My name is AJ i have a 1997 polaris sport 400 2wd after riding about 20 minutes the engine will die
giving it throddle doesnt help, i also noticed that the fan isnt turning on i think
it may be overheating, it may be turing it self off as a percaution, but after its shuts off i cant start it with the electric start only with the pull start.

 

AJ,
Your information is a little on the vague side, but try this:

1) check and see if your coolant resevior has the proper level before you start the engine. if not, fill it and check the level in the radiator.

2) check the balance shaft sump oil level (a screw in dipstick straight down by the carburetor on the rope starter side) - if the oil looks "milky/muddy" your waterpump is leaking, if not and it needs oil, go ahead and fill to the right level.

3) run the quad until it dies, look at the coolant resevior and see what the level is - normal, overflowing, boiling, etc. Also look and listen to see if the fan is running - don't turn the key off, that will cut power to the fan.

4) you talk about the electric starter not starting the quad - will it spin the engine over but not start, or it spins slowly, or not at all?

 

Thanks for the advice...

The starter sounds like its working fine i just put a new battery in it. The coolant resovior has plenty of coolant, and ill check the oil.

 

This exact same thing happened to my Sport 400 several years ago.

After numerous trips to the shop, they discovered the electric thermostat that turns the fan on when the engine reaches a certain temperature was shorted out.

This is why it takes 10-20 minutes for it to cut out.....the engine has to warm up, and as soon as the fan kicks on, the fan was shorting out! The lights wouldn't work and the only way I could start it was by the pull starter.

Once the engine cooled down, the fan turned off and everything worked fine.

Once it got warm again and the fan tried to kick back on, everything quit working.