Last November on my second ride on my new '04 SP 500 I ran a stick through the cooling fan and radiator on my machine from the back side. My fault, I was backing it out of a mud hole and a stick ran up between the strut and the frame. I accepted it and had it fixed, stuff happens I know that. Though the tune of $800 was hard to swallow for an ATV fan and radiator. I got it repaired around Christmas and aside form idling around the driveway plowing a little snow and going to the mail/paper box I hadn't got a chance to ride it on the trail since it was fixed.

We rode 67 miles Sunday in 65 degree weather and I noticed the cooling fan had not come on all day. When I got home and was cleaning it today, I found that one of the support fins on the back side of the fan was broken and missing. I took the cover off under the front rack, unplugged the wiring harness to the fan and it was getting 12 volts to the connector. I let it set and idle in 70 degree temps for 30 minutes and it never did kick on. The fan will spin, it's not locked up, and nothing seems bent or broken on the fan blades, just the support bracket.

The dealer wants another $200 for another fan. I just paid $800 for a fan, radiator, labor and tax and this was the first time I had it on the trail since it was replaced and now it's costing me another $200 to get another fan. Anyone know of a cheap website or dealer that might have them a little cheaper than $200? Any way to test the fan before I buy another one?

Anyone seen anything made to protect the back side of the fan? I did not go into any mud at all except what was on the trail, did not go out of the way to hit any blind mud holes, everyone else in the group followed behind each other, no one else had any problems at all. I didn't go anywhere that everyone else did, no one else broke anything, and I have no idea how I managed to jam something up form behind so hard it broke my new $200 fan without me even noticing it happening.
I know that when you ride stuff gets broke and I accepted it the first time. I take excellent care of my ATV, I keep it in the garage and always keep it spotless and well maintained, have always changed oil and done scheduled maint with Pure Polaris parts and it's still costing me $1000 so far in repairs. It's just disheartening, that's all. I was extra careful Sunday, always take care if it at home, and i still can't even keep a new fan from breaking in less than 70 miles. I put almost 1000 miles on a 2002 SP 500 and never had any problems with anything breaking on it. Now this!
Well, just thought anyone might have an idea on a cheaper fan or how to pretect it better. Guess I just needed to vent a little frustration too. Any ideas please let me know. Thanks in advance.

 

Hey andyems. After the dealer replaced the fan and rad the first time, did you check to make sure the fan worked? Sounds pretty fishy that the fan went out again with out being used much. Or did you break it again on your last ride?
BryceGTX

 

Go to an auto parts store and look at Spal fans. They have atv fans for cheaper.

 

Well, i took the fan off today, wired it to my battery and it runs fine. I checked the wire plug that goes from up around the headlight I guess, somewhere around there, going to the fan, it's getting 12 volts to it. Anyone know how to get it to kick on or what temp it should come on at. i let it idle for 30 minutes in around 70 degree weather and it still didn't come on, nor did it come on any on my ride the other day.
Also, this fan in an actual Spal fan. It has the spal part number and everything. I can't find this actual part number on any of the websites, but it is a Spal fan, and most of them sell for about $60, makes me want to cry for paying $200 for this one. It is broke, a few of the support fins are broke off, but as long as it's still running, i'm going to use it.
Any other ideas on the next step to find a solution? Thanks.

Andy

 

Alright, I finally got the fan put back on and ran a few tests. When I jump the fan from the 12 volt plug it runs fine. It shows about 13 volts or so on the wires coming out of the plug. The ATV end of the fan wire harness, the part that goes into the main wiring harness shows about 12-13 volts at the end of it, even when the switch is on and the motor is not running. So I know I have 12-13 volts coming to the end of the plug at all times, and I know that when 12-13 volts is applied to the fan, it runs.
I noticed when I had it unplugged the speedo needle flashed and the display flashed HOT and the check engine indicator was on. I plugged the fan back in and it came on. It ran for a few seconds, I turned off the motor while the fan was still running and started it back, but the fan never came back on. I let it idle for about 10 minutes and it never came back on. I repeated the process and it came backon after a few minutes, ran for 2-3 minutes and kicked off, like I think it should.
What controls when the ran turns on and off? Where is it, maybe it's went bad and it only kicks it on part time? I traced the wires from the fan into a box mounted to the frame with a huge wiring plug going in to it, so I guess that's where it gets power from. Maybe the fan just doesn't run alot on mine, I noticed when I first rode it the fan didn't come on nearly as much as on my 2002 SP 500, it seemed like it was on more than it was off. Also, with it, when you slid the engine kill switch to off it would still run the fan until the motor cooled, everything else would shut off including the tail light, but you could slide the switch and know the fan would run until the motor was cool and then everything else was already off. Mine will not run the fan when you slide the kill switch, it cuts everything off including the fan.
Just wondering if this is normal behavior or i have a bad temp switch or whatever runs the fan is only working part time? I have no idea how this is suppose to work, all I have to go by is my 2002 which ran alot more than this one ever has. Thanks for the help.

 

I can almost bet that the fan is not broken. If the temp light has never come on then everything is working as it should. Being at idle it would not heat up as if you were running it hard on a hot day. It will not generate nearly as much heat at idle. If you hooked the fan up to 12v and it runs, if you get 12v from the connector, if you unplug it and plug it in and it runs then everything is good. The fan turns on by a temp sensor. If the temp never gets high enough for the temp sensor to click the fan relay on then it will never come on. My 330 is the same exact way. I hardly ever hear it come on even after long rides. If the temp light does not come on then dont worry about it. Also the 500 runs alot cooler then the twins do.

 

I am having the same problem with my SP600 that "andyems" is having. A new temp sensor is $75.00 and I am not sure if that is the problem. My fan quit and I bought a 12" fan a O'Reilys auto parts ($59.00 life time warranty). I now have the fan wired to the key switch so that the fan runs all the time. Here in Texas I cannot chance the fan not coming on while I am out on the trail.