Sorry if this is an exhausted topic. I did a search without results.

Don't Panic and DONT WAST $ 130.00 like I almost did.

I own both a new 2004 Sportsman 500 and 400
2 weeks into riding my 500 up and died. On the first day of a long Memorial weekend while up north. (Noooo Whyyyy Meeee). After calling a couple dealers in the area with no luck, I did the old test of pulling the spark plug to test for spark. (NO SPARK) Tried the plug from wife’s 400 (STILL NO SPARK) I was hoping it was only the coil or the spark plug wire.

My buddy (the elevator electrician) had an electrical tester on him and the coil appeared to be working. (NOW JUST PRAYING THAT IT WAS JUST THE WIRE) and not some other electrical problem. **Checking the wire with his tester it showed bad**. So I called the dealer back home where I bought them and got the runaround and was told to bring in for service. (BUT IM ON MY FIRST LONG VACATION WITH MY NEW BABY AND SHE IS BROKE!!) With persistence I finally spoke with a teck that told me the wire will unscrew from the coil, only after the parts guy said that they don’t sell just a wire, and that it only comes as a Coil-Wire-Combo (what a bunch of Crap!).

Off to the nearest auto parts store to buy a single long spark wire with a straight cap. Other end will be cut and screwed back into coil. "What make and model vehicle he asked? Polaris Sportsman 500 "HUH" hehe. Ok the longest single wire you have $7.58
**But wait I told my buddy for sh..s and giggles lets test the new wire with your tester. It showed no current**. A little more panic, but then optimism thinking the wire had some kind of shielding or something or his tester was not set to the right setting. Ok here goes connected new wire, hit the starter and BAM!!! YES!!! IT FREAKIN WORKS!!! The weekend was not ruined after all. (You must read more!!)

On 9/11/04 (Yikes) My 500 still running strong.
Getting my wife and daughter all the way to the back 40 of our new property for the first time on some new trails I cut, her 400 DIED!! (HERE WE GO AGAIN) this cant be happening. Lightening doesn't strike twice, or does it?

It was getting late on Saturday so I new the auto parts store was closed. Not knowing the weather outcome for the next day, or if the auto store was open we decided to tow and winch it back through some pretty torturous terrain rather than leaving it out there all night (Even though it's my wife’s machine, I couldn't leave it out there all alone, unless maybe she stayed with it?? (Naa.

Sunday morning back to the auto parts store for another wire, not knowing if it had the same problem as my 500 did. Sure enough the same thing. Oh and the weather was great so I could have left it out there and just fixed it on the spot without all the aggravation of towing and winching it back to the cottage.

What ticks me off is that Polaris has to know about this problem as well as the dealers. But a) No letter from either (why the F... do we bother registering) Oh I forgot so they can send us junk mail. And b) why the F... do they try to sell you a Coil-Wire-Combo when it's only the wire? Makes you wonder if their even putting the new coil on they charge you for if you take it in for service?

Anyway I still love my Machines and would not trade them for any other!!

 

You could also be mistold on your info......my dealer generally tries to save us the most money he can, thus he would have just sold the wire. Also, Polaris might know of this problem, but could be working on it, before telling everyone. Believe me, as a pred owner, Polaris has a very good(possibly the best) customer service program in the atv business. Just bad luck I guess.

 

AND DON'T bother to call customer service and get any help either..... they could care less if it's out of warrenty......

 

Call your dealer, Polaris has addressed this issue with a service bulletin to fix as needed (not a recall) Your dealer should be able to replace the coil free of charge to you. Yes the coil wire can be replaced also.

 

Whether they fix for free or not is not the issue. I already fixed both problems myself. So why should I waste my time and money taking them in for service and possibly loose a weekend of riding. What ticks me off is that when you’re on an extended vacation, your machine dies, and you get stranded.

Why do they refuse to notify every registered user of the issue so we could fix the simple problem before it becomes a Big Problem. Isn't that why people register?

 

Hey guys I just got both my 04 500 & 04.5 400 back from the shop today my 400 left my stranded in the woods ( the way out) yeah with a tow strap and my 500 the filler neck on the gas tank seperated from the tank its self. They replaced the spark plug wire on both the 500 & 400 both free of charge and they did it in 2 days im impressed!

 

Hey Twomanytoys did you buy your bike at Gene's polaris outside of Houston? I can't complain about any of thier services.

 

67 bullet no I took it to K's motorsports in humble. They have had problems in the past but they are getting better now.