92 sea doo sp with no spark

[junkyarddoggie]

92 sea doo sp 587 with no spark. I have the electrical box opened up, and with the red wire with the black stripe form the (mpem) disconnected I have great spark. All my switches check out good as well. This would lead to the mpem being bad right? I also am having an issue where it won't crank from the starter button you have to jump the solenoid. I have already replaced the solenoid with a brand new one,and still won't crank from the button. Any of this have to do with the mepm?

Thanks Mike

 

[Sportster-2001-951C-Stock]

92 sea doo sp 587 with no spark. I have the electrical box opened up, and with the red wire with the black stripe form the (mpem) disconnected I have great spark. All my switches check out good as well. This would lead to the mpem being bad right? I also am having an issue where it won't crank from the starter button you have to jump the solenoid. I have already replaced the solenoid with a brand new one,and still won't crank from the button. Any of this have to do with the mepm?

Thanks Mike

Pretty old ski there, I'm not sure exactly how those were wired but there may be some kind of issue with the lanyard safety interlock?

 

[68ragtop]

I had a couple of those skis. I would have to look up the colors in the schematic, but there should be a grounded wire that looks through the stop switch & then the lanyard & back the the MPEM. Basically loops through both switches & provides a If that loop is broken anywhere, you won't have spark. But, if memory serves me I don't think it will crank the starter either if thats the problem. Make sure the MPEM is grounded & that its getting 12V.

I look up the wiring & see if it comes back to me....

 

[junkyarddoggie]

All wiring connections are tight, and all three switches have continuity when tested with my meter. I even went a step further replacing the entire electrical box from another ski that was supposed to be in perfect shape and the same problem exists.

 

[68ragtop]

OK, just took a look.

If the engine cranks, the lanyard & stop switches are probably fine. You could verify this by holding in the stop switch & seeing if it will crank, & pull off the lanyard & see if it will crank. If it won't with either removed, those should be fine.

next, make sure the black wire from the MPEM is grounded & that the red/white has a constant 12V. then check to see if the black/white is connected to the wire that comes from the starter button. This wire gets a ground when you hit the start button & wakes up the MPEM. If you tap the start button, the mpem should energize you should be able to hear the relay turn off power after 30 seconds of tapping the start button & the purple wire should have 12V during that time.

The black/yel should see a ground while the lanyard is in place. this wire should plug into a black/white This is the same ground loop that goes through the lanyard & stop button, & also provides a ground to the start button & loops back to the start solenoid.

The yellow/red that goes to the solenoid should also have 12V on it at all times.

If all that checks out, & it still only has spark when the black/red is disconnected from the coil, I would lean towards a bad MPEM, but make sure everything else checks out first. There is a also a test procedure for the MPEM when everything is unplugged from it.

 

[Matt Braley]

Some of those old starter and/or lanyard switches are backwards. I mean that instead of connecting the loop it disconnects it when pressed. With two grey boxes tried, I suspect the button itself.

good write up 68!

 

[junkyarddoggie]

something to check tomorrow, thanks

 

[68ragtop]

Matts got it right. pushing the stop button on the bars breaks the ground, as well as pulling the lanyard does. I recall a member here had an intermittent connection on his stop button loop. His ski would just die while ridding. That would be a frustrating one to figure out..

 

[junkyarddoggie]

Hello guys

I retested all three switches and get cont. Yes the stop switch on the handle bar is an open and closed loop. When the button is pressed it opens the loop.

The grey box / electrical system that I swapped also had all the switches. I am back to the original grey box with a new starter solenoid installed. So I really don't think there is a switch problem at all.

The only way the engine will crank is to jump the solenoid posts. The only way it will spark and run is to disconnect the red with black stripe wire from the mpem and mentioned earlier.

So at this point I tested for voltage with my meter. I only get a constant 12 volts on the main solenoid post not on any other wires as 68ragtop mentioned. I also noticed that it was blowing fuses from one of the two fuse holders the 5 amp one, when the start switch is pressed. I hear no clicking of the relays as well. All grounds are connected and test good for cont.

 

[68ragtop]

Blowing the 5A fuse is not a good sign, but lets see.
The 5A fuse is what supplies power to the MPEM & its won't crank or spark without it. When you install a new 5A fuse does it blow as soon as you install it? If not, do you have 12V on the yellow/red wire that is on the coil side the solenoid? If you do, unplug the solid red wire that goes to the rectifier to take that out of the picture. Its only there to charge the battery anyway when the ski is running.

Assuming you have 12V on the yel/red wire, trace back the other wires connected to the opposite coil side of the solenoid coil. should be black/white. that wire connects to the start switch & splits to the MPEM. disconnect only the blk/white that goes to the mpem. With the other wire still connected to the start switch. Hit the start switch again & see if it cranks, or blow the fuse. report back & we'll go from there.

EDIT: can you post some clear pictures of the mpem area & the wires? maybe post a few picts so we can hopefully see all of them.

 

[68ragtop]

I don't want to get too far ahead here, but you can also disconnect the purple wire from the mpem. if you have an SP with no gauges, its probably only hooked up to the temperature buzzer.

 

[Matt Braley]

First class advice 68. Luckily for the OP those ole MPEM's have been hacked, duplicated, and now blanketed cheaply across the market. They are on fleebay but I think the Seadoosource guy makes them and they all seem to be around a hundred bucks.

 

[junkyarddoggie]

This brings me to another question about the mpem. I have seen many newer looking versions on e bay, brand new for around 120 bucks. However my mpem has the two huge relays on the top. The new replacements don't have that, just some fuses it looks like. Can I use one of these newer mpem's on my machine? The sellers says it will fit the 92 model.

I wish I could post the pictures I took. The system won't let me up load them. I resized them as small as I can go. I haven't figured that part out yet, ha ha.

I did the testing that 68 suggested this morning will post the results in just a min.

 

[Coastiejoe]

PM sent to you, send my your pics and I will get them posted.

 

[junkyarddoggie]

Well no luck on the pictures guys. There is a problem where my files save in JPG not jpg. That's the best I can tell on what's wrong.

I am starting to run out of fuses. I had to start using a 10 amp, and it still blows when you push the starter button. Dont worry I will buy some 5 amps once I get things figured out.

Still no power to the yellow and red wire. Disconnected those other wires as 68 suggested and still nothing.

 

[junkyarddoggie]

thanks coastiejoe

 

[Coastiejoe]

Here are the pics JunkYardDoggie wanted to post

I cropped them to save some space.

 

[68ragtop]

So are you saying that with a good, "non" blown fuse in place, & before you hit the start button, you don't have 12V on the yellow/red wire? Pull that wire off the solenoid so its connected to nothing & hit the start switch. Fuse still blow?

 

[68ragtop]

I think I see something I don't like....

On the solenoid, is that black/white wire on the same post as the yellow/red? Thats a problem,,,

 

[Coastiejoe]

What wires are where on the solenoid.

The two large posts should have the large red wires and one normally has another small red wire that feeds the MPEM (On the battery side).

On the small terminals one is the ground and one is the start wire from the push button.

 

[junkyarddoggie]

Talked to Carl and he said that the black and white wire was on the wrong solenoid terminal. Switched the wire to the other terminal and all switches are working. Machine is cranking over nice now with the start switch. But still no spark. I switched over to my other MPEM that I had, now it will start and run. Problem solved for now. Next I will have to get into the carb, since it dosen't want to idle.

Thanks to everyone especially Coastiejoe and 68 ragtop they went above and beyond to help.

JYD

 

[Coastiejoe]

Talked to Carl and he said that the black and white wire was on the wrong solenoid terminal. Switched the wire to the other terminal and all switches are working. Machine is cranking over nice now with the start switch. But still no spark. I switched over to my other MPEM that I had, now it will start and run. Problem solved for now. Next I will have to get into the carb, since it dosen't want to idle.

Thanks to everyone especially Coastiejoe and 68 ragtop they went above and beyond to help.

JYD

Glad you are up and running...

 

[junkyarddoggie]

Yea I just might have it in the water this up coming season.

 

[68ragtop]

Sounds like the used MPEM you bought was good after all. Thats great news! Like you said, I think the PO was messing with the wiring. Thats the joys of buying a non running ski. While your messing with the electrical, check that temperature buzzer we spoke about. Tap the start switch to enrgize the mpem for 20 seconds & then ground the wire hooked to the temp sensor between the spark plugs. Buzzer should scream. Those things are dead, more than they are working on the older skis. Unlike the 96 & up skis, the older ones never test cycle the buzzer. you'd hate to find out its not working after overheating...

If the carb have been sitting with old fuel, the slow speed jets are probably plugged up. can you keep it running with the choke?

SP, right? Just one carb I think on those?

 

[junkyarddoggie]

I'll have to check that temp sensor yes.

I was just outside messing with it. With a new set of plugs I got it started and it idled good with some hesitation on throttle. I don't want to run it for to long so I shut it down. It seems like it would clear right up, if you took it out on the lake and just get on it. That's what i'm hopeing for. Just one carb on this one.