Vector GT stalled and now there is nothing when I turn the key

[Kelsey]

I have a 2008 RS Vector GT

I pulled over to let 2 oncoming sleds by. The sled stalled and when I went to turn it back on again there was nothing. When I say nothing, I mean I turned the key and the only sound was the single click from on to off position. I tried numerous times, checked that the E-stop wasn't accidentally pressed, checked the battery.

I purchased this machine in October but since I live in the north, I had to ship it at my own cost and there is no warranty. I purchased it from a Suzuki dealer but they will not help me, neither will Yamaha.

I had to leave the sled out on the side of the trail overnight and tried it again the next morning with the same result. I had to have it towed home, where it currently rests. I have tried many times and always have the same result of hearing not a single thing. There are no codes that appear on the dash when attempting to start with the key. We don't really have anything to use to pull start it. We attempted to pull start it with rope but it would not start that way either.

The weather was in the -20's with a windchill in the -40's when it happened. This sled stays parked outside all the time with a snowmobile cover and the track/suspension lifted off the ground.

We pulled off the panels, air intake housing, and battery and checked the starter relay/solenoid. It was pretty green and corroded so we took it off and cleaned it up. I have ordered another one and it should hopefully arrive shortly. The connector plug that attaches to it had very corroded metal connector pieces so we soldered new connectors and shrink tube wrapped them and reassembled the sled. Nothing.

The battery was replaced a month ago and shows a full charge each time we test it.

This sled had always had a problem starting but we have always attempted to start it in cold weather and it is the first one we have owned since moving to the north. We assumed that we needed some heaters so we ordered an oil pan heater and moved it to being parked in a different location.

We have a volt meter and don't really know where to be testing.

I really would love to get my sled up and running! Any help is very much appreciated!! Thanks in advance

 

[Kelsey]

We have replaced the relay but still nothing

 

[4strokeluvr111]

I would send a PM to "Grizztracks" on this board. He is a whiz on these sleds!

Your starting problem could be associated with pilot jets that are slightly plugged. My 05 Vector starts at -25F without any problem.

 

[Paul]

Did you check the 20 amp fuse down by the battery? Had mine go out of the blue after a stop.

 

[maim]

Dumb question, is the kill switch up? On these sleds if the kill switch is down, there is no power at all to start the sled. You could try an jumper wire to bypass the kill switch where it plugs in. Might be a bad connection there as well.

 

[grizztracks]

Check the main fuse and ignition fuse. Turn the key on and jump across the starter relay with a heavy wire to see if it rolls over and possibly starts. If rolls but doesn't start you'll need to verify proper voltages on a couple wires. Here is a link for trouble shooting a Nytro which is a little different but procedure is similar.

http://www.ty4stroke.com/threads/starter-system-troubleshooting.105358/#post-931403

 

[Kelsey]

Did you check the 20 amp fuse down by the battery? Had mine go out of the blue after a stop.

We checked all the fuses that were identified in the manual and thought they were okay. We will definitely double check them (it would be a nice and simple fix).

 

[Kelsey]

Dumb question, is the kill switch up? On these sleds if the kill switch is down, there is no power at all to start the sled. You could try an jumper wire to bypass the kill switch where it plugs in. Might be a bad connection there as well.

The kill switch is in the proper position. We will try your suggestion with jumping to bypass the kill switch.

 

[Kelsey]

Hello all!

We ended up ordering a new ignition assembly because we could not think of what else it could be because there is voltage up until just before the ignition.

We replaced the ignition today.. and it attempted to turn over when we tried to start it!! Now, it is the dead of winter here in Churchill so I do not expect the machine to start due to this, especially since it has been sitting outside, not running for the last month.

We are still not getting any apparent power to the dashboard though and no lights of any sort. Any ideas as to why this may be?

 

[kviper]

Same thing happened to my friend's 07 Apex. Try pushing and pulling on the harness behind the primary clutch inside the frame, see if you get any response? If you do it's probably corroded ground blocks inside the harness.

 

[steiner]

We are still not getting any apparent power to the dashboard though and no lights of any sort. Any ideas as to why this may be?

Dash won't light up and the sled starts. You can jump the dash from the battery to the fuse to light it up. I think its a blue 15 amp fuse.

How was the connector from the harness to the ign switch? I have seen a couple of them that have had poor connections. Fixed a Nytro on the side of the trail with a no start. We could see evidence of arcing in the ign connector. Used a small screwdriver and bent the tab to get a better connection and away it went.

 

[Dr. FeeLGooD]

Recently happened to me. Wiggled the main harness side of ignition switch plug in and has been ok since.

 

[Kelsey]

UPDATE!

Today we went to start the sled and as soon as we went to turn the key on, it started cranking over but wouldn`t stop! We turned the key off, took it out, hit the kill switch but it still would not stop trying to crank over. My husband panicked and started pulling the panels off to unplug the ignition connector and broke his finger in the process when he hit his hand after the connectors came apart (we have just returned from the ER, luckily it was only a finger).

I don`t know where we stand with the machine at the moment. There was no corrosion visible whatsoever on the ignition itself nor the connectors which leaves me baffled.

We will try all the things you guys have suggested and will report back. We are completely determined to fix this machine and really, really want to use it, as we only were able to use it for the month of November and it is our only vehicle.

I appreciate all the help with this!

The only mechanic in town is away right now and has at least a month long backlog of vehicles to fix upon his return. We do not want to take our sled in to be repaired if at all avoidable.

 

[grizztracks]

I would normally say the contacts in the starter relay stuck together but you stated the relay was replaced. A continuity check needs to be done at the starter relay connector to check the key switch for proper operation and the relay itself to make sure the internal contacts didn't fuse together. I can help but a multimeter or at least a test light is needed to diagnose the problem.

 

[MrSled]

UPDATE!

Today we went to start the sled and as soon as we went to turn the key on, it started cranking over but wouldn`t stop! We turned the key off, took it out, hit the kill switch but it still would not stop trying to crank over. My husband panicked and started pulling the panels off to unplug the ignition connector and broke his finger in the process when he hit his hand after the connectors came apart (we have just returned from the ER, luckily it was only a finger).

I don`t know where we stand with the machine at the moment. There was no corrosion visible whatsoever on the ignition itself nor the connectors which leaves me baffled.

We will try all the things you guys have suggested and will report back. We are completely determined to fix this machine and really, really want to use it, as we only were able to use it for the month of November and it is our only vehicle.

I appreciate all the help with this!

The only mechanic in town is away right now and has at least a month long backlog of vehicles to fix upon his return. We do not want to take our sled in to be repaired if at all avoidable.

I have heard of this before... the solenoid or relay stuck on the starter..I think Rockmeister has a kit to prevent it from burning out the starter.