DESS Problems on XP800 154

[Trinity Taz]

Went out for a quick ride today, climbed to the top of a peak and shut the sled off. I go to start the sled again and it shows a DESS fault, won't get over 3000 RPM. Now I'm thinking, "okay, Ive seen this a thousand times...just wiggle the cap and it will clear". Didn't work. Wiggle it again, nothing! Ten minutes later of fiddling I finally think of wetting the inside of the cap to improve the connection....
This time it works! I rode it straight home and shut it off.
Apparently, my lucky streak had run out and now it won't run again.


Anyone else have this happen?

 

[jusgivner]

yup, same problem, no solution yet damn holidays!

 

[WhistlerCowboy]

Try a little Dialetric grease.

 

[1oldfart]

I have had the same symptoms several times on my 04 and 07. Last year my 07 failed completly and required a tow out. Needed to get a new dess key programed. The dealer advised me that they don't see a lot of these failures (BS), but wise to carry a spare (no sh*t). There is no work around or means to jump the dess key, so when it fails your out of luck. This is a serious problem, particularily when you ride off the beaten track in the mountain states, having a disabled sled in steep/deep terrain is no fun.

Skidoo's many reliability issues over the last several years (clutching, chains and chain cases, starter recoils, bad rings, and belt wear, to name a few, will eventually cost them market share.

 

[Trinity Taz]

Okay, heres what I did to make it work.
Last night, I took off the cap and sprayed 3M general purpose adhesive on the inside to coat everything metallic. I let it dry and then I scraped off only the three contact points, the chip section and the two side bars that clip on the steel ring on the male receiver.
-My assumption is that the cap must be getting a false ground-interrupted reading. Apparently it was, because it worked.

I suppose that the same could be done with dialectric grease, but I don't know for sure. When I take in the sled for the handwarmer fix I'll get the DESS cap replaced also.

Hope this helps someone having the same troubles.

 

[BackCountryBob]

I had to replace my cap last year---another post on this 4M said to use alum. foil---worked for him