[Lilstrick1515]

New to the forum but have a 96 300 4wd anytime I get in water up to the spark plug it dies, loses fire? Have a 96 2wd also never had a problem, tried dielectric grease and nothing works. Anybody can help, starting to get a lil frustrated!!!! Thanks in advance

 

[SamUK]

I had this happen once and I also had dielectric greased every electrical component. I let the engine cool and zip tied a latex glove around the plug and plug lead covering the connection, it cured the issue.
Infitted a new ‘waterproof’ plug cap and filled in with dielectric grease and never had an issue since, maybe your plug cap is just worn as mine must have been?

Edit: I’ve seen a couple of times where people are using high temperature heat shrink, that could be another option for you.

 

[fishfiles]

sometimes it is a simple as unscrewing the plug cap off the spark plug wire , cutting 1/4 inch off the wire , apply some dielectric grease in the cap and screw it back onto the wire ----also the plug might have a crack in it , try a new plug

 

[Lilstrick1515]

Ok well I tried cutting the plug wire, even took the coil and plug off my 2wd and put on and still doing the same thing I'm completely lost on this one

 

[fishfiles]

Maybe you think it is losing spark when in the water , on the side the left of the carb should be a vent tube , if that vent tube is off , cracked or the other end is not above the water , it will suck water right in the carb and put the spark out as a manner of speaking

 

[Lilstrick1515]

It's not the carb, once I get it below the plug it fires right back up, and I can touch the boot after I get it out and feel the spark and it will die with me touching it. I've cut the wire and put the boot back on with dielectric grease and still the same. Like I said in the other post i took the coil and plug off my 2wd and put on the 4wd and still does the same thing, when it was on the 2wd I never had a problem been above the handlebars on it and never missed a beat. It's got to be a ground issue I just can't figure out from where

 

[shadetree]

just a heads up ?!, the 1996 model came from the factory with a defective c.d.i. !.

 

[fishfiles]

Quote Lipstrick' " It's got to be a ground issue I just can't figure out from where"
Quote

I know it can be frustrating , I fought water shut downs before myself , applying dielectric grease to every connection plug and the vent tube on side the carb has always been the problem ---- my blue 300 was eating me up , when I got to the bottom of the tank in water it would shut down , soon as it was out the water it would crank right back up , I had convinced myself it was electrical and finally found the vent tube on side the carb was letting water in ----- this past weekend , I went over the fuel cap quit a few times in the water and it never missed a lick

run the engine and get the garden hose and soak every inch of the harness and electrical components and spray the carb and rubber boots , this has worked for me sometimes to find the area of the problem , but sometimes it didn't do it on the hose but would do it in water


I am not saying a ground couldn't be the problem , but I have 6 300's in the yard running right now that live in water every weekend for the last 10 years , and I have had more than 6 at times and I have yet to see a ground problem be an issue of losing spark while in the water , not one time , I would think I would have seen a ground problem by now ----- the only ground problem I remember having , was one time I was losing power to the entire bike , it wasn't happening in the water but just every now and then while riding and power would come right back , it was a bad ground connection at the ground cable bolt on the crankcase

sounds like the problem is consistent and happens at the same water level every time , I would be looking for something at that level on the atv , a connection plug , a crack in the cdi , seems you ruled out the coil , a bare wire , the rubber boot and wires coming out of the stator cover , that boot gets cracked up , a cracked spark plug , carbon tracks on the coil ( but you swopped coils )

-------- what year is yours , does it have an alarm box

 

[shadetree]

Quote Lipstrick' " It's got to be a ground issue I just can't figure out from where"
Quote

I know it can be frustrating , I fought water shut downs before myself , applying dielectric grease to every connection plug and the vent tube on side the carb has always been the problem ---- my blue 300 was eating me up , when I got to the bottom of the tank in water it would shut down , soon as it was out the water it would crank right back up , I had convinced myself it was electrical and finally found the vent tube on side the carb was letting water in ----- this past weekend , I went over the fuel cap quit a few times in the water and it never missed a lick

run the engine and get the garden hose and soak every inch of the harness and electrical components and spray the carb and rubber boots , this has worked for me sometimes to find the area of the problem , but sometimes it didn't do it on the hose but would do it in water


I am not saying a ground couldn't be the problem , but I have 6 300's in the yard running right now that live in water every weekend for the last 10 years , and I have had more than 6 at times and I have yet to see a ground problem be an issue of losing spark while in the water , not one time , I would think I would have seen a ground problem by now ----- the only ground problem I remember having , was one time I was losing power to the entire bike , it wasn't happening in the water but just every now and then while riding and power would come right back , it was a bad ground connection at the ground cable bolt on the crankcase

sounds like the problem is consistent and happens at the same water level every time , I would be looking for something at that level on the atv , a connection plug , a crack in the cdi , seems you ruled out the coil , a bare wire , the rubber boot and wires coming out of the stator cover , that boot gets cracked up , a cracked spark plug , carbon tracks on the coil ( but you swopped coils )

-------- what year is yours , does it have an alarm box

he posted his model is a 1996 trx300fw.

 

[SamUK]

You’ve tried a new plug cap I take it? How about high temp heat shrink? Plug lead to plug cap @ plug cap to plug.

 

[_Wilson_]

I'd go one better, with a good glued lined heat shrink , I've used it, and its bullet proof against water intrusion, and it's thicker than standard heat shrink, I've had non glue lined move out of place over time.

 

[Lilstrick1515]

It only does it when I get up to the plug boot, but I messed with it a lil last night and I noticed my plug boot was made of plastic and I can have it off the plug and turn it over and see the spark hit my fingers from all over the boot so that's got me thinking that's the problem when it hits water it's not getting fire to the plug itself but at the same time I'm using the same exact things from my 2wd that never gave me this problem, but I'm going to try and put some rubber around the boot today and see if that will change anything I appreciate the help guys and will let you know what happens

 

[Lilstrick1515]

And I've eased into the water and right as it hits the boot that's when it dies, I just can't figure out why it would be sparking thru the boot

 

[fishfiles]

sounds like you got the wrong boot on it , you say the plug boot is made of plastic , everyone I have is made of red rubber , I just walked outside to check all 6 after I read yours was plastic

 

[Lilstrick1515]

Yea it's plastic. The one off my 2wd is the same thing and it never caused a problem but where do you order yours I ordered mine off Amazon

 

[fishfiles]

I have replaced a few over time , some were used from other 300's , some from Honda ( Partzilla or Rocky Mountain , you can get one off ebay or amazon just be sure it is a Honda OEm part


does your look like this :

https://www.ebay.com/itm/GENUINE-HO...00-MA0-163&_from=R40&rt=nc&_trksid=m570.l1313

 

[fishfiles]

I forgot to mention , they ones that I replaced was from either a squirrel or rat chewing on them , they like the plug boots and they like the rubber around the ignition key

 

[SamUK]

Hang on, you say you get the spark ON YOUR FINGER?! That suggests a bad boot to me, it’s supposed to be insulated, that my friend is your issue right there.
As fishfiles has said, all the boots are usually silicone rubber, invest in an OEM boot or a good silicone rubber (waterproof) boot. Try to avoid China junk, I would think that’s what you already have from Amazon unfortunately.

 

[SamUK]

And I've eased into the water and right as it hits the boot that's when it dies, I just can't figure out why it would be sparking thru the boot

Simply because it’s a poor insulator and odds on poor build quality too.

 

[shadetree]

china junk is from amazon, why do you think its cheaper from there ??..buy one from honda, be done with it !..lol.