How to test CDI, Magneto stator coils & Hall Effect sensors on domestic engines

[K447]

I think this topic deserves its own thread.

There is often confusion regarding the four different ignitions systems on the red domestic Polaris PWC engines.

Blue Fuji engines are covered in a different thread.

Domestic carburetor engines made from 2000 to 2004 use a newer and more reliable 'Gen III' CDI system. Older domestic engines that have the Ignition System Update Kit installed also use this newer CDI system.

Domestic engines made from 1996 to 1999, that do not have the Ignition Update Kit installed, use a different CDI and stator design.

The 1996-1999 two cylinder engines also have a different ignition coil design than the newer system.

There are two different types of stators for the domestic engines with CDI.

The original domestic ignition CDI+stator design was factory installed from 1996-1999 on all two cylinder engines, and the 900cc and 1050cc three cylinder engines.

The 1999 model year 1165cc '1200' engines already have the 'newer' Gen III ignition type so there is no update kit for them.

The Ignition System Update Kit and all 2000-2004 domestic CDI ignitions all have the newer Gen III stator and CDI configuration.

The wire connections, and the ohm testing, are different for the two types.

Note that the parts from original and newer design ignition systems can not be mixed together. New CDI must be used with new stator, old CDI with old stator.

For the two cylinder engines, the ignition coils are also different, and the new coil type must be used with new CDI, old coil type with old CDI.

You can not mix two and three cylinder CDI and stators.

Note: If you need to replace just the stator on a 1996-1999 domestic engine that already has the Update Kit, you may be able to substitute a 2000 and later stator. Be aware that the 2000 and newer stator cover fits around the stator cable differently that the 1996-1999 covers, so you may have to finesse the cable sealing. Click here for some more details.

If you determine that you need to purchase an Ignition Update Kit, or replacement parts, they can be purchased from any Polaris OEM parts source, including those listed here;
Polaris PWC Parts Sources

Note: Later versions of the domestic stator have a 12-pin or 8-pin connector outside the electrical box. The diagnostics outlined in this thread presume that you are testing from inside the electrical box. Testing from inside the electrical box not only tests the stator, it also tests the connector.

For some tests you can unplug the stator 12-pin connector (8-pin for two cylinder engines) and probe the contacts (of the cable going to the stator). The connector pins are small, so you may need to use short thin wires to make proper contact.

Here is the 8-pin stator connector pinout, cribbed from the 2003 Virage Wiring Diagram (two cylinder engine).
1 - Purple (Exciter coil)
2 - Gray (Hall Effect Ground, negative)
3 - Red (MAG Hall Effect sensor trigger)
4 - Brown (Hall Effect power, positive 8-9 volts)
5 - Green (PTO Hall Effect sensor trigger)
6 - Yellow (battery charging coil)
7 - Red/Purple (battery charging coil)
8 - Black (Main stator ground)

Here is the 12-pin stator connector pinout, cribbed from the 2002 Virage TX Wiring Diagram (three cylinder engine).
1 - Purple (Exciter coil)
2 - N/C
3 - Gray (Hall Effect Ground, negative)
4 - Red (MAG Hall Effect sensor trigger)
5 - Blue (CEN Hall Effect sensor trigger)
6 - Brown (Hall Effect power, positive 8-9 volts)
7 - Green (PTO Hall Effect sensor trigger)
8 - Yellow (battery charging coil)
9 - Red/Purple (battery charging coil)
10 - Black (Main stator ground)
11 - N/C
12 - N/C

[K447]

Refer to the attached diagrams.

The Brown wire is the 8 volt positive power feed from the CDI to the Hall Effect sensor in the stator.

If the Hall Effect sensor itself tests good, then check that the CDI is actually delivering 8 volts to the Hall Effect sensor on the Brown wire. The CDI will only provide the 8 volts when the engine is rotating (cranking or running).

------------------------
For domestic engines with the Updated Ignition installed, and 2000-2004 domestic CDI engines (and 1999 Genesis & SLTX-B/X-45), the following applies.

The Gray wire from the Hall Effect sensor is the negative side, and is grounded inside the electrical box, through the CDI.

If the stator wires are all unplugged from the CDI and electrical box (as they should be for ohm testing), then there should be infinite or near infinite ohms (open connection) between all of the Hall Effect sensor wires and the engine block.
Gray, Brown, Red, Blue, Green

Per the attached diagram, the Hall Effect sensor can be tested by powering it with a 9 volt battery, and rotating the engine slowly to observe the resistance change as each flywheel trigger magnet passes the sensor.
- Positive 9 volts connects to the Brown stator wire, Negative 9 volts to the Gray wire (Gen III domestic stators only).

Stator coil ohm tests;
Black to engine ground: less than 1.0 ohms, should be very close to 0.0 ohms
Black to Purple: 5.5 ohms
Yellow to Red/Purple: 0.75 ohms
Yellow or Red/Purple to engine block: no connection/infinite


------------------------
For domestic engines made before 2000, which do not have the Ignition Update Kit installed, the following applies.

The Hall Effect sensor is grounded inside the stator on the negative side.

To properly test the stator grounding on an original pre-2000 stator, you must disconnect the small black wire that connects the electrical box to the battery negative post (if there is a small wire). If there is no small black wire, or it has been cut/removed, then check the CDI part number to confirm whether or not you have an Ignition Update Kit installed.

On the older stators, the gray wire is a second exciter coil for the CDI, and is not part of the Hall Effect sensor. Use the Black stator wire as the ground reference instead of the Gray wire shown in the testing diagram.

If the stator wires are all unplugged from the CDI and electrical box (as they should be for ohm testing), then there should be high kilo-ohms (or open connection) between these Hall Effect sensor wires and the engine block.
Red, Blue, Green

Per the attached diagram, the Hall Effect sensor can be tested by powering it with a 9 volt battery, and rotating the engine slowly to observe the resistance change as each flywheel trigger magnet passes the sensor.
Note that the 9 volt battery negative must be connected to the stator Black wire, not gray.

Since the Hall Effect sensor is internally grounded to the stator Black wire, the resistance measured to ground for the Brown wire will vary, depending on the ohm-meter being used. The Brown wire should not be shorted to ground.

[K447]

Three cylinder domestic engines

Note: You have to use the 2000 or later year three cylinder CDI engine service manuals to find the stator ohm values and diagnostics for domestic engines that have the Update Ignition Kit installed.

Note: If your 1996-1999 engine has an ignition update and is still using the original ignition coils and plug wires, then the original ohm values for the ignition coils and wires still apply, and are not changed by the update kit.

Look on page 284-288 (7.36) of the 2002 Polaris Service manual.

The original domestic stators (1996-1999) have two exciter coils (Purple, Black, Gray wires), the 2000+ Update stator only has one exciter coil (Purple and Black wires).

Both the old and update stators have a gray wire, but it is used for different things. In the old stator the gray wire is an exciter coil. In the newer stator design the gray wire is an isolated ground wire for the Hall Effect sensor.

Note: This stator gray wire has nothing to do with the RPM limiter gray wire that some CDI versions have. The RPM limiter gray wire is an entirely separate thing.

From what I can tell, the 2000-2004 (and 1999 Genesis & SLTX-B/X-45) and Ignition System Update Kits for the three cylinder engine should have the following values.

Ignition coil
Ignition coil primary: 0.35 ohms each coil
Measured from Black/White to Yellow/Brown, Black/Blue, Black/Green

Black to Black/White: Infinite resistance

Primary Black/White to ground: Infinite resistance
(with primary coil wires not connected to ground)

Ignition coil secondary, without plug wires: 1200-1600 ohms to ground

Note: There are two ignition coil versions for the three cylinder engines.
One is 1550 ohms (1-3-2), and the other is 1240 ohms (3-2-1).
The wire sequence coming out of the coil pack for the CEN and PTO cylinders is different.
See the diagrams in this post

Note: Some 900 and 1050 crank shafts have the firing order swapped for the CEN and PTO cylinders.
If your crank shaft rebuild has a different firing order then the original engine (engine runs really roughly), you can swap the Black/Green and Black/Blue primary wires to match the CDI coil sequence to the crank firing order.

1996-1999 900cc and 1050cc engines
6000-7000 ohms from inside plug cap to ground
1200-1600 ohms from end of raw plug wire to ground

2000-2004 three cylinder and 1999 1200 engines
Spark plug high voltage wires including plug caps (approximate):
3700 ohms (424mm/16.5 inch wire)
4540 ohms (563mm/22 inch wire)
5190 ohms (714mm/28 inch wire)

Spark plug high voltage wires (approximate):
2374 ohms (424mm/16.5 inch wire)
3153 ohms (563mm/22 inch wire)
3998 ohms (714mm/28 inch wire)

Spark plug caps: 1200 ohms (approximate)

Secondary to primary: Infinite resistance

Magneto stator coils
Exciter coil #1 Black to Purple: 5.5 ohms
Battery charging coil Red/Purple to Yellow: 0.75 ohms
Yellow or Red/Purple to engine block: Infinite resistance
Black to engine crank case: 0.0 to 1.0 ohms
(maximum is 1.0 ohms, should be less)

Hall Effect sensors
Gray to Black: near infinite?
Red, Purple, Green to Gray: Near Infinite resistance
Brown to Gray: 100,000 ohms or higher (depends on the meter being used)

[K447]

Two cylinder domestic engines

You have to use the 2000 or later year twin cylinder service manuals to find the ohm values for the Update Ignitions.

Look on page 239 (7.24) of the 2003 Polaris Service manual.
See attached PDF file (note the correction in red below).

Update: Another member recently identified an error in the attached PDF file.

The information in the attached PDF via that link has an error.
The 9.5 volts number while cranking is INCORRECT.



The Polaris red carburetor engines (all CDI generations, all 2 & 3 cylinder) require a lot more than 9.5 volts while cranking. The minimum voltage you want to have while cranking is at least 10.6 volts. At the battery posts. And at the CDI itself (Red/Purple and Black wires into CDI module).

Note the meter probe colors in the table, which are important for the Hall Effect sensor tests.

The original domestic stators (1996-1999) have two exciter coils (Purple, Black, Gray wires), the new design Update stator (2000+) only has one exciter coil (Purple and Black wires).

Both the old and update stators have a gray wire, but it is used for different things. In the old stator the gray wire is an exciter coil. In the newer stator design the gray wire is an isolated ground wire for the Hall Effect sensor.

Note: This stator gray wire has nothing to do with the RPM limiter gray wire that some CDI versions have. The RPM limiter gray wire is an entirely separate thing.

From what I can tell, the Ignition System Update Kit for the two cylinder engine should have the following values.

Ignition coil (Twin engine only)
Ignition coil primary between the two primary wires: 0.35 ohms
Primary to ground: Infinite resistance

Ignition coil secondary between coil outputs, without plug wires or caps: 1200-1600 ohms
Ignition coil secondary, including both spark plug caps: 8170 ohms
Spark plug high voltage wire (approximate):
3153 ohms (22 inch wire)
2374 ohms (16.5 inch wire)
Secondary to ground: Infinite resistance
Secondary to primary: Infinite resistance

Magneto stator coils (Twin engine only)
Exciter coil #1 Black to Purple: 5.5 ohms
Battery charging coil Red/Purple to Yellow: 0.75 ohms
Yellow or Red/Purple to engine block: Infinite resistance
Black to engine crank case: 0.0 ohms

Hall Effect sensors
Gray to Black: near infinite?
(I have conflicting information for this)
Red, Green to Gray: Near Infinite resistance
Brown to Gray: 100,000 ohms or higher (depends on the meter being used)

[K447]

Two and Three cylinder 700, 900 & 1050 engines, pre-2000 (except 1999 Genesis & SLTX-B/X-45)

Stator coil ohm tests;
Black to engine ground: less than 1.0 ohms, should be very close to 0.0 ohms
Black to Purple: 1200 ohms
Black to Gray: 88 or 140 ohms
Yellow to Red/Purple: 0.75 ohms
Yellow or Red/Purple to engine block: no connection/infinite

Two cylinder Ignition coil pack
Ignition coil primary: 0.35 ohms, measure between;

MAG Black/Green to Black/White
PTO Yellow/Brown to Black/White

Ignition coil secondary: 1240 ohms

Spark plug cap to engine ground: 5500-7000 ohms

Three cylinder Ignition coil pack
Ignition coil primary: 0.35 ohms

PTO Black/Green to Black/White
CEN Black/Blue to Black/White
MAG Yellow/Brown to Black/White

Ignition coil secondary: 1240 or 1550 ohms

Spark plug cap to engine ground: 5500-7000 ohms

[K447]

If you notice any errors or omissions in these posts, please let me know

Need to list the various CDI, stator and ignition coil model codes...

[Asmarine]

anyone know where i can buy a updatekit for a 96 sl700?

[Asmarine]

the back of my cdi box is marked 447 with a white paint pen what does that mean?

[dghal]

I am not sure

[K447]

the back of my cdi box is marked 447 with a white paint pen what does that mean?

I am not sure

See this thread;
CDI part number 4010885, may actually be 4010447 (900 & 1050 Ignition Update Kit 2873091)

On several occasions, Polaris changed the production ignition specs for already manufactured CDI modules, and then hand marked the revised part number on the CDI.

Sometimes the person doing the CDI re-programming at the factory got lazy, and just marked the last the digits of the revised part number, rather than the entire part number.

Since all Polaris domestic engine CDI part numbers begin with 4010, a CDI marked 447 is actually 4010447.

Sometimes the hand marking is in Yellow, sometimes in White. Sometimes the original part number on the front is crossed out, sometimes it is not

Often a tip-off is that when you look up the factory part number on the front, there is no match in the Polaris parts reference web site.