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Yamaha VK Pro 2006 Dead Ignitor

Yamasaurus

Newbie
Joined
Jan 16, 2020
Messages
6
Age
72
Location
Pembroke Ontario
Country
Canada
Snowmobile
2006 Yamaha VK10L
Hello
I am a newbie to the forum. Here is my story of despair.
I bought my VK in 2015, roughly 4400km. In early 2016 the engine died at our camp. Would crank but not fire. After checking the easy usual items (I am a licenced auto, truck/coach mechanic), I took it to our local Yamaha dealer. They installed a new Ignitor. I don't think they did any other work or testing because the labour bill was too low (minimum charge). Worked fine for 4 more years.
Just before Christmas this year, I took a few rides around the house after completing preseason maintenance, worked fine, ready to go for when the grandkids showed up for the holidays.
It wouldn't fire on startup. I smelled gas, so went to change plugs and found the center coil burnt and lying on it's side. Upon replacing the coil, the engine would, but not fire. Codes ER-1, ER-2 came up on the annunciator. Yamaha said the Ignitor was burnt out. I have a Yamaha Service manual and followed the trouble matrix, and then some, all checked out. I replaced all the coils because the other 2 were outside the Yamaha resistance spec. I installed the new Ignitor ($1004 Cdn) and it cranked and fired. After the warmup lamp went out, I reved it to 5000 rpm to check the charging voltage (14.4V). On the return to idle, it slowly died, and never fired again. The annunciator give me the same burnt out codes. The total timeline for this Ignitor was about 5 minutes after the warmup, sled on a stand.
Has anyone ever had or heard of this kind of failures? I'm kind of gun shy to just throw another Ignitor at it at $1004 a pop if you know what I mean.
 

I'll also add that I have never, ever seen a stock ECU fail on any Yamaha machine as long as all correct components were used.
 
For example, if you go to RM stator site, they list the same coil as an option for either the 3 or 4 cylinder engine. Wrong. These cannot interchange.
 
For example, if you go to RM stator site, they list the same coil as an option for either the 3 or 4 cylinder engine. Wrong. These cannot interchange.
Hello
Thank you for the response.
2 of my coils are from RM Stator, 1 was from Royal Distributing. The coil from Royal was in spec resistance wise (primary and secondary). I bought aftermarket because Yamaha was $150 each. I guess I got burnt as well as my Ignitor. I have the machine loaded on my trailer to go to the local Yamaha dealer whenever they call.
I may have to part it out if the estimate is too high.
Thanks again
 
Any luck?
I'll say it again, if you are not using the exact proper Yamaha OEM spark plug coils you will fry ECU's.
They must be only for the three cylinder.
 
Hello
Thank you for the response.
2 of my coils are from RM Stator, 1 was from Royal Distributing. The coil from Royal was in spec resistance wise (primary and secondary). I bought aftermarket because Yamaha was $150 each. I guess I got burnt as well as my Ignitor. I have the machine loaded on my trailer to go to the local Yamaha dealer whenever they call.
I may have to part it out if the estimate is too high.
Thanks again
You should be able to find good used OEM parts.
Check ebay or any wrecker you may know of.
 
Check with Travis from Barn of Parts. he is on this site.
 
Check with Travis from Barn of Parts. he is on this site.

No luck 74Nitro. I'm in the queue for the Local dealer. I have been shopping on Ebay, nothing found. Checked a few local wreckers, nothing either. Do you know if there is any complications ordering from a wrecker in the US? (Customs, duty etc.)

I cut open the first burnt ECU. Once I got through the shell, the stink of Bakelite almost sickening. It was definitely burnt. A chip on the motherboard fell off from the heat.
 
No luck 74Nitro. I'm in the queue for the Local dealer. I have been shopping on Ebay, nothing found. Checked a few local wreckers, nothing either. Do you know if there is any complications ordering from a wrecker in the US? (Customs, duty etc.)

I cut open the first burnt ECU. Once I got through the shell, the stink of Bakelite almost sickening. It was definitely burnt. A chip on the motherboard fell off from the heat.
Try this number 519-740-2558
Also could try Gerry prosser, his number is 519-236-7299
 
No luck 74Nitro. I'm in the queue for the Local dealer. I have been shopping on Ebay, nothing found. Checked a few local wreckers, nothing either. Do you know if there is any complications ordering from a wrecker in the US? (Customs, duty etc.)

I cut open the first burnt ECU. Once I got through the shell, the stink of Bakelite almost sickening. It was definitely burnt. A chip on the motherboard fell off from the heat.
I've never had problems with US shipping, but ALWAYS have them sent mail, which in the US is USPS.
 
I had my 06 VK 10L to the Dealer to deal with my problem since I could not find it. They had the machine for a week before they called. The Yamaha rep (who they consulted) said I now need a complete wiring harness. So a harness, an ignitor, and 2 coils. Comes to $2200 CDN without labour and taxes. The kicker is they said if it dies on the stand too bad for me. So they don't have a root cause nailed down in my mind.
The machine has great longevity mechanical wise, but really sucks Electrically. In my 40 years as a multi licenced mechanic, I have never seen a more fragile system (whether cars, trucks, turbines, or ATV's). I checked for shorts in the harness with a high voltage ohmmeter (8.5V) and the positive side of all the wiring showed no indication of a short to ground, even in megaohms. I loaded the Ignitor grounds with 7 amps to check the quality of the grounds, all good.
The 2 RM stator coils were out of spec by .5 ohms, and that burnt the ignitor? My first replacement Ignitor burn was with OEM coils. 4 years on that one. The Yamaha dealer replaced the ignitor with no other parts (all good).
My gut feeling is the replacement ignitor(s) are (expensive) junk made with poor quality SCR's that cannot handle the load of ignition, the bag said Made in China (not Japan). In the old days of points, condensers and a coil, (a resistor to keep the points from burning) (nothing in theory has really changed) only a microprocessor tells the electronic components to ground the coil(s) and open to fire it. I am sure that the engine heat alone will move the resistance in those coils to the point they are outside the Yamaha spec, and a bad capacitor of poor quality would be like having a bad condenser in the old days.
I have the machine home now, not working of course. The local Yamaha dealer did not charge me for the diagnosis time for which I am grateful. I am retired and on a retirement income and looks like I will be forced to walk away from this one and snowmobiling. There is no other brand that is any better. A guy I know has an ECU burn on his BRP.
Thank you 74Nitro for your advice and input.
I am researching the possibility of a complete aftermarket ignition system, Companies like Electromotive etc. I've worked on auto powered airplane engines that have used their system for ignition and fuel management. They cater mostly to the race car market, but cover 2 and 4 stroke engines from 1 to 12 cylinders. If they can handle the snow environment maybe that's an option.
 
I had my 06 VK 10L to the Dealer to deal with my problem since I could not find it. They had the machine for a week before they called. The Yamaha rep (who they consulted) said I now need a complete wiring harness. So a harness, an ignitor, and 2 coils. Comes to $2200 CDN without labour and taxes. The kicker is they said if it dies on the stand too bad for me. So they don't have a root cause nailed down in my mind.
The machine has great longevity mechanical wise, but really sucks Electrically. In my 40 years as a multi licenced mechanic, I have never seen a more fragile system (whether cars, trucks, turbines, or ATV's). I checked for shorts in the harness with a high voltage ohmmeter (8.5V) and the positive side of all the wiring showed no indication of a short to ground, even in megaohms. I loaded the Ignitor grounds with 7 amps to check the quality of the grounds, all good.
The 2 RM stator coils were out of spec by .5 ohms, and that burnt the ignitor? My first replacement Ignitor burn was with OEM coils. 4 years on that one. The Yamaha dealer replaced the ignitor with no other parts (all good).
My gut feeling is the replacement ignitor(s) are (expensive) junk made with poor quality SCR's that cannot handle the load of ignition, the bag said Made in China (not Japan). In the old days of points, condensers and a coil, (a resistor to keep the points from burning) (nothing in theory has really changed) only a microprocessor tells the electronic components to ground the coil(s) and open to fire it. I am sure that the engine heat alone will move the resistance in those coils to the point they are outside the Yamaha spec, and a bad capacitor of poor quality would be like having a bad condenser in the old days.
I have the machine home now, not working of course. The local Yamaha dealer did not charge me for the diagnosis time for which I am grateful. I am retired and on a retirement income and looks like I will be forced to walk away from this one and snowmobiling. There is no other brand that is any better. A guy I know has an ECU burn on his BRP.
Thank you 74Nitro for your advice and input.
I am researching the possibility of a complete aftermarket ignition system, Companies like Electromotive etc. I've worked on auto powered airplane engines that have used their system for ignition and fuel management. They cater mostly to the race car market, but cover 2 and 4 stroke engines from 1 to 12 cylinders. If they can handle the snow environment maybe that's an option.
If your igniter is the same as the Vector, then I know where there is one and oem coils.
This problem all began with using non-oem coils and/or 4 cylinder coils. Not really your fault, just bad luck, I mean who would have thought using the wrong coils would fry an ecu....? I know I wouldn't have, until I experienced it first hand.
Forget about ohm testing these coils - it's useless.
Your harness is not the problem, the Yamaha rep is wrong.
Good luck Yamasaurus!
 
Thanks 74Nitro.
The coils are the same as the 06 Vector, but the ignitor is different. Same base number, but the prefix is different and so is the suffix. Maybe the ignitor will work for the ignition but the other tasks of the ignitor is probably the difference in part numbers (I'm guessing of course). I'll post again if I find a used but first issue Ignitor (not a Chinese replacement if there is such a thing still living).
 
I say good luck Yamasaurus also. I was little bummed for you when I saw your post last night but the issues you are dealing with are way above my pay grade. Sure hope you get it sorted out.
 


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