the console/dash. I am guessing you got the deluxe model with two lcd displays not the sport since only my 160 came with the alarm/learning system and two displays, neither of my skis came with the foam in the console but I use all the extra storage space. Can you put your ski in reverse/does it have the reverse bucket and related hardware?

Good luck on the next steps and at work with the fires hitting you in the south. I thought ncal got hit hard in October but scal is setting records, unfortunately.

 

[Scottintexas]

@boudin since you've rebuilt a few jetski's anything here you think you could volunteer some experience on moving forward?

 

[buckbuck]

Just a FYI @itsdgm I had to replace a throttle position sensor on my boat a few years ago. Not quite the same engine but probably the same part.

 

[Jgorm]

I think one injector is stuck on my ski. I rigged up a injector tester / cleaner and should find out soon. I haven't tried the injector test yet, but I'll do that before I remove them. Have you tried smacking it when running the test?

 

[itsdgm]

I think one injector is stuck on my ski. I rigged up a injector tester / cleaner and should find out soon. I haven't tried the injector test yet, but I'll do that before I remove them. Have you tried smacking it when running the test?

No, I haven't tried the injector test again. But post up your results if your tester/cleaner idea works. I was thinking that I could swap injector positions and run the tests again to see if the "clicking" follows the injectors or stays with the current cylinders. That would be a better indicator if it's the injectors or the ECU.

 

[Jgorm]

I setup a fairly elaborate system with an injector driver and a pressure vessel at 40 psi. I cleaned all the injectorson one boat engine so far.

 

[itsdgm]

Moving right along. Before I put any more money into my list of need parts, I want to know if the ski will even start.

Sorry, I don't have any pics for this one.

So I replaced the spark plugs (after putting a bit of oil in each cylinder days prior), installed the coils and the lanyard. Then I hit the start switch.

At first the engine stumbled a bit. Second attempt, it fired right up. Now when I say it fired right up, it did run and seemed to respond to the throttle. However, I had to turn the ski off because my garage looked like a smoke bomb went off. I realized that having the ski positioned with the bow facing the opened garage door was a mistake, I should've turned it around so the exhaust would've been closer to the outside. I never anticipated that amount of smoke could come out of a ski that had only been running for a few seconds. It was kind of like an old 2-stroke initial start up in spring time. Oops. Naturally, that's right when my wife walked into the garage to tell me it was dinner time. She rolled her eyes and said something to the effect of "What the hell. Is that thing on fire?"

It took about 10 minutes with a small fan running to get that smoke cleared out. Since it was dinner time, that pretty much ended that evenings efforts.

So, I feel like that was a success. But I don't know for sure if the smoke was from me oiling each cylinder before startup or if it's from raw fuel dumping from the two fuel injectors in question or a combination of both.

So here's my next plan of action:
1. Get a flush connector and run the ski on a garden hose in an attempt to burn off any remaining oil in the cylinders
2. Recheck the oil level frequently as it warms up (I'm still not sure if the ski was under filled since the oil cooler was empty when I bought it, or if it was overfilled as indicated by the oil soaked air cleaner)
3. Re-test the fuel injectors to see if they might've fixed themselves by running fuel through them
4. Perform individual coil tests while I'm at it
5. Perform a drop cylinder test (this should help diagnose if it isn't firing on all 4 cylinders)
6. Recheck the spark plugs to see if there's any unburned fuel
7. Compression check while I check the spark plugs

 

[Ronnie]

Congrats on getting it started, that is a huge milestone.

 

[itsdgm]

I admire how methodically you are following your plan of attack on this project but wonder if the previous owner just forgot about the security system when he discovered it wouldn't start and sold it as a fixer upper? That is,maybe the ski will start up immediately now that you have disengaged the security system with the key fob. How do you resist cranking it up just to see what happens, after maybe doing a compression check and/or lubing the cylinder walls a little?

For a 2005 it looks great and averaging only 10 hours a year with less than 5% at WOT, nice, better still if it starts right up. I recommend a keel guard as a future mod.

I didn't realize that year had the key fob or the foam fitting in the console/dash. I am guessing you got the deluxe model with two lcd displays not the sport since only my 160 came with the alarm/learning system and two displays, neither of my skis came with the foam in the console but I use all the extra storage space. Can you put your ski in reverse/does it have the reverse bucket and related hardware?

Good luck on the next steps and at work with the fires hitting you in the south. I thought ncal got hit hard in October but scal is setting records, unfortunately.

I agree Ronnie, The thought crossed my mind that the previous owner forgot about the security system. But it's also possible that maybe the engine locked up with fuel if an injector stuck wide open. He said that he hardly used this one because he had another one that I believe was a fx160 with a lot more hp. Maybe he was used to starting that one and he forgot about the fob with this one? Not sure if his other one has a fob as well.

Btw, yes this one does have reverse. I thought that was standard, but I've since seen kits for it. So maybe it only came with some models.