I just checked my factory spec book, but it only shows up to 1993. The Formula plus x that year had the same 583 motor & used an ignition generator coil with both low speed and high speed windings (unique to that motor that year). I'm not sure if yours has the same setup, but the spec is 120-180 ohms on the low & 2.8-4.2 on the high. The lighting coil spec is very low - less than one ohm. Most likely if the coil is at fault, you'll get no reading at all. Hope this helps.

 

You can download a 97 manual here. https://www.dropbox.com/sh/48a8q5wc55gh6gz/S0uwKI8LNP This will get you the wire combos you need but not the ohms nor the voltages. It's a big file containing 3 manuals. Yours is Volume 2. It just says to use a Skidoo ignition tester. I might check ohms and voltages on your sled and compare them with the 98 numbers to see if you're in the ball park. The 98 manuals give you the numbers as tested with a multimeter.

Can't stress enough to check wiring, connections and switches first. 9 times out of 10, that's where the problem lies.

 

Disconnect the stator harness, put your Dvom on a/c, hook it to the ignition charge coils, and pull away. They should produce in excess of 18-20 vac. About the same or a bit less with the lighting coils. They are regulated, of course. It's a magneto, and as far as I know that system uses a/c for the ignition circuit. It's unregulated, and when the motor is spinning it likely produces as much as 50-70 vac for the primary circuit of the ignition coils. If you connect an ohmmeter between the leads they will show a resistance and continuity. Shouldn't show continuity to ground, iirc. But the voltage produced for the coils is everything. Best to get the manual, but if the have no or low output, it won't run. And the "Doo checking tool is likely just a Dvom.

 

Thanks a lot you guys! I will go out later on and see what I can find out.

 

My wiring diagram for a non dess 99 shows your lighting coil wires as 2 yellow, one may be yel/blk or a yellow connected to a yel/blk. The ohm reading across those for a 290 watt mag is 0.1-0.4 ohms. THe ignition charge coil is likely bk/red and red, and should be around 11.6-21.6 ohms. The ignition pickup wires are likely wh/yel and blk/yel. Should be about 190-300 ohms. I have no voltage outputs, but they should be about what I said. You won't likely get a voltage from the ign pick up, but the resistance reading and no continuity to gnd should verify it. Thes colours and reading were much the same for years, '99 670 HO excepted, when they all used a/c for the chassis and ign systems. My 2000 700 zx is the same. The stator output is the first thing I check now, on a non runner with an A/c system. There is no fuses or relays. If you have stator output with enough voltage to fire it, then go through the system. My .02

 

Yup. Checkout the 97 manual and you'll get the wiring combos and readings for the Doo ignition tester and I assume the same combos for your multi meter. You won't get the readings in volts and ohms you need working with a multi meter though...DVOM as some call it. So that's not much help unless you have the tester. Like I said, I might compare actual numbers with other known values from other sleds.

Here is an excerpt from the 97 manual. It reads like any other year when prioritizing potential ignition issues...plugs; wires; switches.

Ignition System Testing Sequence
When dealing with ignition problems, the following
items should be verified in this order.
Nippondenso
1. Spark occurrence/spark plug condition.
2. Electrical connections.
3. Engine stop/tether cord switches.
4. Ignition coil output.
5. Ignition module output.
6. Magneto output (ignition generator coil).

Half the stators that are replaced are just fine 'cause folks get knee jerk advice when they have no spark. "No spark, must be stator." The problem is usually the 14 year old connection that's dirty as hell has given up the ghost. Simply disconnecting a bad connection and reconnecting it will often times fix the situation which is what happens when we install a new component. Yup, fixed it. Must have been the stator. BS.

All that being said, it sounds like your lighting coil is not producing as well. Your stator has 2 coils. 1 for ignition and 1 for lighting. Both not working may say something. I still think it's connections or switches though. If your key switch is f*#@ed, you won't get a dim light while pulling.

Good luck either way.

 

Yup. Checkout the 97 manual and you'll get the wiring combos and readings for the Doo ignition tester and I assume the same combos for your multi meter. You won't get the readings in volts and ohms you need working with a multi meter though...DVOM as some call it. So that's not much help unless you have the tester. Like I said, I might compare actual numbers with other known values from other sleds.

Here is an excerpt from the 97 manual. It reads like any other year when prioritizing potential ignition issues...plugs; wires; switches.

Ignition System Testing Sequence
When dealing with ignition problems, the following
items should be verified in this order.
Nippondenso
1. Spark occurrence/spark plug condition.
2. Electrical connections.
3. Engine stop/tether cord switches.
4. Ignition coil output.
5. Ignition module output.
6. Magneto output (ignition generator coil).

Half the stators that are replaced are just fine 'cause folks get knee jerk advice when they have no spark. "No spark, must be stator." The problem is usually the 14 year old connection that's dirty as hell has given up the ghost. Simply disconnecting a bad connection and reconnecting it will often times fix the situation which is what happens when we install a new component. Yup, fixed it. Must have been the stator. BS.

All that being said, it sounds like your lighting coil is not producing as well. Your stator has 2 coils. 1 for ignition and 1 for lighting. Both not working may say something. I still think it's connections or switches though. If your key switch is f*#@ed, you won't get a dim light while pulling.

Good luck either way.

Thanks, I didn't realize that a multimeter wouldn't work with the numbers in the manual. That is a little depressing. It turns out that I do have spark but no matter what I do it will not even attempt to fire...Not a single sputter or pop. And the light won't light up at all despite the bulb being good and all connections being clean. My voltage readings were 2.0 volts from the rd and rd/bk wires (Ignition side) and 0.1 volts from the yw and yw (Lighting side)...I figured that meant the stator was bad but now IDK.

 

A multimeter is all you need. A digital volt ohmmeter. A $10 works fine. Just put it on a/c, 110 vac range or something like that. A magneto has no field circuit, it produces alternating current. If that's what you had it on and those are your readings, the stator is toast. If there is a spark, is it fat, blue and can jump a 1/4" gap?

 

Use the ohmmeter function to test the resistance like I said before. Set it on the Rx100 or scale or higher. A dvom is all any tech will use. There is no mystery meter that magically says its good or bad. It's Ohms Law. Volts A/C for stator output.

 

Try the easy stuff first. Disconnect the plug in at the back of the key. Disconnect the wires at the steering post to bypass the kill switch. If it is a non-DESS sled, unplug the plug going to the tether post. Check the spark plug wires and caps....I have seen several corroded inside the wire to plug cap resulting in no spark situation. I believe your sled still has the old plug caps you can unscrew, clip the end of the plug wire and screw the cap back on. Lastly, check any ground wire contacts. If that doesn't give you spark, then onto the coil and stator testing the guys gave you above.

 

Like mentioned, make sure you're testing for AC volts. I think you have a yellow/bk wire there that grounds out the ignition via key and/or kill switch. Make sure that's not shorted to ground somewhere. (Check for resistance to ground.) Like Codo says, cover all the small stuff. If you're doing this right and all else is well, then those numbers are off like ZX says.

 

My wiring diagram for a non dess 99 shows your lighting coil wires as 2 yellow, one may be yel/blk or a yellow connected to a yel/blk. The ohm reading across those for a 290 watt mag is 0.1-0.4 ohms. THe ignition charge coil is likely bk/red and red, and should be around 11.6-21.6 ohms. The ignition pickup wires are likely wh/yel and blk/yel. Should be about 190-300 ohms. I have no voltage outputs, but they should be about what I said. You won't likely get a voltage from the ign pick up, but the resistance reading and no continuity to gnd should verify it. Thes colours and reading were much the same for years, '99 670 HO excepted, when they all used a/c for the chassis and ign systems. My 2000 700 zx is the same. The stator output is the first thing I check now, on a non runner with an A/c system. There is no fuses or relays. If you have stator output with enough voltage to fire it, then go through the system. My .02

My wiring diagram for a non dess 99 shows your lighting coil wires as 2 yellow, one may be yel/blk or a yellow connected to a yel/blk. The ohm reading across those for a 290 watt mag is 0.1-0.4 ohms. THe ignition charge coil is likely bk/red and red, and should be around 11.6-21.6 ohms. The ignition pickup wires are likely wh/yel and blk/yel. Should be about 190-300 ohms. I have no voltage outputs, but they should be about what I said. You won't likely get a voltage from the ign pick up, but the resistance reading and no continuity to gnd should verify it. Thes colours and reading were much the same for years, '99 670 HO excepted, when they all used a/c for the chassis and ign systems. My 2000 700 zx is the same. The stator output is the first thing I check now, on a non runner with an A/c system. There is no fuses or relays. If you have stator output with enough voltage to fire it, then go through the system. My .02

Ok, The ignition charge coil ohms read 13.5 ohms and the lighting coil yellow/yellow wires read .7 ohms...My multimeter just died so these readings are off a new one. I am going to go back and retest the voltage readings I got and locate the ignition pickup wires and test them.

 

Try the easy stuff first. Disconnect the plug in at the back of the key. Disconnect the wires at the steering post to bypass the kill switch. If it is a non-DESS sled, unplug the plug going to the tether post. Check the spark plug wires and caps....I have seen several corroded inside the wire to plug cap resulting in no spark situation. I believe your sled still has the old plug caps you can unscrew, clip the end of the plug wire and screw the cap back on. Lastly, check any ground wire contacts. If that doesn't give you spark, then onto the coil and stator testing the guys gave you above.

I will check the plug wires to see if they unscrew and try to bypass as many of the switches as I can. I was wrong though I do have a spark, Not sure if it is enough but It does spark.

 

A multimeter is all you need. A digital volt ohmmeter. A $10 works fine. Just put it on a/c, 110 vac range or something like that. A magneto has no field circuit, it produces alternating current. If that's what you had it on and those are your readings, the stator is toast. If there is a spark, is it fat, blue and can jump a 1/4" gap?

It is blue, Somewhat fat but if it can make a 1/4 jump I am not sure. I will try to make it.

 

Ok, The spark can make a 1/2 - 3/4 jump from the plug to the block so the spark is actually strong. I retested the lighting coil (3.4 volts AC) and the ignition generator coil (15.1 volts AC).

 

I'm a complete moron. What I thought was gas soaked plugs is just oil soaked plugs...I'm getting no fuel. Tomorrow I'm going to track the bad connection in the lighting harness (since the voltage/ohms seem to be within spec) and see If I can figure out why it isn't getting gas.

I really appreciate all the help from you guys.

 

No self-deprecation required. We all have stories of mistakes and bungled diagnosis! Look what you know about testing stators now, and you haven't really spent anything.

 

No self-deprecation required. We all have stories of mistakes and bungled diagnosis! Look what you know about testing stators now, and you haven't really spent anything.

Oh I agree, I like learning this stuff because It makes the next time I have a similar issue go more smoothly. Once again I really appreciate all the help from everyone.