I'm posting in here hoping I can find some knowledgable Polaris guys. I have a Sportsman 500 (2000 or so I think) that is having intermittent problems when using the electric start. When you push the button you can hear a small click but than nothing else, no starter spinning and no crank. If you pull start it, it works fine. Whats more, on random occasions (say one in four attempts) it will start with the electric starter just fine. That's not to say you can push the starter button four times and get it to work, but rather you could ride it around for awhile after pull starting it and sometimes it will start back up with the electric.

It sounds to me like the starter maybe has bad spots or something what do you guys think?

Also how hard is it to replace the starter on that bike? I was told there was something that needed a special puller or something?

 

check all electrical connections first before asuming it's the starter

 

I bet your starter brushes are stuck and have to be cleaned. Take your starter apart and you will notice one brush looks wore down while infact it is just stuck in the up position.

I took out the air box and removed the top easy starter mounting bolt. With the bottom stubborn mounting bolt you just back in off until it hits the backplate of belt housing,it will not come out but will disconnect.
Than I used large channel locks and turned the start clockwise until the bolt was at the 12 O'Clock position and slipped the bolt and the starter right out no problem.

 

It could also be a bad solenoid. It's a lot easier to check and change then the starter

 

Ok well I managed to pull the starter off the top using TLC's suggestion MAN is that a time saver. In any case I put it on the bench next to the battery from the quad. I ran a jumper wire from the ground of the battery to the mounting bolt where the ground was, and than i ran a jumper wire from the hot on the battery to the positive terminal on the starter and nothing. As a control, i also hooked a test light up to the other mounting post on the starter and to the postive post on the starter and the light turns on, but the starter doesn't move.

I ordered a new stater from Ebay for like 60 bucks. I was also thinking of cutting down that stubborn bolt so that it was just a little bit shorter and possible easier to get back in. Any tips on putting it back in now that i've ripped it out?

 

The bolt went back in by just doing the same thing back wards. Put the bolt in at 12 O'Clock than turn it into position ,you may need to pry the bolt against the back plate to give you that extra room with a flat screw driver. The belt Housing back plate does bend a bit (I think it,s plastic?).

Can,t believe the manual calls for the removal of the primary and Secondary clutches and Back Plate just to remove the starter on the SP 400,450 and 500s.

You should take your old starter apart and check if the brushes are just stuck.

 

95 percent of the time when you hear the "Click" from the solenoid. The starter is bad. Unless the Positive starter cable connector was broke at the starter itself. Maybe 99 percent of the time. (my experience anywway)

 

My starter crapped out last week. Just clicking away and a tap from a hammer and away it would go. I pulled it off yesterday and the brushes were melted and the front bearing was toast. So I ordered some parts and hopefully by the end of the week I'll be up and running. Pretty good for being 9 months old. But my recoil didn't seal on the housing and I didn't notice for a few months and it filled with mud and water. My stator is just a big blob of mud, it'll have to be cleaned before I put it all back together. Oh well another lesson learned

 

have you checked your battery? it sounds to me like its going out. if it started up fine with the starter after riding a bit then it probably charged the battery some, just enough to have enough juice to crank it. when I got my sp (it was used) the starter sounded like it didn't want to turn sometimes but did fine after riding some. turned out the battery was only holding about 11.9 volts when it should have been 12.5. get your battery load tested at your local auto parts store. also try hooking it up to a trickle charger for a day or so. don't go over 2 amps on the charger though. I picked up one at walmart for $18. its a 1.5 amp trickle and works great. same one sells for $34 at autozone!!

 

I have a 2005 Polaris 500HO, the other day I went to start it and I just heard a click. I thought it was the battery so I replaced it.

It still clicks, I believe it is the starter.

Where is it located exactly? I haven't had a chance to look at it thoroughly.

Any info on location, shop manual, etc. would be greatly appreciated.

Thanx