What if your starter turns but the ski won’t go?
Do you hear a very distinct, and very annoying, weeeeennnnnngggggeeee weeeeeeennnnnnnngggggggeeee sound when trying to start your ski?
Time to take a look at the Bendix.
What Is A Bendix?
The bendix is the gear that connects your starter to your your flywheel. This gear engages the flywheel when starting your motor and disengages the flywheel when turning the engine off.
Your 4 wheel ride has the bendix as part of the starter. Just to keep things interesting, this is not the case on a jet ski. It is a separate part.
What Would Make Me Think The Bendix is Bad?
Before anything else, CHECK YOUR BATTERY. A weak or dying battery is the culprit in almost all jet ski starting issues.
Check your connections for loose or corroded wires and connectors.
When you start your ski does the starter spin but the motor not engage?
The most tell tale sign is the whining sound made when starting. Weeeeennnnnngggggeeee weeeeeeennnnnnnngggggggggeeee.
If all of above are true….. Time to take a look at your bendix. Look for shavings inside the flywheel cover and check the bendix for cracks, chips, or missing teeth. Does the bendix spin? Most often a bad bendix is caused by gunk or grime accumulating and making the internal parts and/or spring stick.
