2003 Ski Nautique 196 Project

[SilentSeven]

....tracing all of those wires under the dash also lead me to a blown fuse in the horn circuit. This Nautique now has a working horn, which is kind of rare for one this old!

....Hey Jeff, can you talk more to this? My horn is dead and I can't seem to figure out what's wrong. This sounds like a solid lead. I poked around on the problem last year but didn't get out the meter any really try to trace. When I hit the keypad horn button...I don't hear any clicking in the PCM. Looks like the PCM breaker is ok. Horn used to work. Is there a PCM in a 2003 SE?

[NautiqueJeff]

Since this boat is a Signature Edition (no gateway box, manual rocker switches for everything), there are two small fuse boxes under the dash on this boat that I do not believe exist on Limited Edition or Team Edition boats. I could possibly be wrong about that, but I have never noticed them on those boats before. Anyway, I checked every single fuse in those boxes while trying to troubleshoot the no crank issue. When I found one 10-amp blown, I was very hopeful that that would solve my no crank issue. It didn't, obviously. I knew the horn hadn't worked before though, so i tried it after replacing that fuse, and sure enough, it worked.

[SilentSeven]

Drat. Sounds like there are significant wiring differences between the SE and the LE/Team boats. Thanks however for the insights!

[NautiqueJeff]

Well, the water test showed some additional attention needs.

The boat is back up on the trailer. I'll be replacing some leaky hoses, and addressing the no crank issue that has unfortunately returned. I'll get it figured out though!

[Scooter G]

Hey Jeff, just out of curiousity, do you have fuel pump prime now since you cleaned up the wire, or is it back to the no pump no crank status?

[NautiqueJeff]

Same deal -- no prime, no crank.

I hope new relays fix it. They just got delivered, so I will try those this afternoon.

[Scooter G]

Love electrical minions, not so much. It's always the last place you check.
I had '03 that would do an intermittent no start, drove me crazy for half of a Summer. It would always start, eventually, on it's own terms.
I finally had my Wife hold the key in the start positon while I tapped, rattled, and squeezed any & everything electrical. Turned out to be a bad factory splice on one wire in the main wire loom at the front of the engine. With my head over the engine I jumped about 3 feet in the air when I grabbed the loom and it fired up. My wife thought that was pretty funny, "You mock my pain Princess".

I'll cast my vote for the new relay, good luck.

[NautiqueJeff]

Relays arrived today......but.......they sent the wrong relays!!

Waiting for the right ones to arrive now.

[bionaraq]

I know the 1996 system is probably different but we fought this for a season with my Fil's Body Glove SN. turned out to be the relays ON the computer at the back of the 351. there are two and one had failed but barely. So it'd start sometimes, and others it was fine.

[NautiqueJeff]

Ok, electrical issues fixed once and for all!

After more diagnosis, there was a HUGE voltage drop between the battery and the engine. The battery cables got all new ends (even though the originals looked fine), and now there is zero voltage drop. No more issues!

I am also going to put a new starter on it, just because the original seems to be getting a little tired. I don't want the starter failing on the new owner!

[NautiqueJeff]

Got the new trailer guide pads and the tie-downs for the trailer as well.

[MN Ryan]

I think I need some of those guide pads.

[NautiqueJeff]

MN Ryan

https://nautiqueparts.com/trailer-gu...old-as-a-pair/

[MN Ryan]

Already looked, Jeff! I just need the snow to melt so I can bring her out if hibernation for measurements.

[NautiqueJeff]

I have been delaying delivery of this boat to the new owner because I was working on a special project, and I wanted him to have the first one.

I have recreated the carpet runner / floor mat that Nautique offered in the early-2000's. This piece protects the main carpet, and looks nice too.

It seems to fit this boat perfectly. I hope the new owner likes it! I have already started on a second one for the 2002 Ski Nautique that I am working on.

For more information on this carpet runner project, see this thread.