my buddy has an 02 prairie 650 its bad as hell. it keeps overheating about 5-10 min into a ride. coolant is full and looks great. what else should we check

 

radiator is possibly plugged with mud. Is the fan working?

 

Welcome bansheemas,

When you say it is overheating do you mean the fan is coming on or is he actually seeing the overheat light flashing on the dash. If it's just the fan then that is perfectly normal, I would be more concerned if it didn't come on. If the light is flashing, then YoeSeaOh is 100% correct. Clean the rad out thoroughly and try to keep it clean after each muddy run. You can order a lower rad guard from a 2003 prairie which is under $10 and does a better job of keeping the mud out of the rad.

 

definetely check the fan a buddy of mine had a branch work its way up to the fan wire and frayed it enough to break the connection pain to get to but better thane some thing serious brokrn[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif[/img]

 

the fan works fine its on all the time its the light that keeps coming on. we'll check to see if the rad is plugged up and look into that rad guard . thanks guys.

 

First, check the radiator to make sure it is clean. if it is


Check you pressure cap, on the radiator. mine came with a defected one, would do about what you are saying.

 

Check the back side of the radiator, especially if you run in mud a lot. If that is clear, next would be the thermostat. The frt. fender/plastic comes off, to do that.

 

I'd definitely check the thermostat like trx said. It sound like the thermostat is stuck either open or closed.

 

I'm not sure if you already knew this but here goes. To test you thermostat just put it in a bowl of hot water and see if it opens.

 

thanks everyone you've been a lot of help. we're gonna bust it down this weekend