Someone PLEASE help me!!!

mezz250x · Dec 1, 2010

Im about ready to pull this sled into a hole and bury it.

1996 XCR 440
I bought it this summer at a swap meet and it ran kinda crumy, i figured it was cause it was 80° outside. Well were getting snow around here now so i have been working on it getting it ready. The problem is that it has terribly weak spark when pulling it over. Ive gotten it to start twice and rode it for a couple minutes each time, it runs awesome. But it is nearly imposible to get started cause of its pathetic spark(it wont even ignite starting fluid).

So far i have replaced the plugs, coil/cdi unit, and stator. Also tried un-hooking the key switch and voltage regulator. Still has crap spark. Should i replace the regulator too?(I have a donor sled for electrical parts). Also if this matters when it is idleing it idles fine, but will not pick up rpm unless i feather the throttle with full choke. With the choke off it dies no matter what. Is this maybe related to weak spark?

Someone please help me out here im not sure what to check or do next. Thanks in advance!

guidoxpress · Dec 1, 2010

have you checked the plug wires for corrosion? or maybe they are loose...or could have loose/bad boots on the plus wires...

just a quick thought that i have seen before

mezz250x · Dec 1, 2010

The coil/cdi unit had that i replaced mine with had wires and caps on it. Everything looks clean. Its like something is taking power away from the stator or coil causing weak spark only when im pulling the rope cause of the low rpms we can pull a motor over at. Once its running the flywheel is spinning fast enough to make good spark or more spark to replace the energy that getting lost somewhere.

sevenhundo · Dec 1, 2010

Make sure the right plugs are in there ive run into this problem before very frustrating once i got it running it would run good but it would take along time to get running. When warm it would start and run alright. When cold it wouldnt start found out the previous owner put colder plugs, Changed plugs now runs like a champ. Something simple to check then go from there

mezz250x · Dec 2, 2010

I also ran into this problem on my txl. Thats the first thing i did. I've NGK BR7ES, 8, 9, and 8 and 9EYA's.

retiredpop · Dec 2, 2010

mezz250x said:
So far i have replaced the plugs, coil/cdi unit, and stator. Also tried un-hooking the key switch and voltage regulator. Still has crap spark. Should i replace the regulator too?

The voltage regulator has nothing to do with the ignition circuit. There are 2 separate sets of coils in the stator for ignition and lighting. The regulator is on the lighting circuit. Try unhooking the single black lead from the CDI module. It is where the ignition kill circuit hooks into. If you get good spark with it disconnected then you know something is partially grounding out that circuit. Check resistance with an ohmeter from the green to white on the stator. It should read 5.3 to 6.0 ohms. Also white to engine ground should be 0.0 ohms. Just as a matter of curiosity are the lights bright when the sled is running? If not it may be that you have a ground problem somewhere.

(I have a donor sled for electrical parts). Also if this matters when it is idleing it idles fine, but will not pick up rpm unless i feather the throttle with full choke. With the choke off it dies no matter what. Is this maybe related to weak spark?

Someone please help me out here im not sure what to check or do next. Thanks in advance!

This could be due to the weak spark or possibly carburetor related. Work on the spark problem first though and get it fixed.

jgd · Dec 2, 2010

Good post:face-icon-small-coo

retiredpop said:
The voltage regulator has nothing to do with the ignition circuit. There are 2 separate sets of coils in the stator for ignition and lighting. The regulator is on the lighting circuit. Try unhooking the single black lead from the CDI module. It is where the ignition kill circuit hooks into. If you get good spark with it disconnected then you know something is partially grounding out that circuit. Check resistance with an ohmeter from the green to white on the stator. It should read 5.3 to 6.0 ohms. Also white to engine ground should be 0.0 ohms. Just as a matter of curiosity are the lights bright when the sled is running? If not it may be that you have a ground problem somewhere.

This could be due to the weak spark or possibly carburetor related. Work on the spark problem first though and get it fixed.

mezz250x · Dec 2, 2010

Thanks for the reply retiree....the lights get brighter with more rpm up until around 5000, then the clutch engages and they stay bright, once the rpm drops below 5 they start to dim then.

Is it possible that my flywheel(or the magnets) are bad and i cant see that its bad with my eyes? I was gonna swap out the regulator and flywheel today, and now i will also check the wires that you said to look at.

Thanks again.

retiredpop · Dec 2, 2010

The lighting circuit seems to function normally so I would think the magnets on the flywheel are okay (same magnets for both functions).

mezz250x · Dec 2, 2010

Well i unplugged the black wire off the coil and that didn't change anything. I was gonna check the wires you told me about off the stator but i dont have a green wire anywhere. The wires i have from the stator are: brown/white, black/red, and white.

I tested them and get the following:
brown/white - white=open lead
brown/white - black/red=starts at 0 and after a couple seconds jumps up to around 160
black/red - white=open lead

Any more ideas? Snow is on the way im getting antsy

mezz250x · Dec 2, 2010

Also, white wire off the stator to the motor read 0.

retiredpop · Dec 2, 2010

I was going off the colors from a different year. I thought they should be compatible but I guess not. Anyway another wiring diagram I have shows a brn/w and blk/r as the ignition coil. It should read 164 ohms across them so you are good in that regard. I don't think it should start at 0 ohms though. Can you compare it to your spare stator?

mezz250x · Dec 2, 2010

I tries both stators i have. They both do the same thing between the blk/rd and brn/w wires.....at first contact reads 0 then it climbs to 161 ohms and stays there, takes 2 seconds for it to get there. Is that a bad thing that it jump right up to that point?

Just talked to local polaris dealer he told me to go but some non-resistor plug caps and try them cause he said it sounds like somehow i just have a weak ignition system.

danduvall · Dec 2, 2010

.do u have the plugs gapped properly,? Should be around. 025"

retiredpop · Dec 2, 2010

Well, if they both do it then I guess that is normal. It is almost like the meter has to charge a capacitor first but I don't see one on the schematic I have. If it ends up and stays at 160 ohms that is the most important thing.

mezz250x · Dec 2, 2010

Plugs are gapped at .028"

Retired..thats exactly what it acts like. I tried the non-resistor plugs and caps and that didnt change anything. I just dont get it. Once i get it to run it runs awesome, but getting to run is a pain. I dunno what to do look for anymore.

NapaMatt · Dec 2, 2010

Doesn't even sound like spark is the issue..

Sounds like something in the CARBS!!

i would start there..

Plugged JET!

my .02

NapaMatt · Dec 2, 2010

Do u get out all the old GAS..

and start with fresh?????????

mezz250x · Dec 2, 2010

The spark is really weak thats why it wont start i think. Once i get it running it runs great. It wont even ignite starting fluid. I also tried a different set of carbs off a 2007 sno pro 440 i had, didnt change anything. It has fresh gas in it too.

retiredpop · Dec 2, 2010

Maybe you should swap out the flywheel seeing as how nothing else has worked. Even if the timing was out of whack there should be good spark when pulling it over with plugs out so you can see the spark.

Someone PLEASE help me!!!

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