Requesting Seadoo @help

[Sidarousmg]

so yesterday was one of those murphy's law days....while cruising the lake we sucked something up and ended up with zero thrust. had to get a tow back to the marina. i did not pinch the exhaust cooling line (couldn't find the right one in time) but towed at less than 5mph. while at the marina, I pulled the nozzle and saw that a hat (ball cap) was wrapped around the impeller. I pulled out the pump and managed to get it cleaned up, doesn't look like any damage to impeller or wear sleeve. put everything back together and put boat in water for a test, but engine wouldn't start. it would turn over once then just stops. this morning while going through everything I did yesterday, i realized that i'm getting a "sensor" message when i first install the DESS, followed by 4 beeps 10 seconds later, so i'm thinking the neutral safety switch is out. i pulled up the lever and removed the switch, it clicks fine if I use my finger to press it, but engine still wont start. I'm tempted to bypass the switch all together, at least to confirm that this is the issue. but before i start cutting wires, i wanted some more experienced opinions from the Seadoo Gurus on this forum. my questions: 1. do the symptoms i described sound like the neutral safety switch is the issue? 2. could yesterday's events have in some way led to the failure of the switch (maybe while moving the bucket up/down by hand while removing the pump) 3. in order to bypass the switch, do i just cut the 2 wires leading to the switch and connect them together? I really appreciate all you help in advance, this has really ruined an otherwise beautiful weekend.

 

[Sidarousmg]

forgot to mention, it's a 2008 Seadoo Challenger 180 with 215sc engine

 

[Beachbummer]

If it's the neutral switch you can't bypass entirely as it is used to also limit rpms in neutral and reverse. Bypass to start engine to confirm. You can bypass with toggle switch short term for immediate weekend on the water. I ran my 99 Sportster 1800 for months like that.

Start the boat on "pretend neutral" toggle position, the switch it to turn off the rev limiter.

Forget to toggle and wonder why engine cuts off, hit toggle all is well.

Reverse at full throttle and watch gates break off... Didn't do it, but don't do it either.

 

[Sidarousmg]

If it's the neutral switch you can't bypass entirely as it is used to also limit rpms in neutral and reverse. Bypass to start engine to confirm. You can bypass with toggle switch short term for immediate weekend on the water. I ran my 99 Sportster 1800 for months like that.

Start the boat on "pretend neutral" toggle position, the switch it to turn off the rev limiter.

Forget to toggle and wonder why engine cuts off, hit toggle all is well.

Reverse at full throttle and watch gates break off... Didn't do it, but don't do it either.

please bear with me as I am completely ignorant to anything electrical. so what you're saying is, if i cut the 2 wires and connect them together, and if the engine starts, that confirms that the switch is the issue, HOWEVER, i will not be able to actually use the boat because the RPMs will be limited, unless i install a toggle switch?

 

[Sidarousmg]

update*** after messing around with the shifter lever, the engine now cranks continuously, but still does not start. i can hear the fuel pump priming and still get the 4 beeps after trying to start. any ideas if i'm going down the right path with neutral safety switch as the culprit?

 

[Sidarousmg]

[USERGROUP=9]@HELP[/USERGROUP] i hope i'm not abusing the [USERGROUP=9]@HELP[/USERGROUP] but it's a time sensitive thing. just took spark plugs out and cranked engine. all kinds of fluids shot out. any chance that is just fuel during the cranking process, or do i have water in the engine? what's the process to get water out? THANK YOU for anybody's help, i'm staring to freak out....

 

[Beachbummer]

How much fluid pumped out? If it did not crank before and it cranks now, the switch certainly was the cause.
Might just be fuel.

It may help to familiarize with basic electric concept in you tube. Based on your feedback I will provide very basic overview, sorry if it seems condensing...

A switch is a very basic on/off device. When ON, it connects the two wires together. When off it breaks the connection and separates them. No other complexity involved. On, wires touch..... Off, wires do not touch.

You just need to replace that behavior for your trip. As simple as leaving wires exposed so you can do that manually, or temporary wiring ANY kind of switch available to you, as they all do the same thing. Touch when on. Separate when off.

(This is an over simplification, there are special switches that controls fan speed, or send electronic signals, but most all behave as I described)

 

[Sidarousmg]

How much fluid pumped out? If it did not crank before and it cranks now, the switch certainly was the cause.
Might just be fuel.

It may help to familiarize with basic electric concept in you tube. Based on your feedback I will provide very basic overview, sorry if it seems condensing...

A switch is a very basic on/off device. When ON, it connects the two wires together. When off it breaks the connection and separates them. No other complexity involved. On, wires touch..... Off, wires do not touch.

You just need to replace that behavior for your trip. As simple as leaving wires exposed so you can do that manually, or temporary wiring ANY kind of switch available to you, as they all do the same thing. Touch when on. Separate when off.

(This is an over simplification, there are special switches that controls fan speed, or send electronic signals, but most all behave as I described)

@Beachbummer thank you for the reply, to answer your question, what i would consider A LOT of fluid. i only cranked it for about 5 seconds, afterwards, i can see "fluid" on top of the piston if i look down through the spark plug hole. i haven't touched it since until i get some advice on how to proceed. i'm now operating under the assumption that i have water in the engine so that is now the priority

 

[Beachbummer]

If you had water in there it would have shot up on the air like a volcano spraying water like a manic geiser.

Try to start it now with the bypassed switch and the plugs back in. It just might start. Your pump clogged/overheat problem is not connected to the neutral switch. At least not in a way i can imagine. Sometimes things happen at the same time.

 

[Beachbummer]

We have some seadoo participation, but there is a larger community at seadooforum.com where you can do a broader search and maybe find more archived detail. Best of luck!!!

 

[Scottintexas]

[USERGROUP=3]@Administrative[/USERGROUP] didn't get the notification again about the help signal, I'm going to reset it now,

 

[Sidarousmg]

If you had water in there it would have shot up on the air like a volcano spraying water like a manic geiser.

Try to start it now with the bypassed switch and the plugs back in. It just might start. Your pump clogged/overheat problem is not connected to the neutral switch. At least not in a way i can imagine. Sometimes things happen at the same time.

that's basically what it looked like. i've now cranked it a few more times and used compressed air to get as much water our. now when i crank, it's a consistent mist from each cylinder, so i'll assume that's fuel (since i can't shut the fuel pump off). put the plugs back in and it sounded like it almost fired, but then died again. my dilemma is: if i get most of the water out, but don't manage to start the engine today, will that do permanent damage to the cylinder? that scares me more than a faulty sensor at this point...

 

[Sidarousmg]

could the water have fouled the old spark plugs? should i try a new set?

 

[JetPowered]

Make sure the plugs are dry and clean. If you can get new plugs.

 

[Sidarousmg]

i do have a spare set of plugs, i was going to save them until i got it running, but i'll give them a shot now. thank you

 

[Sidarousmg]

SUCCESS!! i will add some tags at the bottom, in case anyone searching in the future runs in to the same issue. Engine is now running and emergency averted (i hope). i kept blowing compressed air in the engine and on the spark plugs. put them back in, primed the fuel pump a couple of times by inserting and removing the key, and cranked. Engine fired up. let it run for a few seconds, nothing sounded out of the ordinary hopefully this means no bent valves or broken rods). shut it off and tried it again for good measure, fired up on the first try. checked the oil via dipstick, and it looks good. will take it out to the lake tomorrow and run it through the paces (keeping my fingers crossed). as for the original reason i started this post, 4 beeps and no start: for a seadoo, apparently, 4 beeps are also used as a reminder that the key is in the ignition, so to speak. realized this when i left the key on the DESS post and ran into the house to get something, it started beeping more frequently) the 4 beeps i was getting was not due to the neutral safety switch (i believe in that case, the engine would simply not turn or crank). a little confusing if you ask me. anyways, thank you everyone for your help and recommendations, as a new boater, it just takes some confidence and a few suggestions to get the ball rolling.

4 beeps, neutral safety switch, seadoo water in engine, engine cranks but won't start,

 

[Sidarousmg]

We have some seadoo participation, but there is a larger community at seadooforum.com where you can do a broader search and maybe find more archived detail. Best of luck!!!

for some reason, i'm just now seeing this post. either way, i appreciate the help, my original post was very seadoo specific, but the at help post was mainly for the water in the engine, as i started to freak out a little bit.....also, this forum is the whole reason i got a boat to begin with, it's that awesom.......

 

[Beachbummer]

Generally if you don't tow at high speeds the water does not get in the engine, but maybe it did

I did not get from your first post that you had water in the engine from the earlier event. If that is the case I would recommend you run the boat in the water as soon as possible up to operating temperature to get any remaining moisture out of the wrong places. Run it like you stole it they say.

Glad it started!