1989 Arctic Cat Cougar problems - Snowmobile Forum: Your #1 Snowmobile Forum

etripp111 · 10-11-2009, 12:35 PM

Hello

I have a problem with my 89 Cougar. I was having a difficult time getting it started. It kept flooding. I took the carbs off and cleaned them, replaced the old gas, and replaced the plugs.

After about 30 pulls I got it started. I ran it for about an hour on and off. Stopping it and starting it to make sure it was fixed. It ran great, until I choked it to stop it. I then tried to restart it, and nothing.

I left it sit for a couple of days. I tried to start it today and its back to the same problem as before I worked on it, it wants to start but doesn't. It then gets flooded.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

Eddie

**RJ Gleason** · 10-11-2009, 12:51 PM

Try not using the chokes at all and hold the throttle wide open.
When you shut it down, use the kill or key, not the choke.

etripp111 · 10-11-2009, 04:19 PM

OK, this is weird.

I thought I may be getting 'intermittent" spark. I just tried to start it again...it took about 30 pulls again...but it did start. The last time I had it running the spark plug on the left side looked brand new, like it wasn't firing, the one on the right had some carbon on it. Today I pulled the boot off the one on the LEFT and it began to stall.......so I popped it back on and it continued to run. I pulled the RIGHT one off and no change!

So I left it running and started to wiggle the wires from the CDI, it started to stall......ah ha...I was on to something, there is a short somewhere. I shut it down and removed the connection between the CDI and the coil, and firmly put it back together. Started it back up, wiggled the connection and it did not start to stall.

I saw that there are two leads going to the coil, so I assumed that one was for one plug and one was for the other....wrong! I disconnected one lead and it stalled.

So all that said, if the coil was bad could that explain the problem I have? Could one plug fire this time and then the other the next time I start the sled? Also could the coil be bad and only fire one plug or even intermittently?

Thanks for any help. You guys here are great. May God bless you.

Tripp

Blaine1 · 10-12-2009, 06:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by etripp111

OK, this is weird.

I thought I may be getting 'intermittent" spark. I just tried to start it again...it took about 30 pulls again...but it did start. The last time I had it running the spark plug on the left side looked brand new, like it wasn't firing, the one on the right had some carbon on it. Today I pulled the boot off the one on the LEFT and it began to stall.......so I popped it back on and it continued to run. I pulled the RIGHT one off and no change!

So I left it running and started to wiggle the wires from the CDI, it started to stall......ah ha...I was on to something, there is a short somewhere. I shut it down and removed the connection between the CDI and the coil, and firmly put it back together. Started it back up, wiggled the connection and it did not start to stall.

I saw that there are two leads going to the coil, so I assumed that one was for one plug and one was for the other....wrong! I disconnected one lead and it stalled.

So all that said, if the coil was bad could that explain the problem I have? Could one plug fire this time and then the other the next time I start the sled? Also could the coil be bad and only fire one plug or even intermittently?

Thanks for any help. You guys here are great. May God bless you.

Tripp

A bad coil could be the problem. Usually if one plug fires and the other doesn't it won't be intermitten back and forth. Make sure everything in the wire (connected to the plug not firing) is good. Make sure the plug cap has good connection with the plug wire. The plug cap screws into the plug wire. Make sure all eletrical connections are tight and have good connection. Sometimes when you have a bad coil you'll have bright blue spark on one plug and the other plug will be a duller yellowish color.

**kccats** · 10-12-2009, 09:36 AM

It's possible, usually it means weak power getting to the coil! It could be the stator? But first start by going threw each connection!

etripp111 · 10-12-2009, 07:23 PM

OK. I'm kinda new to this...then again not really...

The stator...would that be these magnets inside the flywheel that a guy at work told me about? I had a mouse living inside the space between the cylinder head and the plastic cover that directed air around the fins. The guy at work said the mouse, who was getting in through the cooling fan, could have damaged the magnets and/or the wiring inside the flywheel........

Is this possible? If so how do I fix/diagnosis the problem?

Also I am having trouble finding a coil for the year of sled I have. I have seen some for newer sleds that look identical, will they work? What is the difference?

Thanks

Tripp

Blaine1 · 10-12-2009, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by etripp111

OK. I'm kinda new to this...then again not really...

The stator...would that be these magnets inside the flywheel that a guy at work told me about? I had a mouse living inside the space between the cylinder head and the plastic cover that directed air around the fins. The guy at work said the mouse, who was getting in through the cooling fan, could have damaged the magnets and/or the wiring inside the flywheel........

Is this possible? If so how do I fix/diagnosis the problem?

Also I am having trouble finding a coil for the year of sled I have. I have seen some for newer sleds that look identical, will they work? What is the difference?

Thanks

Tripp

You asked the right man....

Stator testing out of a sled
YouTube - Stator Testing a 2 Stroke Stator

Stator testing in a sled:
YouTube - Stator Testing in a sled

Stator removal:
YouTube - Installing a Stator Pt.1 Removing it

Stator reinstall:
YouTube - Installing a Stator Pt.2 Putting Everything Back Together

etripp111 · 10-15-2009, 10:13 AM

OK...I got two used Arctic Cat coils...from different year than mine...

Mine is a 1989 500 and these came out of a 1992 440. Question: will they work? The connection is different, but I'm sure I could do a good job of splicing it in.....

Any thought?

Thanks

Tripp

Blaine1 · 10-15-2009, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by etripp111

OK...I got two used Arctic Cat coils...from different year than mine...

Mine is a 1989 500 and these came out of a 1992 440. Question: will they work? The connection is different, but I'm sure I could do a good job of splicing it in.....

Any thought?

Thanks

Tripp

Interesting question. All the coils do is amplify the voltage coming from the cdi box. I don't think that it will do any damage to your CDI as long as you have the plugs in and give the voltage a place to go. I know on many years of sleds they use the same coil part numbers. Try it and let us know what happens....