My 2000 500 auto's lights dim when I depress the throttle.

Any Ideas?

Thanks.

 

Also the battery goes dead if quad sits for a few days.

Could this be the voltage regulator?

 

Check the connections at the battery, they need to be shiney and tight, where the wire touches the posts. Check the ground wire, for tight and clean.
Then get out the voltmeter and see whats happening when its revved up. As long as it gets to about 14. volts while revving, the battery will charge. If the wires look good, charge the battery and get it load tested.
Is there any after market wiring on this? winch, handwarmers, lights?

 

I checked battery with volt meter and it stays at 12 volts even at high revs.

Already cleaned posts and cables...not the problem.

Quads stays running even after hot cable is disconnected...so I believe cstator is ok.

I have a warn winch connected to its own solenoid.


Since the battery drains when quad is idle for a few days...would that not be an indication that the regulator diodes may be sticking and the fact that the voltmeter does not go above 12 volts at high revs?

 

Honabuster is steering you right. Sounds like a loose or dirty connection at the battery or either end of the ground wire. Could also be a dity fuse connection too. The not charging maybe part of that problem or seperate. But you need a connection check first.

 

You now you need to check the regulator and the stator as the ignition will operate ok at voltages below what is required to charge the battery. There is a check you can do with with an Ohmmeter. If you don't have a manual I could send you a copy of the tests.

 

I have the service manual...tried to remove voltage regulator to test with ohm meter and I can not figure out how to disconnect the wiring.

In the parts schematic it looks like the wiring harness just plugs in...my regulator has the wiring coming out of the regulator cast body and one side goes into wiring to enging with no disconnect plug.

An unrelated side note: do you have to remove the hose between the air box and the carb at the carb to remove the air box...at least to put it back together?

 

If the volts wont go above static battery voltage, Id suspect the stator. Have you ohm checked that?

 

test the regulater if you can, mine did the same thing. it was grounding out and draining my battery. thinking it was connections,battery,ect... it was in fact the voltage regulater. it was $80.00 from the dealer. hopefully though its something more simple.

 

There are two plugs in the harness, a 3 pin and a 2 pin plug. One going to the stator and the other to the bike's electrical system. But the trouble with a no charging situation is it can be either the stator or the rectifier/regulator. So you need to check at least one of the items. I have even seen a bad stator take out a rectifier/regulator and vica-a-versa.