MSD Enhancer going bad symptoms

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Rentz, GA
In my experience, the CDI's either work or they don't. If it's intermittent, it's usually the stator, plug wires or a bad connection. Swapping components is the only sure fire way to test for sure. You can measure them with a meter but that doesn't always tell the real story and you end up swapping to be sure anyways.

What symptoms are you getting?
 
Location
hhh
Usually it's a bad stator that causes strange firing issues with msd. The Cdi usually always works or doesn't. If you have something chances are it's not the enhancer.
 

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smart minds think alike. :bigok:

I recently had my azz handed to me by bad plug wires. I was chasing the EPIC and a few other leads when I discovered that I was too rough the last time I pulled my plug wires off and had broken the core in each wire right where it crimps onto the end. My ski would idle and run decent enough but break up on the top end and studder sometimes on hard acceleration. I closed the gap on my plugs and it improved it some so I knew I was chasing weak spark. I crimped on new ends and she's been good ever since.
 

Quinc

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Location
California
On the MSD check the ground, and also try adding a ground. I chased electrical problems all summer and it ended up being the MSD enhancer was intermittent. Replaced plug wires, stator, rebuilt stop/start switch. Still had intermittent spark, added the ground wire to the msd and it worked for a couple more rides. Replaced the MSD and my ski has been problem free ever since.
 
So far I have gone through the stator which is OEM 3 years old, visually looking good and checked with multi-meter, Ignition (cables) are new, I run single 48 Novi recently rebuilt and clean, fuel filter new, fuel pump supplies fuel sufficient, E-box dry and clean.
On the trailer, ski fires right up and revs crisp and clean all the way, no bad symptoms. There is only this almost unnoticeable bottom end hesitation for a split second when I rapidly open the throttle all the way.
When the ski is in the water it will start at first and run fine on idle or very little throttle. If I hit the throttle hard all the way up, the engine will respond, but as soon as I let off the throttle ski will die. After that I will have to crank for good over 10-15 secs or I will have to wait for 30 secs before the ski starts again. Almost every time when that happens it will detonates once in the exhaust (may be backfires) and after more continues cranking the ski will fire up again and idle-run clean like nothing happened. This will repeat every time I hit the throttle hard.
I already purchased a new MSD to see if that will change anything...

P.S. I had the engine/ebox sit on the floor for a month, when I pulled it out it was running fine and I did not have that problem.
 

Quinc

Buy a Superjet
Location
California
Sounds like your MSD is toast. You can try adding another ground wire from the neg on the battery to the msd and see if it makes any difference. That is what the techs at msd had me try.
 
Location
Europa
Hi
My Msd got a strange Problem.
I just tested the spark with Plugs outside. Usually just for 1-2 seconds. So i though its ok. Now i put the plugs back in, and try to start the ski. Nothing worked. Now i put out the plugs again, and got spark... But only for max 2 sec, then no spark at all. So the Box just fires some times, and then no more spark. Just test the Box some seconds before you put the plug back in!

A orginal Cdi removed the Problems. No more Msd for me. Better a modified original cdi
 

N3vrSat1sfied

Military Member
Location
Fort Worth, TX
I had a msd go bad. It would give me spark when plugs out on the head, but id thread the plugs in and had nothing. I have thread about it if you want to search for it. I swapped/tested everything to determine this.


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Don't throw away the old one yet. I've swapped Cdi's to resolve issues and had the ski run great again but only for a month or two. My stator was going out and the new MSD didn't mind until it degraded a bit more. Once I had my stator rebuilt by JSS, the old CDI worked great again.
 

N3vrSat1sfied

Military Member
Location
Fort Worth, TX
Don't throw away the old one yet. I've swapped Cdi's to resolve issues and had the ski run great again but only for a month or two. My stator was going out and the new MSD didn't mind until it degraded a bit more. Once I had my stator rebuilt by JSS, the old CDI worked great again.

Boyer you didn't tell me this when I talked you about my ski. I still have my old msd might throw it in the wife's blaster and see if it works.


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Krenn Power Sports

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I wanted to bring this back up... just to see if someone else had this issue.... every so often i get an imediate backfire like it's firing off time when I start it... not every time... it's annoying and blows my PV's open.... Its the second it hit the start button, anyone seen this?
 

Big Kahuna

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Location
Tuscaloosa, AL
White wires swapped?
Have had an issue where it would only fire when left off the button, swapped white wires and it was fine. weird thing, it had been running like that for a long time.
 

Krenn Power Sports

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i've seen that also but this runs great all the time, but every once in a while it will backfire the second i hit the start button and it still starts and runs but the first pop blows pv's off.... i've seen where when you crank it cranks and cranks and does't fire until you let off the button, but this one doesn't do that...
 
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