Sportsman wiring

[JEV]

I was wondering if anybody knew of where I could get my hands on a wiring diagram for a 2002 Polaris Sportsman 500 HO. To make a long story short, a week ago I had trailered my wheeler to take it up to LOW for a day of ice fishing. Everything worked fine, lights, 4-wheel drive, winch, etc. Got up to the lake and turned the key to start it up and it was dead. Nothing electrical would work. No lights, winch, 4 wheel drive, no speedo, nothing. Well, I thought maybe it was the battery. So I picked up a new one last week. Came to pull the old one out and I checked it with the voltmeter. It had over 12 volts in it. Anyways, I think I've eliminated the fact that it was the battery. I have power up to the ignition switch, but I need some type of diagram from there to trouble shoot this. I'm pretty sure I had one at one time but I must have tossed it. If anyone has any ideas I'd appreciate it. By the way, it does start fine with the pull start. Just no electrical.

Thanks,

JEV

[Gissert]

Wow, it sound like we are having similar troubles. (2002 400 Sportsman)

My lights will work, and I have not tried my winch.

Post if you figure out what is causing your problems.

I will hit the library tonite to try and find a diagram in an ATV manual.

[Dave]

Guys, you can get the owner manual, which includes a wiring schematic, and/or parts manual online for any Polairs machine. Towards the bottom of the Polaris homepage, click on "Manuals & Brochures". You do have to register to download the manuals but it doesn't cost anything.

[spearchucker]

You need the repair manual which is not free. The parts manual is free, but doesn't have any schematics in it. I don't think the owners manual does either, but I could be wrong.

[Dave]

From the Polaris HSOforum.

Owners Manual Supplement 2002

[JEV]

Thanks Dave,

I had looked at Polaris' web site and didn't find the wiring diagram. I knew I had found it on there before. Your link brought me right to what I needed. Thanks,

JEV

[JEV]

Alright, I tore into the machine a little more this evening to try and trouble shoot this gremlin. I first checked the voltage of the batt. That was around 12.5 volts. I even tried the new batt. Same thing. I started up the wheeler and checked the voltage as it ran and it was somewhere around 13 to 14 volts. So that tells me its charging. After messing around for a while I'm leaning towards a bad voltage regulator. Looking at the schematic Dave provided there are 4 wires going/coming from the regulator. Two go to the Stator, and then there is a Red and a brown. The red runs to the hot side of the starter solenoid from the battery and I do register the correct voltage on this wire. Is there a sure fire way of testing the regulator to see if it is bad? There is a Yellow with a red stripe that goes to the stator and also goes to the speedo. Being my problem is I have no electrical power on anything, I'm thinking there should be some output from this wire. Any idea what it should be? I'd appreciate any info you guys could provide,

Thanks,

JEV

[efgh]

there is usually a circut breaker installed ahead of the fuze panel, thats a little retangle box with a heavy wire,about a no. 8 feeding it, check for voltage on both sides of it, then check all fuzes next. good luck/////

[Macgyver55]

If you have 12.5 volts not running and 13 to 14 volts while running the regulator is working fine. If the problem is no power to any accessories, the problem lies between the battery and those accessories. They should have power with or without the engine running as long as the key is on. The first thing you want to check is the main ground cables to the frame and the engine. Grounds are the most commonly overlooked problem you will encounter. If the grounds are clean and good, then proceed to follow the positive cable to each connection. Check every fuse or breaker with a meter rather than just visually. Fuses can blow and not be visibly bad (in rare cases) so the meter will confirm if they are good or not. I'm confident by checking it this way you will find the problem is either a loose or dirty connection or possibly a bad main fuse. I would be surprised if it were a bad regulator since it is charging in the proper voltage range.

Let us know what you find.........

[Dave]

I'd agree with McGyver on the regulator, I'd say it's ok since the voltage increases while running. Let us know more when you know more.

[JEV]

After thinking about it for a while that makes sense now. I'll double check all of my grounds this evening. I've checked continuity between the main ground cable and the frame and it seems fine but I'll double check the connection anyways. I hope its something that simple. As for a main hot line. Is there only one that comes from the battery? There is a 6 gauge wire that comes off of the starter solenoid that is obviously for the starter. The other 6 gauge wire of course goes to the battery. On the battery side of the solenoid there is only one red wire wired along with the 6 gauge wire. This wire runs up to the voltage regulator. At the voltage regulator, acutually in the harness that attaches to the regulator, it splices with another red wire that runs to the ignition switch. I've had the battery hooked up and I have 12.5 volts, engine off, up to the regulator and also to the ignition switch. I would think it would be safe to say I either have a bad ground, or a problem from the ignition switch on. I've tried two different ignition switches and get the same results. I have also checked the self resetting circuit breakers. They seem to be working fine. I'll try and trace the output from the ignition switch with the key on this evening. Thanks again for all your help,

JEV

[Kodiak]

put the new battery in that you bought, and check the fuses...all of them.

[JEV]

I've done that. At least I think I have. I've only found a couple of circuit breakers under the plastic under the headlight pod. Talking to my brother in law who works for Polaris he said that would be a place to start. He said they do go bad from time to time. That was the first thing I did. But both seemed to check out fine.

[Kodiak]

i had a similar problem with my yamaha when i bought it and got it home. it turned on and the lcd gauge display worked and headlights worked, but when i went to start it...it buzzed really loud. the voltages where ok?? but the battery was replaced and no problems since. Sometimes the batterys check out good but they are bad. I was very happy it was only the battery. I have a fuse block under my seat but nothing was blown.

[JEV]

Well guys, I figured it out. I came home early this afternoon and worked on it. I traced it to where I had power up to the ignition. From there on it was kind of a guess. I didn't have power anywhere else. So it was a matter of trying different things. I actually kind of stubbled on to what was wrong. I have a winch with a separate solenoid for it. I had turned on the key so it was hot, and I happened to switch the Off-on-Off switch on the left handlebar. I heard the solenoid engage and then disengage. I played with the switch a little and if I held it in just the right position I had power to everything else. I torn the switch apart and found that one of the contacts must have gotten warm at some point. They are spring loaded and the plastic around the copper contact had warmed enough so that the contact stuck back and would not spring forward. Well, a little material removal and rigging and I had it back together. All is well again. I'm not sure why the contact would get warm enough to melt the plastic and stick. I'm definately plan to replace the switch soon. I had to get it done before headin out to the lake tomorrow. Thanks for all the input you guys provided.

JEV

[Dave]

I don't believe it. I was replaying your problem in my head this afternoon several times and everytime I thought about the engine kill switch, I kept thinking, "but he can pull start it!". Hitting the kill switch kills everything but I couldn't figure out how you started it and still not have any accessory power, unless I miss read your original problem. Anyway, good job on getting it fixed. Now, go fish!

[JEV]

Yah, I don't quite understand it myself. I could actually unplug the entire harness to the switch and it would still run if I pull started it. As long as the key was turned on that is. It might have been a little different with models before the '02 that had the starter switch that was intigrated into that left handle bar control. All I know is it runs great again.

JEV

[JEV]

Dave,

Thinking about the kill switch again, I think the problem may have been the fact that the contact was actually pushed back and seated to far into the plastic. It was a spring loaded contact but it was like it was molded right in being it had been hot at some time. The switch is an Off-on-Off. I had it set to the middle position. If I had the wheeler running and flipped the switch to either side off of center it would in fact kill the engine. But being that one contact , of two, was seated to far it must have been preventing the power to go to the accessories until I would actually push in on the switch. Man I hate those gremlins....

[Kodiak]

Good Find!!

[Macgyver55]

I seem to remember a while back that Warn had a defect in some of their winch solenoids that resulted in fires on some ATVs. This may or may not be what caused your partial meltdown of your switch. Either way something was drawing too much to cause the overload and melt it. If you have an older Warn setup its probably a good idea to check the numbers on yours to see if it is one of the affected ones. Dave could possibly confirm or dispell this or may remember more about it......

[Dave]

Macgyver, I don't think that would cause the problem but it's a good thing for people to check out anyhow. Here's the Warn recall.

Warn Solenoid Recall

[Macgyver55]

I thought that too.... but depending on how he has it wired...I figured if it is running through that switch, that the solenoid could be drawing too much and heating up the switch. I suppose a guy could hook up a meter and check the current draw on the circuit just for peace of mind.

Even if the kill switch simply had dirty or corroded contacts it can build up heat and cause the problem too.

At least he got er' going...thats the main thing.

[JEV]

Nah, I don't have my winch wired through the kill switch. The solenoid has it's separate power. I have a separate toggle to power the switch leg on the solenoid. I've had the wheeler on the lake the last two days and she's been running great. I still can't figure out what would have caused the switch to get hot. I would think if there was that much amperage being pulled it would snap a circuit breaker. But to be on the safe side I plan to change it out soon. Thanks again guys,

JEV