more troutbleshooting help?!?!?

[Quickstrike]

Hey guys I bought a 98 XC 700 this fall and had it out for the first time where i've run it for more then 15 minutes a couple days ago. It started on the first pull and ran perfectly for about 3 hours and then as i was going up a hill on the trail it just died. I could not get it started and noticed the plugs were fouled and i was not getting consistant spark. put new plugs in ripped it until it fired up again only to die again 100 yards down the trail. We could not get it started again and left to go get a strap to pull it back to the road, when we got back to tow it out it started on the first pull. someone told me my voltage regulator could be bad, any other suggestions? I have never owned a snowmobile before and am learning as i go, thanks for the help.

[Captain Ken]

I don't know your exact sled, but I'd go with bad ignition coil. Don't go throw yours out and buy new yet. Wait and see what the others say and then make a decision as to your tack.

Going up hills with trouble COULD mean a clutch problem BUT you could not start and had no spark etc etc, so that rules that pretty much out. Just as an aside, if it is a 98 and you have not had the clutch serviced, and you don't know when it was last done, might also be a good idea to have your mechanic take a gander at it. Pay him a little now to service it or ALOT when it blows up.

[Macgyver55]

As Ken said, coils will act up when warm if they are bad. That would be a nice inexpensive way out. Could also be as simple as plug wire ends, although its unlikely either would be bad at the same time. Check for worn or chafed wires rubbing and grounding out. Also try bypassing the kill switch, tether and ignition switch and testing for spark before buying any parts. Hopefully its not a bad CDI box or an ignition stator. They are not cheap and stators are a little more work to replace, but can display similar symptoms.

[Captain Ken]

That's a good point Mac makes about the bypass deal. Helps you figure out where the problem isn't and then you can look after that in the circuit. Helps eliminate whole parts of the sled from the equation. Remember once when I had first gotten my used sled, the main connector where all the various safety curcuits came together was corroded. Gave me LOTS o grief. When you eliminate that from the picture she purred pretty good. Only challenge then becomes which of the 5 miles of wire in the sled are bad or which connector is it

[Quickstrike]

i'm pretty sure it's not the clutch, i went up and down numerous hills in the three hours of riding. if there is an electrical problem, could that also be a reason the plugs were fouled? i initially thought she was just running too rich but the inconsistant spark also makes me think it could be electrical. thanks for your help guys and any more ideas would be great! I'll probally have someone check it out this week even though it seems to be running alright now. I just don't want to take the chance of getting stranded again.

[Captain Ken]

I don't think it is the clutch either.

You may have some trouble isolating this if it is intermittent. The fact that you totally shut down suggests there is a problem that definately needs to be attended to.

Start with the simple things like we both mentioned above and then work your way into the more complex and expensive.

The plugs could get fouled from some type of electrical problem because electrical contact is not an all or nothing deal. You could have had "weak spark" which would have been enough to keep you running OK, but in reality your plugs were not burning hot enough etc etc.

Something else to think about with regard to your plugs goes along with something a neurologist I trained with would always get us on. The patient would have all these symptoms and we (students) would all be trying to fit them all together to make one syndrome. Eventually he would say, "Every patient has a right to more than one disease or disorder at a time!" Soooo, maybe your plugs were just gunky and needed changed anyway? But then again, maybe not and fouled plugs were a symptom of whatever is going wrong. Just remember good ole' Dr. Vukovich's lesson as you are working this puzzle out. (Bet he never thought he'd be discussed on a fishing bulletin board! )

[HARPOON-OR-BUST]

I WOULD CHECK EVERYTHING THAT MAC JUST MENTIONED, HE IS RIGHT ON. START WITH THE COIL AND HOPE THATS IT THEN GO DOWN THE LIST OF THINGS HE MENTIONS. I WOULD OF SAID THE SAME THING.