JDX FIRST RIDE!!!!

[JDT]

You are becoming more wise grasshopper.

Take 10 car batteries and hook them up in series. You will than have 120 Volts DC and you can hook up your trouble light.
Note that this has to be an old fashioned screw in bulb. If you have a floresecnt trouble lamp dc will not make it light up.
It will only let the smoke out of the ballast.

I bet if you were to borrow your little sister's tobaggan and take a walk around the block at night you could probably come up with 10 car batteries.

[Mr. Deere]

Funny you mention that as I do have a younger sister and a toboggan. Haha. Todd your an electrical engineer arnt you?

[Mr. Deere]

Troy I checked everything and here's what I found. I get 8 volts at brake lamp. About 3 or so at tail with a faint glow. If I squeeze brake too it gets brighter. When I shut lights off with brake depressed it goes really bright for a split second. Unplugged regulator and no difference! Even with brake on it didnt blow. Lighting coil tested good as well. I know when I first got this sled I had to flip switch a few times to get lights to work. Is it possible that my switch is grounding out?

[HoosierDeereMan]

I would try checking the light switch and the dimmer switch next then.

Troy

[Mr. Deere]

Alright. After I posted that I pulled the switch out and it was pretty corroded. Made a jumper wire and it still doesn't work. I get a nice bright blue electric spark when I make the connection tho. I also noticed the red wire that connects to the switch has continuity to ground. I traced it down to the white connector on the frame were the battery would go. I'm unsure if its supposed to be grounding out when the lights are on?

[JDT]

Sounds like you have found your problem Bob.

A short anywhere in the system will load down the coil and make the voltage drop.

Concider yourself lucky that you did not toast your coil.

Some common places to look for shorts that cause problems with the lights are....
the rear tailight socket, the small light sockets on the back of the guages, the wire harness under the seat, the wires on the dimmer switch where they rub on the moving parts of the steering post, the headlight harness where it flexes near the hood hinge.

And corroded connectors anywhere in the harness. Good lighting, an ohm meter and patience are your best assets when looking for bugs.

Sorry Bob I am not an electrical engingeer. I was formally trained as a electronics tech back in the 70's and have worked in related fields ever since. Funny thing they never taught us snowmobiles electrics in school even though the school was in MN.
Learned sleds at the school of hard knocks and have yet to receive a degree from that institute. Maybe becasue I am still learning.

"Never be afraid to tear it apart as it did not work anyway." That is my motto. The best way to learn how something works is to take it apart.

[Mr. Deere]

Thanks Todd! I agree I take everything apart! I used to take stuff apart everywhere! My parents hated bringing me to peoples houses as a kid Hahaha. I hate electrical problems .. Well looks like next warm day i'll have a nice project. At least it runs on its own unlike the other sled. Nice not having to keep pumping the throttle to keep it running. I will have to start checking and unplugging things. I cleaned the switch and the wires. Now I just have to find the short. Just to clarify none of the wires at the back of the switch should have continuity to ground right? Thanks!

[JDT]

If you unplug the three prong connector under the dash for the handlebar H/L switch you should read open on all three wires regardless of whether the switch is in hi or low.

The dash switch is a simple SPST toggle and is mounted to plastic so even if it was shorted it would still work. If it was mounted to metal(chassis ground) then you would have a problem.

Keep in mind that with a bulb in the socket you will read continuity as your meter will read through the filament.
Best way to check each section of the harness is when it is isolated (unplugged on each end).

Again I have seen many dual contact pigtail taillight sockets bad. These usually use 1157 bulbs. What happens is the wire insulation shrinks or pulls back exposing too much bare wire inside the socket where it is soldered to the tiny contact pins(s).
They test good without a bulb but when the bulb is inserted the base insulator under the bulb pushes back and forces the bared wire to contact the spring.
BINGO.. you got a short!!! And all the lights go out.....

or is that boom boom, out go the lights?

Another commom issue is the short pigtail that is riveted to the tunnel under the seat. The rivet rusts or becomes loose and you loose your ground for the rear lights.
This causes no brake or tailights or just very dim.

[Mr. Deere]

Alright Great! Thanks for all the info! Knowin the trouble area really helps! I'll report my findings when I get some free time!