Well hello everyone on the cat pages. I would like to say that I love my 03 500 4x4 auto but right now it is a pain. First off it is a used machine so I am findiing out the hard way. So far brakes, radiator repair(luckley i got it palstic welded).
The fan worked just fine at first. now it is not coming on. I know the fan is good direct wire from battery to test. spins like crazey. sensor on radiator test ok to .
Well today the temp was a nice 70 degrees rode around the farm for awhile bingo the over heat comes on, also no fan ,temp lite jsut flashed quickly. Engine felt really hot so we shut it down. coolant level was ok just really hot 260 by thermoter put into radiator to test.
So after machine cooled sown thought I would see if fan was shot or sensor was shot. Bike started just fine rode it for ten minutes and it quit restarted it got back to the house and headed out toward the garagemotor just quit again. Now it acts like it has no spark. Have I fried the motor? I wouldn't doubt it this was one of those buyer beware I was a little hesitent but it was an 03 cat 4x4 auto for 3500. I know it was a 1000 less than it should have been, the warning bells should have said let this one it was beat to bad but i didn't now i really will have to pay i'm afraid unless somone know a simple fix? if the motor got to hot would it foul out the plug? any help is appreciated.

 

it could have fouled out the plug, make sure your getting gas and take out the pug and ground it to the motor and attach the wire and see if it sparks. If all that checks out give it a compression test. But i would doubt that you cooked it unless you were riding for awhile with it hot. Best thing to do in a overheat situation when you know it is because of the fan not running is take it and run at 40-45 for a few minutes to get air moving thru the radiator and cool the motor down before you shut it off. If you get it running you could always wire the fan up to a toggle switch so you control when it is on, or set up a relay that kicks the fan on when you turn on the key so its always running, relays are pretty cheap and radioshack

 

Sweeny,

new to this forum and Cats as well so may not be much help, but ...

I would say that there has got to be a problem with the heat sensor for the fan switch or it is not properly positioned or something because at 260 degress it should have had the fan running non-stop. If the fan seems to be working when you put juice to it, then it seems like it has to be the sensor. As far as it not starting - did you see my post on fuel tank venting. Sounds like the same thing that happens when the tank isn't venting and it creates backpressure, stopping fuel flow to the carburetor. When this happened to me it seemed to coincide with the motor being warm and causing the fuel in the tank to expand - no vent so you get backpressure. Try unscrwing the gas cap and/or starting it after it has cooled down a bit - maybe?