ok heres the deal when my engine is off the rpm meter is always at 2 and when I start it up its still at 2 rpm even when i rev it it does not move what the heck is going on i avent been able to ride it yet so idk what woudl happen if i started goin. also the gauge light cuts out at low rpm then when i rev the engine it gets bright again.. anyway im alil clueless here an need some help also all of the other things on it work fine gas gauge odometer etc... o ya its a 2002 viper... thnks for the help guys!!
viper gauge need help quick
- Thread starter rmrida02
- Start date
yamaholic22
Active member
pull the wiring harness from under the engine and see if some of the wires are rubbed through. This is very common, the wires rub on the rear motor mount and short out. Just make sure you tie some string to the harness so that you can fish it back through without pulling the engine, makes things much easier 
rancidjo
New member
mine rubbed through under the motor and also on a hose clamp on the carb...so check all of harness just in case. Caused my guage to act improperly, lost my headlights and the guage pod actually melted. So when you pull the harness, put some wire loom on it and make sure it is secureed properly, to prevent this from happening again
yamaholic22
Active member
Make sure you wrap the wires in the affected area individually with electrical tape before installing wire loom so that the wires dont cross-short.
redsnake3
New member
rmrida02 said:
im having the same problem with mine, except when i hit the high/low beam switch it goes through the start up sweep. i checked all the wiring and nothing changed. called our yamaha dealer technician and he said its either my gauge or cdi. will find out for sure on saturday when im gonna switch the gauge and cdi off another viper to see which one it is, or isnt.
its the wiring harness
you have to pull the harness out from under the engine, its not something your gonna see by just looking in the engine bay.
This is a typical wiring harness chaff problem.
unplug the harness from hood connector, loosen up the wiring clamps on bottom of frame and pull the harness all the way back out over behind the recoil, youll find that the harness has rubbed the insulation off the wires, all it takes is 1 or 2 and its shorting to ground, retape all wires seperately , then place in convoluted tubing, rerun harness under engine and secure in clamps and it will never ever again bother you.
Redsnake, yours is most definitley the harness, the reason it acts up when you hit the high /low beam is its drawing more current to the short, the cdi has nothing to do with it. I have fixed I bet 75-100 sleds with wiring problems, and only about 2 or 3 have ever been the cdi,(then its always been the 98-99 srx's) its always the harness rubbed thru, somewhere on the sled
you have to pull the harness out from under the engine, its not something your gonna see by just looking in the engine bay.
This is a typical wiring harness chaff problem.
unplug the harness from hood connector, loosen up the wiring clamps on bottom of frame and pull the harness all the way back out over behind the recoil, youll find that the harness has rubbed the insulation off the wires, all it takes is 1 or 2 and its shorting to ground, retape all wires seperately , then place in convoluted tubing, rerun harness under engine and secure in clamps and it will never ever again bother you.
Redsnake, yours is most definitley the harness, the reason it acts up when you hit the high /low beam is its drawing more current to the short, the cdi has nothing to do with it. I have fixed I bet 75-100 sleds with wiring problems, and only about 2 or 3 have ever been the cdi,(then its always been the 98-99 srx's) its always the harness rubbed thru, somewhere on the sled
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ok im new to snowmobiles , im used to wrokin on motorcycles so is the wire harness that everyones saying is giving me problems located on the hood? or on the frame?? hmm im confusedd haha 
also this is the reason why my needle would be stuck at 2 rpm?
also this is the reason why my needle would be stuck at 2 rpm?tagoes10s
New member
It unplugs by the bottom of the hood, and routes under the pipes/motor up by the oil fill. It wears/rubs under the motor.
Not sure if its the cause of your needle sticking, but if the harness checks out OK then I would suspect your gauge. I need to pull my wiring harness as well, its just a PITA to get to, have to remove the exhaust, air box, and possibly the carbs I can't tell for sure though. I had my first electrical mishap last night so I know I have a issue just got to get time to work on it.
oy vayyy that is going to suck ballz if i have to remove the carbs just to get to the harness... wasnt there someone on here who took it out without taking that apart? if there was would you explain to me how you did it? i appreciate all responses thnks guys your helpin me out big time!! 