Wouldn't Start Question for the Cat gurus

EOREGON · Feb 17, 2019

Sled is a 2019 Alpha One 800, got stuck in a tree well with the sled nearly vertical nose up. The sled wouldn't start we had to dig a path and pull it up and out by hand. Once it was out it started second pull. Why would it do this? Sure would have been easier to get out if it would have started. Any ideas?

grahn · Feb 17, 2019

How mutch fuel in tank? When it's low that can happen. Heard a guy here in town who was playing around and was low on gas and the sled cut out when wheeling.

EOREGON · Feb 17, 2019

It was full of fuel, acted like it was flooded. Pulled the plugs, pulled it over 8-10 times put them back, still no fire.

ak · Feb 17, 2019

Had a no start yesterday it was the kill switch it was frozen.

goridedoo · Feb 17, 2019

Possibly bad throttle safety switch

Rixster · Feb 17, 2019

We had one in our group doing this every once in a while. just wouldn't start. turned out the bearing in the primary went bad and it would hang up every once in a while. so it was like trying to start it in gear.

EOREGON · Feb 17, 2019

I read that you can unplug the kill switch to bypass it. If it ever does this again I'll try that. Throttle safety switch? Maybe but I would think it wouldn't start working all the sudden once we got it out. Literally we pulled it out (which took about an hour and a half) it sat for maybe 5 min while everyone rested. First pull it popped which it wouldn't even try in the tree well. Second pull it started right up, ran the rest of the day just fine.

It was also pulling completely normal not like it was in gear. Really puzzled, going to call the dealer next week and quiz them a bit. It's an EFI motor, dang thing should start whether it's upside down and backwards or not.

kiliki · Feb 17, 2019

Right next to the coolant cap there's a plug for the kill switch and one for the throttle safety switch

EOREGON · Feb 17, 2019

So unplug them both and it will bypass them, is that correct?

slyrydr · Feb 17, 2019

yes....the tether plug is on the right side by the fuel tank access plate....the tss and kill switch are just over the coolant lid on the left side, and the plug for all the other stuff on the handlebars is also next to the coolant bottle, you can unplug them all to get it to start, but maybe have a hand on the key switch in case it should try to take off, i don't think i would undo all of them at the same time though, one side at a time....despite the hard work of getting it out of the tree well, at least you didn't have to drag it back, could have been ugly depending on factors....:face-icon-small-dis

sno*jet · Feb 17, 2019

so once level it popped, then fired up...sure sounds fuel related

turboless terry · Feb 17, 2019

Mine just did it in alpine. Wife tipped it while spinning around. We uprighted it. She fired it up and it blubbered out and died. Reminded me of the old days of skidoo aerobics. 3 people trading off and wouldn't start. Had spark. Pulled the fuel line by the pump and pulled the rope a couple times and air shot out of it and then fuel. Hooked it back up and fired on second pull. It had a half a tank but somehow got air locked. Guaranteed that is your problem. Also, the primary spring was broke.

summ8rmk · Feb 18, 2019

From my experience, A Bad Tss will not affect starting. It will limit rpm.
Mine started fine just couldn't get more than ~6k rpm until i unplugged it.

Suzzy-Q · Feb 18, 2019

summ8rmk said:
From my experience, A Bad Tss will not affect starting. It will limit rpm.
Mine started fine just couldn't get more than ~6k rpm until i unplugged it.

This is not correct, throttle safety switches are designed to kill spark, even though a faulty one may have caused you a limited rpm problem this is not the function of the switch, they are one of the reason sleds started to eliminate tethers, if there is no input force on the throttle lever but the throttle cables drawn out the throttle safety switch will not be engaged witch is integral in the loop for spark. On another note tethers are also problematic.

After a roll over or wipe out I often give my throttle lever a couple good smacks to make sure there’s no snow in there to mess up the function of the switch, I have pulled on my sled 8-10 times with no starting then smacked my throttle two three times sharply then started the sled 1-2 pulls after, more then once. And have had sleds not start at all until the throttle safety switch is disconnected.

kidwoo · Feb 18, 2019

Suzzy-Q said:
This is not correct, throttle safety switches are designed to kill spark, even though a faulty one may have caused you a limited rpm problem this is not the function of the switch, they are one of the reason sleds started to eliminate tethers, if there is no input force on the throttle lever but the throttle cables drawn out the throttle safety switch will not be engaged witch is integral in the loop for spark. On another note tethers are also problematic.

After a roll over or wipe out I often give my throttle lever a couple good smacks to make sure there’s no snow in there to mess up the function of the switch, I have pulled on my sled 8-10 times with no starting then smacked my throttle two three times sharply then started the sled 1-2 pulls after, more then once. And have had sleds not start at all until the throttle safety switch is disconnected.

I'm not sure if the function is different on the ascenders but I've definitely started an M-series with the TSS frozen off. Starts up but just won't go anywhere. That's about the time I started disconnecting them so beyond 2010 you may be right. :face-icon-small-hap

sno*jet · Feb 18, 2019

should idle, just won't move unless tss switch engages.

EOREGON · Feb 18, 2019

So talked to my dealer today who in turn called Cat, they thought air lock in the fuel system somehow just like Terry said above. Told me how to bleed it, hopefully it was a fluke. I really appreciate the help guys, I'll update anymore info that comes in.

turboless terry · Feb 18, 2019

How did they say to bleed it? We pressed the blue lock and pulled the line apart, where it goes to tank and pump, and pulled the rope a couple times hard.

goridedoo · Feb 18, 2019

Suzzy-Q said:
This is not correct, throttle safety switches are designed to kill spark, even though a faulty one may have caused you a limited rpm problem this is not the function of the switch, they are one of the reason sleds started to eliminate tethers, if there is no input force on the throttle lever but the throttle cables drawn out the throttle safety switch will not be engaged witch is integral in the loop for spark. On another note tethers are also problematic.

After a roll over or wipe out I often give my throttle lever a couple good smacks to make sure there’s no snow in there to mess up the function of the switch, I have pulled on my sled 8-10 times with no starting then smacked my throttle two three times sharply then started the sled 1-2 pulls after, more then once. And have had sleds not start at all until the throttle safety switch is disconnected.

Have had 2 NO START cats with bad TSS’s. Assumed they are designed so the sled doesnt get fuel rather than spark to prevent flooding, but don’t know.

JMCX · Feb 18, 2019

turboless terry said:
How did they say to bleed it? We pressed the blue lock and pulled the line apart, where it goes to tank and pump, and pulled the rope a couple times hard.

I had to do this after running out of gas.

Wouldn't Start Question for the Cat gurus

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