problem started with battery drain and is now blowing the main fuse, any ideas

 

A little more info would be nice. You have a draw on the battery???? Your main fuse is blowing when you turn the key or push the start button?????

 

the fuse blow as soon as i hook up the battery i tried lights on and off and the kill switch, the key dosen't make a difference, there is a short from my positive battery connector to ground ???

 

not exactly, there is a short in the power circuit AFTER the main fuse. Most likely a wire has rubbed through the insulation and is touching ground (frame) which blows the fuse.

now, which machine is this? and what year? I have wiring diagrams for rancher 350's but i need to know if it's 2wd or 4wd and ES or manual shift.

 

it's 2001 350 four traxx (, manual shift, no winch or hand warmers, )

 

IMO the easiest way to find the ground is to remove the main fuse and with a couple jumpers, wire in a single filiment bulb such as a motorcycle blinker, in place of the main fuse. The bulb is now the load in the circuit and won't hurt anything. Start unplugging connectors tied in to the circuit untill the light goes out. That will narrow it down quit a bit. It also helps considerably to have access to a wiring diagram.

 

i would start checking the wires around the steering area first where they go into the key switch. The wires come out of that main fuse and go right into the key switch, and since that area is always moving around, that's where i would start looking first.

also, try unplugging your voltage regulator/rectifier, there's a hot wire going into that too that doesnt go through the switch. A short in there would blow the main fuse also. good luck.

 

I played around with the wires at the key switch and the short is gone however i still don't see the problem, It's a better situation now, i started the bike using a booster pack and checked the voltage with no battery in and I'm only getting 3.5 volts, Where do I go from here, advice has been helpful so far, Please keep it coming thx

 

You should check the charging system with the battery charged and installed. Connect your meter to the battery terminals and start the motor. As you give it throttle the voltage reading should climb. If it doesn't the next place to look is the voltage regulator.