Electronic Problems 2002 Trail RMK 550

[Jon B]

I need some help and I dont know too much but dont have the money to have a professional fix it. I have a 2002 Trail RMK 550 fan cooled sled. It starts and runs great but I dont have any headlights, dashlights, highbeams. I do have one hand warmer. When the lights started going out they would flicker on and off but now nothing. I have about 26 VAC going into my regulator and when connected 12 VAC coming out. I have a plug that goes to my dash that has green, purple, purple/white, red/yellow, yellow, and brown. The brown is ground but I only have voltage on the solid yellow wire (12 VAC and 5 ish VDC). Then at the other end of that plug I dont have a steady voltage on any of those wires. Between the solid yellow and brown 2-3 VAC kind of flickers. I dont think I have a bad stator and I dont think I have a bad regulator. My ground on my regulator seems good. I think I have a bad ground maybe but I dont know for sure how to track it down? Any suggestions and thanks for the help.

 

[retiredpop]

The yellow wire is the main supply from the stator and supplies AC voltage to all lights, hand warmers and other accessories (even the tachometer gets it's feed from it). Any short circuit or partial short circuit to ground will give problems to all of those items. Inspect the wiring harness for places where it might have rubbed on something and bared the wires. A common trouble spot is where the wire for the tail light lays under the seat and rubs itself bare on the tunnel. If nothing visible then you have to start isolating where the problem is by disconnecting hand warmers, removing light bulbs etc. Using an ohmmeter is the best way to isolate where the fault is by having all the above disconnected. Disconnect the main wiring plug at the stator and then put your ohmmeter across yellow wire to brown. If everything is disconnected you should see no resistance. If you see some value of resistance flex the wring harness to see if that changes anything. Here is a wiring diagram for your sled.

 

[Jon B]

Thanks for your reply retiredpop. I still cant figure out the problem. I disconnected the plug going under the seat and no change. I hooked it back up. I have brake lights that work fine. My tachometer works. I have handwarmers. I dont have dash lights or any headlights.

I have a yellow wire with 12 VAC on it. It goes under my engine and green, purple, yellow, and yellow red wires come out. I still only have 12 VAC on the yellow. None of the others have voltage. A green and a brown wire go to my main headlight. I have nothing there but its because I dont have any thing on the green to begin with. How does the 12 VAC get from the 1 yellow to all the other wires that need power? I checked the resistances and they seem like they should. Thanks for the help

 

[retiredpop]

I suspect you may have a problem within the headlight dimmer switch. The yellow wire feeds the switch. If you are on high beam the voltage comes out of the switch on the yellow/red to the headlight. If you are on low beam the voltage comes out on the green to the headlamp. Seeing as how you have no voltage on either green or yellow/red the switch contacts are either corroded or damaged. Purple looks to be a lead that is used to light the low oil light on the dash if you run low on oil.