96' XP Beeps but won't turn over

[dalamar112]

Hello, I have been visiting the forums for about a year now but this is my first time posting. So the story goes:

My ski was running fine when I took it out last, when I took it out today however I get the normal 2 beeps when I connect the key to the DESS post but nothing when I press the start button. I have opened the electrical box at the front of the ski and the small one next to the battery in the back and cleaned all connections and checked all of the fuses. I read several posts that sounded similar but most were related to the challenger. In some of these posts people seemed to think that it was the starter. I saw several mentions of "jumping the starter silenoid" but I could not find instructions and I am a little leary to just experimentally ground stuff out in the ski. Any advice, instruction, or questions would be very welcome.

Thanks in advance,
Bill

 

[Chester]

In the rear electrical box, use a test light or volt meter and check for power on the solenoid post (that goes to the starter) when you press the start button.

Chester

 

[popasodatastie]

Voltage Regulator

ok to test the voltage regulator you will need a multimeter and turn it to the 12volt setting first test the power on the battery it should be around 12.6 volts. Next in you rear electrical box open the panel should have a selonid that attaches to the positive lead to the battery check the voltage it should be the same as the battery on one side. Next hit the start botton with the leads of the voltage meter red to regulator and black to ground or negitive post of battery. When the is attached the power on the other side of selonid should usually read 11.5 to 12.4 volts.

 

[Chester]

ok to test the voltage regulator you will need a multimeter and turn it to the 12volt setting first test the power on the battery it should be around 12.6 volts. Next in you rear electrical box open the panel should have a regulator that attaches to the positive lead to the battery check the voltage it should be the same as the battery on one side. Next hit the start botton with the leads of the voltage meter red to regulator and black to ground or negitive post of battery. When the is attached the power on the other side of regulator should usually read 11.5 to 12.4 volts.

The voltage regulator is in the front electrical box. A failed voltage regulator will not stop the engine from turning over.

Chester

 

[dalamar112]

Figured it out...

Thank you all for your replies. I got outside this morning with a volt meter and found the problem. I started with the test that you suggested and found that the voltage on the right post of the starter silenoid did not change when the start button was depressed. From there I used the manual to determine that the yellow wire with the red strip is the magic line from the start button through the MPEM and eventually to the silenoid. It made it through the MPEM fine (a little low 10.5) and the cable tested good all the way to the silenoid. When I removed the plug for this wire where it connected to the silenoid one of the connector pins for the silenoid was rusted so bad that it fell off with the plug. I am ordering a new silenoid and connector now. Thanks for all of your help, hopefully this post will help someone else in the future.
Bill