I run a small engine shop and I have recently started taking in ATVs into the shop to offset some of the winter slow time. I have actually started to enjoy working with these machines and also own a explorer 500 4x4 myself. I have a Explorer 400 4x4 2-stroke in my shop right now that I am working on and I am trying to get the AWD to work . Here is what it is doing , when the AWD button is depressed and you move the shifter into forward gear or reverse and depress the over ride button the lights go dim and within about 10 sec the circuit breaker trips. I have installed a new battery and made some obvious wiring checks. The next thing that I was planning on looking at was the wires feeding the front wheel clutches . I have tried to locate a wiring schematic so I could bypass the switches but I connot find one , has anyone had a similar problem ? If so could you please assist me with some help on mine .


Thank you

 

Sounds like the high side of the AWD coil may be shorting to ground somewhere.

What year is the bike? Send me your email address and I'll send you the schematic.

 

There is always more to a story than someone tells , I pulled the AWD switch off and disconnected the brown wire and the solid grey wire from the terminal strip labeled brown whiched seemed wierd , why would there be a grey wire on the brown terminal strip. To make a long story short the solid grey wire from the AWD switch should be terminated on the primary coil wire terminal strip , moved the wire and the AWD worked like a charm . I will ask the owner if he has ever had this machine repaired before or if the AWD has ever worked , I'll bet someone replaced the switch and terminated the wires wrong.

 

Connecting the grey wire to the brown terminal strip is the same as shorting the high side of the AWD coil to ground.... that'll do it everytime.

Glad you found the problem!

 

I hope you can help me too, I also have a 95 polaris xplorer 400, I can't get the 4x4 to work now either, it worked fine last fall and now has quit altogether, I think the tiny bulb might be burnt out but it still doesn't engage into 4x4, I suspect something is wrong with the wiring somewhere because now when I put it into forward or reverse the headlight goes out too. any suggestions or schematics I can find to help. I sure need it.