Let me start from the beginning. First, I have a '99 Sportsman 335. I spliced two wires, one to each wire coming from the oil cooler sensor, and attached them to a toggle switch in order to turn the cooling fan on or off since the sensor went bad. Okay, I've had that modification for 1,000 miles or so. Next, I have the reverse override disconnected. That has been for over 1,000 miles. Recently I've been noticing when I turn the key "on" it doesn't always make contact. However, I can turn back and forth slightly and it will make contact. Alright. For the past two rides my 335 died like it ran out of fuel and wouldn't start for a minute or so. After a few miles it would die again. I had fuel in the tank and the mixture is right. I tried to blame it on water in the gas, etc. and tried to forget about it. The other day I installed a reverse light. I ran a hot wire from the battery to one side of a SPDT toggle switch. I then ran a wire from the positive wire of the light to the middle post of the switch. Next, I connected the purple wire from the reverse override to the other post on the toggle switch. This enables me to operate the light by the toggle switch or by the override button; but not both at the same time. Today when turned the toggle switch on I got nothing. I traced every connection and found no fault at all. I took the pod apart (that's where I mounted both the fan switch and light switch) to check the toggle switch connections-they were good. I decide to take the positive wire off the light switch and in the process it bumped the fan toggle switch (which was "off") and the fan came on and stayed on. (the fan is only supposed to work when the toggle switch is "on") What happened there? Did I change the polarity of the motor or something? Now, I turned the key off and back on once I disconnected the fan and I lost all power to headlights, starter, everything. There is a catch, however. When I turn the key "on" and flip the reverse light switch to either position the light comes on, regardless if I press the override button or not. When I press the override button the light goes out-It's supposed to work the other way around! It did work fine and then things started going wrong. WHat do you folks think the problem is? Bad regulator, CDI box, ignition key switch??? Any theories on why the fan came on and stayed on or the override button works in reverse order???

 

I've seen problems with the toggle switches for the fans - if it is not a high amperage (HD) toggle switch, the contacts will burn up inside the switch (the "guts" get all melted loose) causing similar problems to what you are experiencing.

As far as your backup light - the reverse override switch was not designed for a lot of amperage and the use of it with a light may have welded the contacts together in the override switch. Try disconnecting the override switch from your toggle and see if you can turn the light off by means of just the toggle.