Hi everyone. I just recently acquired a 2000?? Polaris sportsman 335 4x4 arhat has been sitting for quite a while. I decided before starting it to replace all the main fluids. I changed the oil new premium gas with a little bit of sea foam and new spark plug. I tried to pull start it and nothing. Connected the battery to my tractor to try and start it and the electronics work but when I try to start it all it does is crank and won’t start. Not sure if I have spark. How do I check that?? The quad was running recently. Any help would be greatly appreciated thanks!

 

by pulling the plug out and while its hooked to the wire lay it across the engine for a metal to metal ground and crank it over to see if there is spark on the electrode end. also see if the plug is wet to se if its getting any gas. the carb may need to be cleaned

 

alright thanks ill try that tomorrow and see what it does. anything else i should know about testing it before i go ahead and do it?

 

I totally lost my internet connection so I'll try posting this again.

When you ground the spark plug to the engine block make sure you're holding on to the spark plug cap and not the spark plug. It hurts if you accidentally touch metal instead of rubber when tens of thousands of volts are going through it.

 

well I didn't mean for them to hold on to it lol

 

Remember way back when I was teenager. Out on a work crew they couldn't get a motor working on a pump. They filled it with gas, and of course spilled it.


Tested for spark on the motor body.


It had spark, and fire. A big fire.


Good thing all the trucks had extinguishers.


So if you try that, make sure it's not covered in gas.

 

I know, but accidents happen. Like the time I accidentally touched the tip of the spark plug on a running lawnmower.


And to add to what Scooter said, be careful about sparks if you used a lot of starting fluid. I had to buy a new chainsaw because of that, but at least the new one ran. I might have needed a new one anyway.