Stock 2001 Sportsman 500 HO starts quickly cold (50 degrees), runs fine, but won't restart when hot. Turns over well, but won't fire. After it cools down, it starts fine again. What are most likely problems to check?

 

sounds like the coil is going bad.If its under warranty,take it back to the dealer.

 

I also had the same problem with my 2001 ho. After taking it to the dealer they found that the stator was bad and they replaced it for free after warranty. You might have that also checked.

 

Thanks 401 & CWDancer. The SP 500 with the problem is a friend's, so I guess I can swap some parts (coil first, it's easier) with my SP500 and see what happens. No warranty and the only dealers in Phoenix area are incompetent crooks, so it's up to me. Thanks.

 

Check for spark when it's hot at the plug cap by putting a spare spark plug in, grounding it to the engine, and cranking the starter. If no good blue spark, go for the electrical solutions suggested already.

But.... If the machine has high miles or is tired, it's worth checking compression. Hard starting when hot is a classic symptom of low compression.

Sorry to hear about you lousy Polaris dealer. Try contacting the Polaris distributor or factory representitive for your area. Poor sevice is not acceptable and Polaris is good about making things right if you have a legitimate beef.