2004 GTX 4-Tec DESS post

[soccerdad]

I feel a little weird posting on the 4-Tec side.... But I am helping a friend with a 4-Tec. It is a 2004 GTX. The ski starts and runs fine, then it just shuts off. No gauges no nothing. He messes with the key and eventually gets two beeps and it starts right up and runs again. He took it to the dealer so they could look for a loose wire or a short or something. They said all was good but reprogrammed the key (I believe the same key) to the ski and said it was good to go. It still has the same issue. Since nothing happens at all until he suddenly gets two beeps, I seems to me like a bad post or key. I read some DESS stuff but am still a little unclear on it all. I need to know some stuff so I can test the ski.

Questions:
1) If the key is bad, should the gauges still light up, or anything obvious happen when the key is installed?
2) Does this use the same post as a 96 2 stroke ski? I have an extra one here that I can test with.
3) if I put on one of my known good 2 stroke keys, should it light the gauges and give me a wrong key signal?
4) Does this sould like a post or key issue? Or something else? All that I know is that it has a new battery. I don't even have the ski yet.

Thanks!

 

[soccerdad]

OK, so some more information. The ski got here tonight. I put the key on and it did the double beep thing. Then I put on the learners key and it worked too. Then back to the other key. But this time nothing. So I tried the learners, and nothing. No beeps and no gauges. I did this several times and then noticed a faint buzzing sound from the hull. I took off the seat and the sound was coming from what I guess is the main module. If I got a key even close to the dess post, it would wake up the module and sounded kind of like a pump running. Then I actually put the key on again and the gauges jumped and I got the beeps. If I didn't remove the key, I got 4 beeps about 3 or 4 seconds later. Since it did it on both keys, would the post be the expected villain? Also as a note, sometimes I get a single longer beep when I first put on the key, then the 2 normal beeps shortly after that.

Again, I am a TOTAL newbie on the 4-tec skis so your help is really appreciated!

 

[soccerdad]

Man tough crowd on this side of the forum... So can anyone tell me if a longer beep first is kind of normal before the two beeps? And then are 4 quick beeps a few seconds later normal?

Thanks

 

[Coastiejoe]

1). Some skis will and some will not light up with the lanyard. My RXT will but my GTX must have the starter button hit first or it will not even see the lanyard.

2). I don't know if they are the same but I feel they are not as far as plug and play goes.

3). Again, not sure about the gauges but it will give you a long time I believe.

4). Sounds like a lanyard, DESS or connection issue for sure. Wrap black tape around the lanyard to make it fit tighter and see what happens.

 

[soccerdad]

Thanks Coastie-
I confirmed that one key is fresh and new and since both keys behave the same, I am leaning towards the post. So that is what I am going to buy. The owner said go for it knowing it is not a sure thing. I also verified the beeps by looking at the service manual (why the 4-tec and two strokes are in the same manual is beyond me-way too different). So I will report back after I get the post and have them water test it.

 

[Coastiejoe]

As a test you can put the lanyard on and tap the post with a screwdriver handle and see if it stutters or shuts off.