I recently was the benefactor to a '02 Polaris 325 Magnum (Freedom Edition) which was originally my Late Father-in-Laws. I am told by my wife that it was running when he passed (A few years before I was in picture), but not too well. It was passed onto his step son Matt, who parked it in his yard and it sat for 6 years. Matt had always claimed that it wouldn't start either by key or recoil. Matt recently passed away in a tragic accident and my sister-in-law wanted it out of the yard. This is where I enter the picture.


After I got it home and evicted the mice from the air box, drained bad gas from bowl and tank and put some fresh gas in, I got it to start off recoil in about 20 pulls. The fuel hoses were all shot, no fuel selector valve, and the carb float was stuck so that fuel ran out the vents when running. In addition the battery was well beyond dead and the 6 pin key switch was partially broken (i.e. would not return to off, but would go to the start position).


I cleaned the gas tank, changed the ignition switch, replaced all the fuel hoses, put in a new selector valve, new air filter and rebuilt the Carb. She now starts on 2 pulls of the recoil. I also bought a new Battery and installed it and checked the wiring for any rodent damage.


A little about me, I spent 23 years serving as an Electronics Technician onboard U.S. Subs and am somewhat mechanically savvy. I retired from that life, and am currently an Electrical Test Engineer who builds our nations submarines for a living. I see/have seen a lot of WTF stuff in that world, so I am used to weird stuff, but this one is stumping me.


History out of the way, now for the issue:

What I am seeing now is that the engine will start on the battery with the starter no problem if I jump the solenoid wire (red going to W/R 31 with a bullet connector) straight to the battery positive, but if I try with the key nothing happens. The Off-On-Off kill switch on the left handle bar is in run and the key switch turns to start no problem. I get no voltage at the W/R 31 to the solenoid. I have checked continuity on the wire and have it to ignition switch Pin A and from Pin B back the R/W Splice on R/W 47 , I also checked the Ignition switch and have continuity to pins A and B when the key is in start. All grounds to the frame have been cleaned and checked sat. I also have checked the 20 amp circuit breaker good.


Looking at the diagram, I see a notation that the left handlebar switch assembly says push-up to start. The kill switch on my switch assembly does not push up at all, and the yellow override is for the reverse speed limiter/AWD only. Out of sheer desperation (or more precisely, a why the hell not? moment) I turned on the head lights and voila! the machine started with the key.


I see in the wiring diagram that there is a N.O. start switch depicted as being between pin F on the one connector and Pin C of the other, but there is no wire attached to PIN C. To top it off, my wife is claiming that it never was that way before (she would know for sure because she was one of the primary riders of this machine, also there is another 02 325 magnum (not a freedom)which my other brother-in-law owns. It also does not require the lights on to start. It is also broke in several ways, but he is not machine savvy at all, guess who get to fix that one!). This is a definite WTF problem to me.


Thanks in advance for any help.

 

Spray some electrical cleaner in the switch and work the switches.Common problem on these to have the brass parts corrode and fail. If you take one apart they have a habit of throwing the spring and ball bearing. Easier to just replace the switch.Plus this model doesn't have the combo up start,on/off as the manual says.Some later models did. #4010591 is the part number and used on several different machines. This is the cheapest one I've found if it comes down to replacing the switch.http://www.ebay.com/itm/2004-2005-Po...1%26rkt%3D1%26

 

OPT. That seemed to work, I successfully started the machine without the headlights on. The switch seems to be working semi-good, the kill switch only works in one direction though.


1 question about this combo switch, is the blue patch under the headlight switch a light or a stencil indicating high beams? I turn on the high beams and it seems to do nothing.


Thanks

 

If you mean does the switch light up,no the blue is just an indicator for high beam. I guess that's what you're asking..

 

yep, that is what I was asking. Thanks OPT!