'13 XM, dealer says new ECM needed. Input please

Arctic_Ragtop

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I have a 2013 Summit XM SP, end of last season had a check engine light come on, along with warm up message and loss of power, sounded like it was running on one cylinder, shut it down, fired back up was fine until I got into high rpm again, took it to dealer, they said it was a capacitor, changed it, put it away for the summer. Took out for first ride of season doing the same thing, brought back to dealer, they said it's a capacitor. I reminded them that had just been done less than 10 km ago. They're suggesting the ECM may be toast. If it needs an ECM, that's fine and I am ok with it, but I just don't buy it. There was a recall on either the headlight switch at the end of last season just before the last ride. I don't know if it's related but I have a feeling it is. Unfortunately I wasn't able to pull the codes myself before dropping it off. I just want to know if that sounds like it could be true, or if anyone else has had similar issues. I will put a new ECM in if that's what it needs but I just want your opinions on it before I do it. Did a search and doesn't look like a common issue. Thanks for input guys and let's hope for lots of fresh deep snow
 

Arctic_Ragtop

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After researching similar symptoms I am going to ask the dealer to test the stator. Sounds like it could be that, especially on a '13. Sled had 3600 km on it.
 

slededjr

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Even if you borrow ecm, you still need buds to marry the cluster to it, as well as key, etc.
However, I have an ecm and capacitor if you don't want to spend a fortune.
 

slededjr

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That will never happen as there is never any return on electrical parts. Especially once you open it and program it.
 

AreWeThereYet

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That will never happen as there is never any return on electrical parts. Especially once you open it and program it.

This is what they want you to hear, every shop has what's called a "donor" ECU. Hell even construction and the trucking industry has them, it's called "swapnostics". But yes, I would agree with the previous comment about getting some sort of guarantee seeing as your dealer was incompetent in the first diagnostic.
 

slededjr

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Well we never had spare ecm' sat the Doo shop I worked. Nor do I have them at my shop now for JD and Cat diesel engines. One just has to know what the they're doing. Unfortunately some shops do not.
 

NZjosh

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My 13 xm was coming up with the "warm up engine" message and mechanic says it's the stator, waiting for a stator to arrive hope it's not the ECM aswell as the stator
 

Arctic_Ragtop

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My 13 xm was coming up with the "warm up engine" message and mechanic says it's the stator, waiting for a stator to arrive hope it's not the ECM aswell as the stator

Mine is displaying the warm up message even when it has 5 bars. I think stator might be the next item to troubleshoot.
 

kidinloghouse

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ECM's are hard to diagnose because they never tell on themselves. and most shops wont have an ECM laying around to test with not for an etec, coils for a 550 fan on the other hand. maybe that's just a northern thing. i would be pulling the ecm out of your machine and installing in another good running machine. and see if the problem follows the ecm. we have seen the stators start to fail and the ecm fry on account of the extra load and heat generated from the lack of voltage.
 

tex78

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Plus ecm are logic module inside internal, which you can't get into to get out

sent while drinking tea's
 

Arctic_Ragtop

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I tried to get the dealer to replace the stator in mine but they said it tested within range and that it's not the stator. He is going to try a new ECM even tho he said programming it is a big job that he doesn't want to do. They tested the coils and it wasn't that. Don't seem willing to try the stator but won't charge me for ECM if that isn't the problem. Will update this thread as I have more info.
 
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Arctic_Ragtop

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Wasn't the ECM. Changed an injector. Wasn't that. Tried the capacitor, wasn't that. Magnets on Flywheel were rubbing crankcase. Changed the flywheel. Didn't fix it. Dealer is going to change the stator now.
 

Arctic_Ragtop

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UPDATE: '13 XM, dealer says new ECM needed. Input please

Update: The issue has been solved and I have my sled back. I figure posting this story may help other XM owners in the future. I did read that 13's had bad stators, but this problem wasn't necessarily with the actual stator, but with the wiring from the stator.

I am calling the part that caused this problem a sleeve, however that may not the right term for the part in question. The part I am talking about is a thin metal sleeved surface on the inside of the flywheel that the stator touches and creates friction with. The dealer called it 'the magnets' but it looked like a pressed in sleeve that has a rounded edge to me. The rounded edge had been compromised due to contact with the crankcase and the now jagged edge on the (backed out about 1 cm) sleeve caused damage the wires that run into the stator. A few of the wires were sliced, frayed with wire strands touching each other. The voltage tested fine until they plugged the headlight in. Once they found the problem with the sliced up wires it all made sense. The wires weren't completely cut through so it would only throw a code under high rpm which made it hard to diagnose. Got the machine fixed. Also got a new injector. New plugs. New flywheel (which the dealer pulled off a new model in the showroom to get me up and running before we go to BC in a few weeks). New stator. Shop supplies and 5.5 hours labour (even tho they spent 10 on it) and a $2700 bill and I'm up and running again. It wasn't cheap, but I'm glad it is fixed and that this didn't happen 30-40 miles into the back country. A helicopter ride out of there would have sucked. Sled has 3600 km on it by the way.
 
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