95 XP800 Electrical Gremlin Mystery?

[MPower]

Hey all, have a bit of electrical issue I am trying to figure out where to start with.

Symptom started out as just the battery light on the info gauge would come, but not constant, it was erratic. May be on one day but not the other or may be on during just certain throttle inputs (full throttle vs idling). Ski starts easy with no issue, battery is good. This went on for a full season and I just ignored it as being a wonky 25 year old gauge.

A couple times during the season the ski would not start after stopping during the middle of a ride. No power at all, no info lights, no beeps, no juice to the starter. No power at all to the ski. I sit and wait, jiggle any wires, etc and eventually the ski would get power and fire right up and have no further issues...

The most recent symptom was out running WOT and the ski lost all power, electronics and motor completely shut off like pulling the lanyard. But it would fire right back up. However, if I gave it anything over 1/8 throttle (just over idle) it would shut off again. But each time it would fire back up no problem. At this point it was the end of the season so I limped it home and threw it in the garage for winter.

This season, got it out and it fired right up, idle good, revs perfect on the trailer, battery light on the info gauge is still acting erratic. Drop it in the water andright away I can tell something just doesn't seem right. Seems like it wants to die but it doesn't and as I give it throttle I hear a 2-3 pings/popping coming from what I believe to be the front of the motor around the mag cover/stator. Then that stopped and it seemed to be running okay for a quick 60 second rip but I decided to throw it back in the garage and just ride my other ski until I figure out what is going on with this electrical issue.

I did notice one of the plugs looked like it had alot of unburnt fuel/oil, but I am not expert on that.

This one has me stumped as it seems it could be a laundry list of things:

-Bad connection/corrosion some where
-Bad ground
-CDI/MPEM
-Ignition coil (probably since the ski is losing all power, not just spark?)
-Broken pickup bracket in the front housing (I have read some threads that discuss this issue and similar symptoms I am having)


Appreciate any ideas and advice!

 

[JeremyD615]

I would check both the grounds and the dess post... Sometimes the dess key will lose communication with the MPEM and it will cause intermittent problems like that. A bad pickup coil or ignition coil wouldn’t kill all power to the ski the way you’re describing...

 

[MPower]

I would check both the grounds and the dess post... Sometimes the dess key will lose communication with the MPEM and it will cause intermittent problems like that. A bad pickup coil or ignition coil wouldn’t kill all power to the ski the way you’re describing...

Thanks for the reply. I have thought about the DESS post as well and well check that out.

What about the battery light? Could be 2 separate issues but something tells me the 2 are linked.

 

[Ckrawiec]

Not for nothing....I am attaching a dissertation I wrote about chasing a 12V problem through my ski. I also fixed a carb problem and now with both issues addressed...the ski ('96 GTX) is a beast,, starts easy, runs stronger than ever. For what it's worth....won't cost you anything (or much more than some time) really to run through the ski like I did.

 

[Ckrawiec]

ALSO....OH seadoo forums gods....I was driving into work this morning and it hit me.....while chasing that 12V problem through the ski...I realized something, at least I think it makes sense....The Red/purple wire (my color) from the 6 pin connection on top of the REAR electric box MUST have a 12 V signal on the wire AFTER you connect the DESS key (to activate the starter solenoid) so battery voltage can flow through the solenoid to the starter when you push the Start/Stop button....RIGHT?! Once the ski starts, and if the rectifier and stator are doing their things and assuming the ECM is also playing nice (which we would assume if the ski actually does start), THEN the higher DC voltage (+/- 14.4 V DC) on the Red/purple from the rectifier keeps the battery topped off. Is this proper thinking?

 

[MPower]

Not for nothing....I am attaching a dissertation I wrote about chasing a 12V problem through my ski. I also fixed a carb problem and now with both issues addressed...the ski ('96 GTX) is a beast,, starts easy, runs stronger than ever. For what it's worth....won't cost you anything (or much more than some time) really to run through the ski like I did.

This is awesome! Thank you sir.

I'll run through it when next week when I am back at the lake

 

[MPower]

I just wanted to update this post for anyone that comes across it with the same issue.

I tested all the electronics as outlined in the manual and everything passed from what I could tell. So from there I just decided to de-pin every single connector in the wiring harness. I cleaned every single pin in the ski with baking soda and added more dielectric grease. Hooked everything back up and the battery light went away as well as all the symptoms I was experiencing. Been running the ski for a couple of months now and have had no issues. The culprit was power and ground wires from the rear electrical box that had ever so slight corrosion on the terminals that wasnt visible unless you de-pinned.

 

[NickCawks]

I was gonna ask what you have done to search for the issue.

Glad it worked out though. that was the likely culprit in my mind. a lot of time the wires get corroded inside the wire shielding and the wires can look and feel perfectly fine but until you cut the casing away you will not see that there is actually an issue.