How D. This is a heads up to folks who repair B's or like them (and repair/use them). To get straight to the technical aspect, skip down to paragraph

I've had quite a few threads in the past, if your interested in my past with Bombardier just look up all my posts (cuz thats all they are about). This topic is a culmination of my efforts in getting my Quest 650 XT to run again.

I treat my quest 650 quite a bit like a sport quad ( I shouldn't ) but with all the hype (and money even for a used one) I figured, I dish it out, she can take it. And she did, except for the most peculiar part. That being, the pickup coil. I was running up a steep hill, and off the top of this hill I probably did about 8 inches. Upon landing, she dropped dead. No coughs, no sputters. Deader than a doornail. Having just purchased the thing for 4500, I didn't want to take it to a dealer for another 1000. I snagged a user manual online, and then set out to fix the machine.

First and foremost, beware B's documentation on these machines. (this manual covers all models between 02 and 03.) Every part I tested (I used 2 multimeters for redundancy) failed its performance test according to the book, with the exception of the coil resistances in the stator and pickup coil. I purchased a computer because the first one had been physically damaged, but also because it failed the 'grid test' in the manual. Upon recieving the new computer, it failed the test, also(but don't worry, the unit does work). Also, the manual is inconsistant with pin assignments. There is a technical article about how to 'read' the pin assignments at connectors, which is incorrect. It shows alphanumerical assignments to pins, but when you go to the connector description itself, it only shows numerical designations. These labels also do not coincide with pictures of the computer. To diagnose properly, go by the wire color alone. At any event, my decision to purchase a pickup coil was based on the fact the old one didn't meet the AC voltage check (which most dealers I called told me weren't that important)

Now, to the really fun part. The trigger coil for most of the other models of Bombardier between 02 and 03 are integrated with the stator coil via the wire harness! Stupid or what?! Therefore, because of how they molded the wires together the pickup coil and stator must be purchased together. Grand total? 425 dollars. I had already spent that on a computer, and that number just enraged me. I poked around all the other Bombardier models till I came around to that awesome war machine, the mighty DS650. It just so happens that motor has an extremely similar pickup coil but comes seperate from the stator. The pictures looked good, and the manual's tech articles showed them to have similar electrical characteristics. I took a gamble. Grand total? 115 dollars. Still a ripoff, but a lot better [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

DO read this part about the actual differences in the coils. The DS650 and the Quest have coils that are identical with the exception of a pair of 'ears' on the DS trigger coil and the actual steel mounting bracket. After disassembling the new coil, I used my multimill with an endmill to take the plastic ears off. For those lesser prepared, a file would do just as nicely. There is also a chamfer at the back, the same file can be used to make a nice round edge. This said, pay very close attention when removing the steel bracket. After the retaining clips are removed, the magnet and the steel pin can come loose. If this happens, and you don't get them back in properly, you'll have a polarity reversal and the computer will not stand for that. (Don't worry, in the end, this can be fixed even after the motor is reassembled). At this point, the replacement coil is ready to replace the original coil. The original will have to be desoldered from the original assembly (again, pay close attention to the arrangment of the white and blue/yellow wires.) Do this by heating the solder and pulling strait up. This should pull them free from the original coil without to much damage. The same is to be done to the new coil, but I can't stress enough, get some 'solder wik'. This is a copper braided strand that soaks solder up and leaves terminals bare. This is the best approach. For those less prepared, heat the solder till its liquid and gently tap the new coil on a tabletop/bench to knock the solder off. After all the solder is gone, there will be 2 terminals, each with a pair of dogears that are bent together around the wires to hold them until soldering. You can use sidecuts to open them up for the wires. Use the steel bracket from the original motor to replace the bracket that came with the new coil. Assemble the coil with the one clip that holds the steel bracket down. Bolt it back in. Put the original wires (observing polarity!) into the terminals and use pliers to bend the dogears together. Solder the new joints liberaly! (Rotax does[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]) Then put the wire retaining clip back on and its fully assembled and ready to go. You just saved yourself 310 dollars!

If you did manage to screw up the polarity during all this messing around, just go to the generator/pickup connector and unplug it. Pull the green insert out of teh female connecter. Release the blue/yellow wire and the white wire and swap them. Push them back in, and put in the insert. Plug in the connector. Whoala, you fixed a reversed polarity.

This is article is fully intended to help the end user/do it yourselfer and any dealership that would be kind enough to try to save its customer some big money. These units are already out of warranty, so you've got nothing to loose. If anyone has any questions or would like a more detailed document (with pictures curtesy of B's manual) please email me and I'll be more than happy to help. Keep this in the back of your mind for future reference or at least some B trivia.

PS, my Quest is ALIVE AGAIN HEHEHEE.

 

Great post, Im hangin on to this one. Thanks!