Need some advice and trouble shooting help from all the wrench heads....

[demolition_x]

sorry its kinda long, but in cliff notes (once its warmed up it seems to be misfiring / breaking up while on the gas, im a noob so help me out)

so super pumped today to head to the lake for the first run on my sj. whole way there i kept thinking to my self something is gonna happen. but i put that past me.


Put fresh premix in the tank, launched it. started her up and made sure water was coming from the pisser before i took off. well a few minutes in i lay on the throttle and it sounds like the engine is breaking up / misfiring. so i lay on it for a while and it doesn't go away. not running smooth like it was before.

so i have no idea what it could be, sounds more of an electrical problem more or less then something else. the plugs are brand new, the only thing i noticed was the caps were kinda loose, so i thought maybe the cap was jiggling loose while i was going. well when i got home i put it on the hose and held the caps down and still same ********.

the engine is all stock, the past history of the boat is kinda unknown.


so what would you guys check and what not, im kinda pissed about it cause i was looking to get a good ride in.

thanks for the help in advanced and reading this i know its kinda long.

 

[keefer]

Check for a bad plug cap or broken spark plug wires. If you have the stock plug caps that are non resistor then you should be able to measure about 4.5k ohms between the plug caps. If you have the NGK resistor caps then you will get about 14.5 to 15k ohms. If you get no reading then move / wiggle the caps / wires while on the meter. Some times you will get a temporary reading which indicates a bad wire or cap. If the wires are broken down near the coil, they can be replaced on a stock coil. I think Jet Ski Solutions offers that service. Good luck:biggrin:

 

[demolition_x]

yea thats what i thought, all i know is that they are red caps, no ngk markings. but the inside is like a spring coil dunno if that helps or not.


so i take the meter and measure from where to where? just to make sure i don't screw this up.

 

[keefer]

Red caps with spring looking wires are stock Yamaha. Set the meter to the 10 or 20k ohm range depending on your meters settings and measure between the caps. If you want to be safe, disconnect the battery before doing any electrical work.

 

[Big Kahuna]

you can remove the caps, cut the wires back 1/4", get some needle nose pliers, lightly tug on the wires, if some comes out, keep cutting back until the wires do not pull out.... you can got to most auto parts stores and pick up blug boots and crimp ends also....... or, PM Yamacat, she is selling MSD Plug caps for a good price.

 

[douglee25]

seriously, that is great advice. such a simple mod and such a common problem that is always overlooked! :sneaky:

We spent 4 weekends test and tuning my buddies ski with similar bogging or sputtering issues last summer. Turned out it was the plug wires at the cap portion. I've since moved that up to the top of the list when troubleshooting problems. Sometimes I'll do that first just be sure.

Def. good advice.

Doug

 

[DaUpJetSkier]

so on stock yamas, how do you take the cap off, pull and twist? I have a similar prob and plenty of wire to test and cut. How do you re-insert the cap on the wire?

 

[douglee25]

so on stock yamas, how do you take the cap off, pull and twist? I have a similar prob and plenty of wire to test and cut. How do you re-insert the cap on the wire?

Hold the wire firmly in your hand while loosening the cap off like a nut on a bolt. Lefty loosey, righty tighty. Cut the wire back till you can see good strands and then reattach.

Doug

 

[Idok]

you can remove the caps, cut the wires back 1/4", get some needle nose pliers, lightly tug on the wires, if some comes out, keep cutting back until the wires do not pull out.... you can got to most auto parts stores and pick up blug boots and crimp ends also....... or, PM Yamacat, she is selling MSD Plug caps for a good price.

hell yeah!


that should be the first thing ANYONE tries when a seemingly electrical problem arises.......

make sure the connectors from the s/s switch are zip tied up in the hull.....my boat a coupel of weeks ago was grouding out every time I took on water becuase those connectors had fallen in the bilge


you

 

[Idok]

you can remove the caps, cut the wires back 1/4", get some needle nose pliers, lightly tug on the wires, if some comes out, keep cutting back until the wires do not pull out.... you can got to most auto parts stores and pick up blug boots and crimp ends also....... or, PM Yamacat, she is selling MSD Plug caps for a good price.

hell yeah!


that should be the first thing ANYONE tries when a seemingly electrical problem arises.......

make sure the connectors from the s/s switch are zip tied up in the hull.....my boat a coupel of weeks ago was grouding out every time I took on water becuase those connectors had fallen in the bilge

 

[Idok]

seriously, that is great advice. such a simple mod and such a common problem that is always overlooked! :sneaky:

how many times have you been thru this:

"my boat's running like crap"

"trim your plug wires"

"its NOT the plug wires"

"so what is it???"

"dont know, but the plug wires are fine"


"dude, trim back your wires"

"its not the wires!"




1 week later, after the plug wires have been trimmed back...



"so, what was it......?"

"not sure, but I trimmed the plug wires back and BRRRRRAAAAAAAP!"



:biggrin:

 

[DaUpJetSkier]

im gonna do that right now seeing i dont work today

 

[SkiDaddy]

I just went through that, and my stator was fried. One of the wires was rubbed in half. Something to check.:sneaky:

 

[Big Kahuna]

Hold the wire firmly in your hand while loosening the cap off like a nut on a bolt. Lefty loosey, righty tighty. Cut the wire back till you can see good strands and then reattach.

Doug

That only works with KAWASAKI / NGK Plug Caps.

 

[Idok]

I just went through that, and my stator was fried. One of the wires was rubbed in half. Something to check.:sneaky:

who are you????????? :sneaky: :sneaky:

 

[DaUpJetSkier]

k well im frucked up, i pull each boot off, there was a lil hook around the end of the wire and I pulled it out trimmed each wire so now just a tip of wire is showing. Now..what do I do, I cant seem to hook the piece in and twist it down, theres like a spring in there. Need some help cuz I was gonna ride tonight and see how it was running. can anyone give me a better steo by step.

 

[douglee25]

That only works with KAWASAKI / NGK Plug Caps.

How are the Yamaha's then? I thought that's what I've done with all of them?

Doug

 

[Big Kahuna]

you remove the spring cap from the Plug Cap head, push the point through the wire, then insert the wire with the spring cap back inside the blug boot............ I have never done this, but that is what you would have to do.............. Run by a napa and just buy 2 boots and a few clips, you just strip the wires back about 1/2", fold back then put the crimp on and fold down the tabs, then slide into the boot, you can use windex to make it slide in better.........

 

[DaUpJetSkier]

well I got some sweet plastic waterproof NGK caps and new plugs so shoul dbe good to go, time to do some troubleshooting on the ski if it doesnt fix the prob. THanks

 

[Big Kahuna]

watch out for the plastic ones, they can crack from Vibrations, but if it works, then great..........