I have a 04.5 sportsman 500 and it ran hot on me. I brought it home washed out the radiator real good and test drove it again. I ran it for 15 minutes and the fan never kicked in and it ran hot again. Are there any fuses I can check? Any other thoughts as to why its running hot? How big of a job to change out the fan? How much will a fan run me? Any way to check to make sure the fan is bad? I know this is a lot of questions but I'm going on a 3 day trip real soon and need some help. Thanks.
Noble

 

I had that happen to me once and my fan was unpluged I don't know how it came unpluged.

 

I checked that. Its still plugged in. Thanks for replying.

Noble

 

I have a 96 polaris 500 sportsman. I am having the same problem. Curious if you ever foound a solution

Keith

 

I had a 2000 500 and it did the same thing. The Temp sensor in the bottom right corner of the radiator was junk. Bottom right when looking at it from sitting on the 4 wheeler. There is a way to check it..... just trying to remember how. The wiring for it came up just under the headlight in the front, was a plastic cover to pull off to get at it. Turn the key to the on position. If you pulled the plug apart from the wiring of that sensor... and then jumped the 2 contacts with another piece of wire and the fan itself kicks on,, that sensor is junk. If the fan dont come on,,, it could just be the fan. Make sure you use the wire to jump the contacts on the plug you pulled the plug end of the sensor wires from. I dont know if both years of the 500 are the same, but thought maybe this would help. Let me know if it works.

Thanks

Rob

 

Mine is actually getting hot (I think). Radiator fluid is running at about 225 degrees according to the thermometer I placed inside the cap. I assume this is too hot. Any one know the normal running temp?

 

To check the fan unplug the connector from the switch on the rad.

Check to see you have 12 volts on one side of the connector with the key on. If so get a jumper wire and cross the connector. The fan will come on if the fan motor is good.

If it fails to come on the motor is bad. Also sometimes the brushes are just stuck. Peck on the fan motor with a wrench while you have the connector crossed. It may start to work. If not buy a fan motor or have it rebuilt.

 

Thanks, I will check this as well.

Keith

 

Isn't that what I just said? Or should say tried to say. Except maybe worded differently.

Rob

 

I have a 2001 Sportsman 500 HO RSE, I have had zero problems with this four wheeler until last summer.
It started running hot and the fan was not running at times, when I knew it should have been. I have taken it to two different Polaris dealers who have tried everything....new sensor, new relay,coolant flush etc....The fan would always run for them.
Still running hot, My radiator has been cleaned numerous times. I think I have figured out what my problem is, yesterday I was riding through some deep water, the fan was running until it hit that water and I heard a small popping noise, then it quit, 15 minutes later I was overheating again and NO FAN.....
After an hour or so I started riding again and the fan was turning on and off as it should. It was 98 degrees yesterday with extremely high humidity and it was not running hot, as long as I kept that fan dry. I think I either have bad bearings on the fan motor, and the water is causing it to become unbalanced and quit or just a bad seal on the fan motor and the moisture is killing it.
I called the Polaris dealership today they wanted $229.00 for the fan assembly, I just ordered a brand new fan for $90.00 off of Ebay. I will let you know if this fixes my problem.....
I love this ATV, it has been great for me and Polaris because of the Sportsman, has caused all the other manufacturers to step up their game, It has been through some serious torture and has held up, but it's too hot here in Georgia to run without a radiator and if this doesn't fix it, I'm gonna have to upgrade to one of the new big boys....