I would agree with this.The main reason for all the bulbs to blow is a bad battry or even a loose ground. When replacing the bulbs take them to AutoZone or any automtive parts place and match them up. Polaris will rape you with the prices of bulbs.You may have to get the dash and AWD bulbs there but he headlights top and bottom and the tail light you can get at a auto supply.

 

So can I work on this problem with the key on w/o the bike actually running? I'm hoping that the lights should still work with the key just on right?

 

Yep, the key has to be on for you to check the different wires and terminals for power, the bike does not have to be running.

The guys are right about checking bulbs though. Pre-'01 Sportsmans didn't like trying to run with a dead or even nearly dead battery. Power surges would go to unexpected places. Tail light bulbs seemed to go first, then things would get strange from the rear forward.
I fried two Lowrance GPSs on a '99 before tracing the problem to a dying battery.

If you really want to check the cells in your battery there's no better tool than a Yuasa specific gravity tester. That's how I diagnosed the problem. I have had to replace a voltage regulator once but I think that was on a different Sportsman.

 

I was able to put some time into it last night and found all the bulbs blown. I was able to get the 3 headlights and the tail light at walmart late last night [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]. GE1157 for the tail... 9003 for the "brights" front, and I'll have to find the number for the two main fronts.

So next question: Do I have to go to the dealer for those other lights? I hate going to the dealer for stuff. They tend to rape you and don't even do it politely. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

I ended up having to get my dash lights from the dealer but if you have time take them outand go to a good auto parts store you may find them.If you do let me know.

 

this is a very interesting topic and I was sort of really surprised to hear that a battery problem/no battery could cause all the lights to blow.

 

This is a convenience post for the next person that happens to need the info...

Bulbs that I used:

Front Bright on Column: walmart - about $9 - Part # 9003
Front Headlights: walmart - $4 each - Part # 894
Tail Light: walmart - $1.97 for two - Part # 1157
Neutral/Reverse Lights - Polaris Dealer - $13.64 - Part # 4040054
4WD light on right handlebar - Polaris Dealer - $3.15 - Part # 4030047
Temp Light - Polaris Dealer - $10.49 - Part # 4040053
High Beam Light - Polaris Dealer - $10.49 - Part # 4040013
Speedo Light - Polaris Dealer - $2.47 - Part # 4G1-84744-00-xx (this is actually a yamaha part, but any 12v 3.4 watt bulb works. I found simillar ones at walmart, but they didn't have a wattage on them, and the dealer parts were cheap.)

Total price - $59.21 - DON'T START YOUR QUAD W/O A WORKING BATTERY UNLESS YOU HAVE TO!!!!

What year did they fix this, and is there anything I can do to mod this like the newer models so it won't do this?

 

As mentioned in a previous post, this problem exists in all pre ’01or ’00 machines, not sure of the exact year it was changed. As far as I know there’s no mod or upgrade you can do to change it, at least not easily. Just make sure you have a charged battery in good condition and you won’t blow all the bulbs again. There are a lot of these machines out there that have never blown bulbs. It’s more of a “quirk” than an epidemic.