My daughter-in-law called and told me the starter on our Bayou 250 started making a grinding noise and quit turning the engine over. Haven't seen the machine yet but wanted to know if this is a common fault or if anyone had suggestions that may be helpful.

Quad starts and runs fine using the pull start and the battery is fully charged.

 

Do you know how to test the starter? I had a problem with mine and its ground. Then I had a problem with the brushes inside wearing out and causing a grinding noise similar to what you describe. After I fixed that, I had a problem with one of the magnets detaching from the inside of the starter and sticking to the field. This caused the starter not to work/turn at all. All of these problems were quite fixable when compared to the price of a new one, and I performed all the work myself. I've had this Bayou since '95 and these three starter problems are all that have surfaced.

 

I just realized something. Is she sure its grinding or is it possible that the battery has become discharged and its the solenoid she hears. It will sound like a rapid clicking and may seem like grinding.

 

Thanks for the responses. It will be a couple of days before I am where the quad is but I'm glad to hear of your experiances. Sounds like there are a few things that may be causing the problem. The battery is fully charged.