2001 Arctic Cat 250 4x4 won't start
May 27, 2009 | 11:32 AM
#1
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Weekend Warrior
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2001 Arctic Cat 250 4x4 won't start
My 2001 Arctic Cat 250 4x4 has been running great up until this weekend. Now it refuses to start. The electric starter is firing, but the engine will not turn over. I cleaned the air and oil filter, but have not tried the carborator yet. I live in the midwest, so there are no altitude issues. Any suggestions?? Thanks in advance.
May 27, 2009 | 12:17 PM
#2
Pro Rider
Joined: Oct 2003
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From: Alaska
The electric starter is firing but the engine will not turn over?
Does that mean the starter will turn over the engine but the engine does not fire or try to start? OR that all you hear is a loud clicking noise that sounds like the starter and the engine does not turn over?
If it is the first thing mentioned above then you are either not getting spark or fuel? Fuel is easy to check by pulling the spark plug and seeing if it is wet. You can also insert it into the plug wire and ground it out and hit the start button and look for a spark. You just have to be careful or the spark will get you. Scares the crap out of you when it does.
THe second thing mentioned above may mean that the starter relay is clicking and not engaging the starter. It is often thought to be a bad starter when it is usually this relay. It is a little black thing that the hot wire from the battery connects to and another large wire comes out and goes to the starter. IT can make a loud click or a buzzing click sound. This can mean the relay is bad OR that the battery is bad. The battery is the easiest to check.
Remove the battery from the machine, trickle charge, 2 maps, for about 12 hours and check the voltage across the terminals with a volt meter. It should be between 12-13 volts. Let it set for about 8hrs and check again with the volt meter, if it is a bad battery it will usually drop to like 10volts. If this occurs replace the battery, charge it iver nigh at 2 amps again. Install it and see what happens.
Just DO NOT charge the battery at more than about 2 amps. These little ATV batteries are too small and you can get an arc across the battery plates that can damage the battery and cause it to explode in extreme cases.
Hope this helps
SJ
Does that mean the starter will turn over the engine but the engine does not fire or try to start? OR that all you hear is a loud clicking noise that sounds like the starter and the engine does not turn over?
If it is the first thing mentioned above then you are either not getting spark or fuel? Fuel is easy to check by pulling the spark plug and seeing if it is wet. You can also insert it into the plug wire and ground it out and hit the start button and look for a spark. You just have to be careful or the spark will get you. Scares the crap out of you when it does.
THe second thing mentioned above may mean that the starter relay is clicking and not engaging the starter. It is often thought to be a bad starter when it is usually this relay. It is a little black thing that the hot wire from the battery connects to and another large wire comes out and goes to the starter. IT can make a loud click or a buzzing click sound. This can mean the relay is bad OR that the battery is bad. The battery is the easiest to check.
Remove the battery from the machine, trickle charge, 2 maps, for about 12 hours and check the voltage across the terminals with a volt meter. It should be between 12-13 volts. Let it set for about 8hrs and check again with the volt meter, if it is a bad battery it will usually drop to like 10volts. If this occurs replace the battery, charge it iver nigh at 2 amps again. Install it and see what happens.
Just DO NOT charge the battery at more than about 2 amps. These little ATV batteries are too small and you can get an arc across the battery plates that can damage the battery and cause it to explode in extreme cases.
Hope this helps
SJ
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