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HELP PLEASE - Grizzly won't crank and no spark

Goddo

Expert
Joined
Nov 4, 2006
Messages
415
Location
19 miles from Lewis Hills...Oh Ya.
Hey Everyone,

I been a lurker for a long time, but I decided its time to sign up.

I've read all the posts associated with my topic and haven't found anything to solve my problem Here is the problem(s):

I took my 01 Grizzly to a back yard mechanic to get the Needle and Seat replaced and some new brake lines put on.
He took the bike for a test ride and said when he got back to his shop she died.

Told me it was weak/no spark. After trying to fix it, he gave up on it, and now another mechanic friend of mine has it.

We started working on the spark problem and followed the service manual for the ignition system. After eliminating everything as per manual I purchased a CDI unit as I could not find one used.

We put the new CDI on and the problem was not solved.

In the process of checking the wiring on the bike a new problem has emerged. The bike will no longer crank. We can get the starter to turn over if we bring the yellow/black wire to ground with a jumper, but there must be a problem somewhere.

I suspect we have two problems now.
1. a problem in the Starting system preventing crank
2. a problem in the Ignition system causing no spark.

More details:

We tested the stator and it produces AC voltage, but we are not certain if its in spec. Also we have not tested it during crank to see if it is faulting to ground.

If anyone has experienced similar issues with a Grizzly, help would be appreciated. This bike has been out of commission for almost 2 monhts now. I could take it to the dealer, but they are busy too and I'll have to pay for them to repeat many of the tests we have already performed.

oh I now own a very pricey part that wasn't the issue, so much for the manual..
Thanks in advance.
 

try jumping the solenoid for the starter with the park brake on. if it cranks that way that means there is a problem with the saftey neutral switch.
 
I shouldn't need to jump the solenoid. If the Neutral switch is the problem, I should be able to put the bike in gear and start it with the park brake on.

The service manual says that its either OR...

Bike will crank if in Neutral

or

Rear Brake Switch is engaged.


__

We actually have the bike in Neutral (neutral light is on, neutral switch grounds the light, so switch should be good) and the park brake is locked engaging the rear brake switch.

___

Thats not to say there is not a problem between the neutral switch and the CDI. The wire t's off with one going back to the neutral light and the other going to the CDI. If the wire to the CDI had corrosion (for example) the CDI could be wrongfully interpreting the signal from the Neutral switch. However, it should still crank because the rear brake switch is engaged.

We have tested the inputs about a dozen times now and still cannot get crank unless we ground the Cut off relay directly.

If I didn't know better, I would guarentee that the CDI was gone, but I tried it on a 99 Grizzly (same service manual, different CDI part #) and it started the other bike perfectly.

I'm convinced that the CDI is preventing the grounding of the starting circuit either

a) based on the inputs --It doesn't think they are being satisifed
b) CDI has faulty ground wire and cannot ground the circuit because it is not grounded itself.

But once again we've tested all inputs and tested the ground and all appear to be perfect...I'm stumped.

We even went so far as to make sure the connectors were hitting the terminals in the CDI by tightening the connectors.

I can't even sleep at nights because I'm going through the wiring diagram in my head trying to figure out what we are missing.

Its a simple circuit, and we have completed all tests so unless we really do have a faulty CDI that in some freak of nature managed to start another bike, I don't know what to do.
 
start problem

I have the same problem. I have no Idea what the hell is going on, the bike just will not turn over, Iv'e tryed so many times I killed the battery (brand new interstate). Someone mentioned something about the nuturel switch or something ...what is that? I only ask because this has pretty much started after taking that bar off that controlls how you put it in gear. I have not been able to get it on correctly (the way it shifted before messing with it) And after reading this I am wondering if that has something to do with it. Also I have noticed a very fast clicking sound over and over coming from a little black thing that has the wires from the barttery connected to it when ever I try to start it. Please help !! I am at a lost I have not been able to get this thing started in a while now.
thanks you for any help!


05 grizz
 
with the bgike in neutral jump the starter solenoid with a good charge on the batt. if it starts the saftey neutral switch is disconnected or improperly adjusted. on my uncles 92 big bear the wire fell off for the neutral switch so the e start wouldnt work. had to jump the solenoid to start it untill i fixed it.
 
Maim:
How do I locate the starter solenoid so that I can jump it and also I do I locate the safty neutral switch? thanks for your help and your reply... :Rockon:

Blades.
 
Follow the cable from your starter back to the battery. It will be hooked to the solenoid. From there another wire will run back to the battery.
 
I got somewhat the same problem. It started after my manifold cracked. My bike started getting really hot, and when this would happened, the bike would try to start by herself(this happened many times, not just once). She would just roll the starter without me pushing the button, just the key turned on.
I thought the muffler was plugged so I cut it apart and cleaned it out, welded back together.
I went for a ride, got about 5 kms, when she just died,I same thing as if I just turned the key off. But the same time the temp light came on, so I just thought she was still getting hot, but I was keeping a eye on the light and it was not on just previous to this happening.
So anyway I got towed to our cabin, and tried again, let her cool off for about 2 hours, same thing just roll. Some times but herself and sometimes I had to push the button.
We checked to fire in the cabin and there was just a small quick spark when she started rolling. Not enough to get her to even make a attempt to start.
Towed her home, and tried again with the same result. I had the service manual so I printed off the section on "No spark/Intermittent Spark". Done everything it said, checking everything with a meter, and readings were within spec. The final thing it says is "Replace CDI".
I tried a cdi off a 98 the other day but it is a different part number and she would not give me anything off it. Plug back in mine and she will start rolling by herself. Plug in the other one and nothing. And I don't have the $250 to buy another yet. Looks like she will be parked for a while.
 
starts now!

Anyway just wanted you all to know that It is running fine now. I DRAINED ALL GAS OUT OF TANK AND CARB, put in a new plug, filled with fresh gas + some seafoam and runs great. In fact It has been running for a few weeks and I have taken her out on some hard runs and she a champ again. I don't know if eveyone else that is having problems is the same thing but the more I have asked around the more I am finding out that todays gas is so f-up that it does not take long to give problems. Now when I finish with my ride I just try to run it all the way down to "E" then add a little of seafoam with a gal of high oct gas until the next ride and so far it works great!

Blades!


P.S

DA BEARS! :Rockon:
 
Blades, consider yourself lucky. I am gonna bring mine to the dealer in a month or so hopefully, and let them work on it, if it is the cdi, its $450, stator 600, and god only knows what the other parts cost that it may be.
 
Brought my atv to dealer, they tried a new cdi, not the problem, then they decided to strip the bike and check all of the wiring, there were 7 wires burned together from the exhaust heat. My problem was solved after 11 hours service at $45 and hour.

I told my buddy who had similar problems, except his would not crank what so ever, he stripped his bike and found a wire was also grounding out. Fixed the wire and bike worked excellent ever since.

So take it from experience, start simple, and work to the more complicated stuff, so start with the wiring, and work from there!!
 
I had a similar problem, I could jump the solenoid and start mine but it wouldnt start with the button, I replaced a bunch of components per my dealer with no luck. got pi$$ed off and just wired in a differnt push button, but now i have a problem with my diff lok light blinking.
 


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