The starter finally went bad in my 2000 Sportsman 500 a couple weeks ago. The Polaris Sportsman’s starters only seam to last 3 – 4 years then you have to replace them. Just for the heck of it I pulled mine apart to see why it quit working.
Turned out to just be frozen up brushes. If the tiniest amount of moisture gets in the “sealed” (ya right) starter, it corrodes up the pockets that the brushes sit in, then after a while the brush springs are no longer strong enough to keep the brushes in contact with the armature.
It’s a simple clean up and your back in business, cost = $0.00
Way better then $100.00 for a new starter.
Just thought I’d pass that on.
With the money I saved on the starter I went to Batteries Plus and got a higher amp gel battery that fit in perfectly for $50.00.
This thing starts better now then it ever did new.

 

just bought a new one for my 02 tb 250, mine died too.

 

If you still have the old one just take it apart and clean up the brush pockets. That way you’ll have a spare 3 years down the road when your new one goes bad.

 

you have a z400 too, i just bought mine. its awsome!!

 

hey lightman, i was looking at your pics and was wondering, how do you keep your trailblazer from nose diving in the air. Everytime i jump i pull back as hard as i can when im about to go in the air but my front end always goes down far. nice pics by the way

 

I have a Sportsman 500 (2003) - which is working OK thus far. What is involved in removing the starter and taking it apart? Can a novice like me do it ??? (I'd like to save $100 too down the road.)

 

One thing that people forget is that there is a drain at the bottom of the starter that should be drained everytime you ride in water. If you dont drain water then things corrode and rust. Take the starter apart,clean it up,spray a good water deterrent wd40 or something that repels water and you should be good.

 

If you want to keep you trail blazer front end from diving hold the throotle and have your back tires spinning. If you want your front end to come down then you hold you back break, which will pull the front down. Giving it gas will pull the back end down.