Sleds won't start - Snowmobile Forum: Your #1 Snowmobile Forum

lovethepowder · 03-06-2006, 01:46 PM

Yesterday my dad was riding the '97 zr 580 efi and he stopped to wait for the others to catch up. He left the snowmobile going and then he says it slowly started to idle down and then eventually shut off. He couldn't get it started again after that. He says it was running perfectly before that. I forgot to ask him but there is a good chance that he was breaking trail through the 15" of fresh snow that has recently fallen. Any ideas of what this could be?

And here's another problem. Our '98 ZL carb. won't start either. We used it for a week of snowmobiling without any problems other than the carb freezing up from going through too much powder. It has been sitting on the trailer for about 2 weeks with no tarp on it. When they tried to start it they couldnt get it to fire at all. They also said every once in a while after lots of pulling it would back fire but would not fire up. There is spark and they have changed the plugs. The cylinders are getting gas too(plugs are wet). They have tried holding it WOT too. Also, it has snowed over a foot in the last week which covered the sled pretty good. Any suggestions on what the problem is?

Thanks

**smallengineguy** · 03-06-2006, 03:32 PM

Water in the fuel/frozen carbs on the ZL.

lovethepowder · 03-06-2006, 06:33 PM

Yeah that's what I was thinking too that it was a frozen carb maybe. I'm lost about that zr though...I wonder if it overheated and shut it self off.

BRPforlife · 03-06-2006, 06:42 PM

If he was breaking trails through powder than it could be possible for snow to get under the hood and water might have gotten in something it should'nt have (ie. something with the injection).... Does it start now?

lovethepowder · 03-06-2006, 08:11 PM

The snowmobile is up at our lake, we didnt bring it back to town because the alternator on our truck blew up....it wasn't a good weekend lol. Should be going up there on Wednesday to try it out again and bring it back. Would checking the led light on the efi maybe tell us what is wrong with it? How do you even do that, do you just give it a pull and then look at the led light for the code it gives?

And does anyone know what each code it gives means?Thanks

lovethepowder · 03-06-2006, 11:51 PM

Just found out that he could start it on one cylinder but not both. Is it possible that snow that got under the hood could've frozen one of the injectors?

**RJ Gleason** · 03-07-2006, 01:00 AM

Check it after you can get it into a warm place. If you still have that problem, time for a compression check.

lovethepowder · 03-10-2006, 01:56 PM

well brought the zr to a shop to get it looked at....apparently the piston pins broke or something like that...cylinders are fine but the pistons have to be replaced, we just got them replaced like a month ago so they should be under warranty.....not sure why it would do that

BRPforlife · 03-10-2006, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by lovethepowder
well brought the zr to a shop to get it looked at....apparently the piston pins broke or something like that...cylinders are fine but the pistons have to be replaced, we just got them replaced like a month ago so they should be under warranty.....not sure why it would do that

The wrist pins?

lovethepowder · 03-11-2006, 01:09 AM

yeah i think that's what it was...i was just briefly told by my dad so i'm not exactly sure but that does sound right....such a let down since the pistons were just replaced this winter

BRPforlife · 03-11-2006, 06:38 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by lovethepowder
yeah i think that's what it was...i was just briefly told by my dad so i'm not exactly sure but that does sound right....such a let down since the pistons were just replaced this winter

That sucks, atleast it picked a good winter to do it!!!

letitsnow · 03-11-2006, 10:09 AM

never heard of wrist pins breaking, i would ask to see the broken parts, just to be sure. i think they would have to be faulty to do that.

lovethepowder · 03-12-2006, 09:04 PM

Yeah the mechanic that is fixing it said it is extremely rare that wrist pins break. Hopefully it's under warranty.