So I got this 98 Polaris Sportsman 500 4x4. Well it turned over when I bought it. I bought it with a starting issue. After troubleshooting it for about 2 days I found that the impulse mag. was shot. Broke. well i ordered a new one and installed and got it running. it run for about 10 mins. then I left it alone for a few days and come back to it when I had some time to finish it up and put all the plastics on it and take it for a spin. I drove up and done the rd. a few times and it was surging would not go full throttle or wide open. so I stopped to looked at the carb while it was running and it slowing stalled.......... Now the thing won't cranke turn over or budge. HELP!

 

Start at the basics.Oil and filter changed? Battery connections tight(old battery or a new one?), pull the plug, ground it to the engine see if you have spark. If you have spark,pull the fuel line,crank the engine over to see if you have fuel flow.If you do,then could be a carb problem.It's just a process of elimination of what can be the problem. Expect a 15 year old machine to have issues.

 

I have done all of the above. It was running well not great but. when it stopped it stopped! I can't pull the cord at all an the starter will not turn the engine over ether. It's like it just locked up. battery is new it has 12.7 volts.

 

Pull the recoil cover to see if the starter bendix has locked the flywheel. If the bendix is ok(not touching the flywheel) and you can't turn the flywheel by hand,then you may have a seized rod or piston. Did you check or change the oil when you bought it?