Engine Electrical System Troubleshooting - Arctic Cat Cougar Service Manual

TROUBLESHOOTING
ENGINE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
TROUBLESHOOTING
All models are equipped with a capacitor dis-
charge ignition system. This section describes
complete ignition and charging system trou-
bleshooting.
This solid state system uses no contact breaker
points or other moving parts. Because of the
solid state design, problems with the capacitor
discharge system are relatively few. Problems are
usually limited to no spark. In some instances, a
lack of spark may be intermittent and occur only
when the engine is subjected to certain tempera-
tures, loads or vibrations. It is often easier to find
the cause of no spark than those with intermittent
problems. If the ignition has no spark, first check
for broken or damaged wires.
General troubleshooting procedures are pro-
vided in Figure 2.
Test Equipment
Complete testing of the engine ignition and
electrical system will require an Electro Special-
ties Model lL, Arctco Ignition Analyzer (part
No. 0644-052), or similar tester. You can pur-
chase the Arctco Ignition Analyzer and the nec-
essary attaching cable through Arctic Cat
dealers. Information and instructions for use are
included with the tester. You can perform basic
testing of the electrical system with an accurate.
ohmmeter and voltmeter.
If you do not have access to the special tester
shown in
Figure 3 or 4, you can use visual
inspection and an ohmmeter to pinpoint electri-
cal problems caused by dirty or damaged con-
nectors, faulty or damaged wiring or electrical
components that may have cracked or broken. If
basic checks fail to locate the problem, take your
snowmobile to an Arctic Cat dealership and have
them troubleshoot the electrical system.
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Precautions
Certain measures must be taken to protect the
capacitor discharge system. Instantaneous dam-
age to semiconductors in the system will occur
if the following is not observed:
1. Do not crank the engine if the CDI unit is not
grounded to the engine.
2. Do not touch or disconnect any ignition com-
ponents when the engine is running or while the
battery cables are connected.
3. Keep all connections between the various
units clean and tight. Be sure that the wiring
connectors are pushed together firmly.
Troubleshooting Preparation
NOTE
To test the wiring harness for poor con-
nections in Step 1, bend the molded rub-
ber connector while checking each wire
for resistance.
Refer to the wiring diagram for your model at
the end of this book when performing the follow-
mg:
1. Check the wiring harness for visible signs of
damage.
2. Make sure all of the connectors are properly
connected as follows:
NOTE
Never pull on the electrical wires when
separating an electrical connector. Pull
only on the plastic housing of the con-
nector. See Figure 5.
a. Disconnect each electrical connector in the
ignition circuit. Check for bent or damaged
male connector pins
(Figure 6). A bent pin
will not connect properly and will cause an
open circuit.
b. Check each female connector end. Make
sure the metal connector at the end of each
wire (Figure 7) is pushed all the way into
the plastic connector. If not, use a small,