Cold Weather Starting

[MNCPRGUY]

I'm curious what everyone does for cold weather starting. I will be running an '03 Sportsman 500 this winter. It was reliable last winter, but I'm planning some bigger trips this year and don't want to risk being stranded on the ice miles from shore. Is it a good idea to carry some starting fluid? Do you start them periodically when you are fishing in below zero temps? I'm no gear head and would appreciate any preventative and/or proactive thoughts on preparing for the hardwater season.

[Ryan_V]

Good oil. I run amsoil, and since switching, my colds starts have been so much better. Even back when I ran a carb machine. I've since switched to efi, which also is awesome for colds weather starts. But starting occasionally will help, as long as you drive it to keep battery charged. Just starting it every hour and letting it warm up will run your battery down too because it won't charge as much at idle as what you took out of it to start.

[pike79]

Make sure air filters are clean if they are real dirty replace them.

[finnedfakes]

I make sure my valve clearance is within spec., run good oil in 0w40. I check for water in the gas before a big trip. I make sure my battery voltage is up to par as well as load testing it and di-electric grease every connection. If Im running a machine with a back-up recoil starter and or drum brakes, I make sure the internals are water free.

If you havent done so already, you need to pull the clutch cover off to make sure your belt is good and blow all the junk out of the clutches.

I carry spare spark plugs

[rundrave]

I have an 04 Polaris 500 carb. Good battery and fresh plug and just start it with the choke and I have never had any problems. I may start it a few times through out the day just to be safe also.

I run stock Polaris oil, and always make sure I have good fresh gas(no ethanol) with a little seafoam in it also.

[brakedancer]

about -25 is where its is hit and miss starting wheelers..I had a 2000 Polaris 500 and the battery wouldn't start it but they still had a recoil so I was able to start it with the rope..My wife had a 05 Polaris 700EFI and it would turn over but not fast enough to start..so I would get my wheeler started with the recoil and then jump her wheeler...twice a day to the fishhouse and back...at that temp it wasn't much fun..

[eyehunter]

Hope this isn't off the topic too much, but I have an '08 Sportsman 500 EFI and it has the backup recoil, but if the battery wont start the wheeler what good is the recoil going to do you? The battery probably won't have enough in it for the EFI will it? I've driven one when the battery was really low and it runs like dump if at all and that was in the summer time.