2006 VX110 Won't Crank

[Orlandoace]

Sorry if I am repeating what has been asked before, but I could not find this exact question... I am getting my vx110's ready for the first start of the season, and installed new batteries that are fully charged. When I go to hit the start button, I hear a little click and then nothing. If I hit the start button over and over, it sounds like I am making more progress toward starting and have even heard the starter motor turn over once, maybe one revolution. But mainly what happens is I hear a click, then a hum and then what appears to be the sound of an electrical discharge. It just appears that there is a short between the starter motor and the battery, which leaves me to believe that it's a solenoid, but don't know how I would verify this???

 

[Ernest T]

Re: 2006 VX110 Won't Crank

I know you said you put in a new battery, but the symptoms sound exactly like a bad battery. Before you try anything else, I'd pull a known working battery out of a vehicle and try that (don't jump start the ski). There is a starter relay (solenoid) inside the black electrical box on the ski. This is most likely what you hear click, but if the starter is turning over at all, the relay is probably OK. On older skis you could jump the relay (positive leads) to diagnose a bad relay, but I don't know if it is possible on the VX. You may have to swap out the relay.

Other potential problem that I have seen is a loose cable to the starter, or in some cases I've even seen the starter cable get chewed up by the drive shaft causing a short.

One last thought: Be sure you don't have something lodged in the pump (rope, etc.) that is preventing the ski from turning over.