I'm looking to get a 4-wheeler for general all-around use. Mostly it will be used for non-aggressive trail riding on a hunting lease during off-season.

I have stumbled on a Kodiak 400 4x4. It was wrecked at relatively high speed. A guy was attempting to jump a ditch and didn't clear it. Front end went in the ditch and he went flying off the front. The piping/guard stuff on the front is fairly busted up and even broken in one spot. The plastics are fine. I can't really find any "serious" damage although I am certainly not an ATV expert.

The guy claims it pulls to the right, but that seemed to mostly go away when I got proper air pressure across all tires. It might pull slightly...

The only issue that truly bothers me is one that appears to be electrical. When you put the engine in Neutral, sometimes no light at all comes on. Sometimes the Neutral light comes on, sometimes the Reverse light comes on, and sometimes it blinks between Reverse and Neutral. "Blink" is probably not accurate... more like a random "I can't make up my mind -- R or N" issue. Also, the lights will kind of "flicker" randomly.

When I want to start the engine, the fact that the light doesn't always show "N" when it is in fact in "N" appears to cause an issue. I have to push the ATV around while in "N" for a few yards and/or roll it back several feet and eventually I can get the N light to come on even though it was actually in Neutral the whole time. Hope I'm not confusing anyone... sorry.

Then, sometimes when it does show "N" and I hit the electric start it makes a weird little blip/click sound and then all electrical systems appear to go offline. To re-activate I have to roll the ATV around as described above, turn the key off and on, etc.

Also, how can I be sure what year ATV this is? Finally, given what little you know would you say this thing is worth $1500 assuming there are no issues other than the ones I described?

Thanks!

 

If this is anything like my timberwolf- Look underneath the engine on the left hand side. There are two little pieces of metal that stick out with wires that run to them. They are your neutral and reverse switches. If those wires have come loose they could be grounding against the engine block causing the light to come on. If you look in the manual *if you have one* there is a really simple continuity test that will tell you whether the switches are bad or not. If you want to start it but the neutral light won`t come on just pull the wire off the switch and ground it to the block well you press the start button. It works as a safety device and won`t let the engine crank unless it thinks its in neutral.

 

Cool, I'll have a peek tomorrow morning to see if there might be some loose wiring....

 

Couldn't seem to find any wires under there. Didn't have the electrical issues this morning... worked perfectly...

Still trying to figure out what year it is. I was told it was an 04. The front bumper has a grille on it though and I saw a front bumper on Ebay (appeared to be an original bumper not aftermarket) and it was for an 04 but with no grille.

 

The Kodiak,was changed it 2000 from a 400 air cooled with foot shift to a sportier Utility with a liguid cooled motor and CVT belt drive. The also called the 450 Grizzly a 450 Kodiak for its first year.

 

Almost all electrical problems start and end with a grind problem. Check your ground and make sure it has a good connection.

 

Is the shifter linkage bent from the impact? Maybe it is not actually going all the way into the gears you think it is going into (assuming it is an automatic).

 

If ebay does not work ,these guys are cheaper than a dealership. Yamaha of Troy