Ski-doo Formula III 700 (98) dying!

F

formula_iii

Member
I have a 98 fIII and it was fine no issues until today on a ride 25 miles in I got off trail and the snow was really deep had to go maybe 300 yards to get out of the snow and almost out of the deep stuff and sled dies! finally she starts back up ride about 5 miles dies again....Let set starts runs this time about 3 miles...this continues as I am about 12 miles from home and each time it dies it runs for less distance and dies again....It's almost like if I were to hit the kill switch....Plugs fine....spark good....fuel lines in tact and fuel running through them.... Pulls normal to start... Im thinking a fuel issue like the pump maybe? any help would be appreciated as I am leaving in two days to go up North! Obviously cant have sled dying every couple hundred yards....Thats the strange thing seems to run for less a time period? Please Help!
 
L

latner

Active member
Easy and cheap first. Since you were off in deep snow, it could be just a moisture issue. Top it off with fresh gas and let it sit and idle. If you can get it inside a heated garage even better. DESS light on?
 
L

latner

Active member
Get everything dried out including the DESS and it ~should~ fix your problem. I have the exact same sled and have had the same problem.
 
F

formula_iii

Member
latner said:
Get everything dried out including the DESS and it ~should~ fix your problem. I have the exact same sled and have had the same problem.
Click to expand...

Just called dealership and he says probably stator....says Im losing spark? I jiggled DESS when riding did not die! the dess light is barley on! 285 for stator 150 for labor!
He syas Im losing spark and then its coming back.....wants me to keep riding and see if the stator will go into failure mode....Im clueless on electrical....this make sense to you!
 
L

latner

Active member
I'm just talking from my own experience. Get everything dried out first and see what happens. It could be something else.
 
F

formula_iii

Member
I have another guy who thinks stator as well intermitnent (spark) working not working....but why fine and then all the sudden in deep snow and boom problem! they say I have to try to get it to fail and then see if spark?
 
W

whitedust

Well-known member
formula_iii said:
I have another guy who thinks stator as well intermitnent (spark) working not working....but why fine and then all the sudden in deep snow and boom problem! they say I have to try to get it to fail and then see if spark?
Click to expand...

Stator failure known problem with F3 700 or any of the doo triples in late 90s. Mine just would not start after bar lunch died where I parked it. As others said I would dry out your sled hope it is moiture in something other than stator. As far as riding to get your stator to fail is nuts you will be dead in that spot zero spark & you know what that means.
 
F

formula_iii

Member
So in gagrage.. thinking about starting letting idle... putting up on jack stand increasing throtle see if it dies and then testing for spark? sound like a plan?
 
M

machz05

New member
I will bet it is your stator! We had the exact same problem with my old sled (98 Formula III 700R) last winter doing the run, won't run, run, won't run. It had spark but wouldn't start, then finally no spark. We pulled the whole motor so we could check the wiring at the same time, beacause for some reason skidoo thought it was a good idea to bury the wires under the motor. We found no bare wires, replaced the stator and no problems since. This is not that hard of a job that took about 4 hours to do that included pulling the motor. The new stator was around $350, rebuilt was around $250. We bought new, for $100 figured why take the risk. Good Luck!!!
 
F

formula_iii

Member
dess light off idled fine for 30 minutes even reved up within that time ran great but a couple of times idled at about 1000 rpm's then rev up and ran about 2000 for 10 min then backed down to about 1000 but not right away...took about 10 minutes then down to 1000 after 30 minutes shut off now would not start!
 
F

formula_iii

Member
just took it to the tech to fix...but same thing started 1st pull ran sounded good turn off wont start but still spark? Hopefully he can figure it out running diagnostics on stator as I type!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top