I ran the bike a little today out in the yard. I am able to consistently get the rear end to disengage when in Turf Mode. When I switch in to TM, I start accelerating, and as soon as I let off of the gas, the rear end loses power. I have to switch in to 2WD, which immediately engages the rear end again. When I switch in to TM, I hear a clicking in the rear end which I assume is the rear diff. switching to just one wheel instead of both being locked (I'm assuming this is normal).

I also confirmed that the drive shaft to the rear end is turning when this happens, so it seems that it is definitely an issue in the rear end, and not the transmission or drive belt.

I was going to pick up a bottle of the angle drive fluid today, but the dealership was closed. I'll get some on Thursday and get the rear diff. filled up.

Does anyone feel that this issue could be caused by low fluid in the rear diff? Or does it seem like there is an actual issue with the TM itself?

Thanks.

Bryan

 

this not a clutch issue. it must be a rear end issue it its working fine in the 2x4 and not in the turf mode. look at the [parts break down and you can see your self what parts do what to giv you an idear on whats its doing.

 

UPDATE:

I jacked up the rear end today, and found the following:

The left rear wheel does not engage in either mode (Turf mode or 2WD). When I turn the right rear wheel, it does not affect the left wheel at all. In other words, no matter what I do, I cannot get the left rear wheel to engage. It just free spins in any mode. According to a mechanic at the local dealership, when in 2WD, both wheels should engage and get power to the ground. While lifted, I cranked up the engine, put it in both 2WD and Turf Mode, gave it some gas, and the left rear wheel never spun..

Could this be electrical (electronic shifter not working correctly), or does it sound like something is broke in the rear end?

Thanks.

Bryan

 

maybe someone that has one can tell you what to listen for while putting it in and out of turf mode to see if the electronics are working or test the power supply to it.

 

I think you may want to get the electronic differential checked out, just to second your own thoughts.

 

Yeah,
I have an '04 ATP. When you slide the switch from 2wd to Turf you should hear a clunk in the back end, and another clunk when switching back to 2wd or AWD. No clunk no juice to the solenoid that moves the fork.
Fluid level shouldn't affect it a whole lot.
BTW The rear diff will leak, keep some 80-90 weight around and check it every now and again.

 

I realize that this thread is pretty old, but I wanted to go ahead and let everyone know what the issue ended up being with the Turf Mode not working properly.

I ended up jacking the rear end of the atv up and putting it on blocks. I then removed the left rear wheel, removed the shock and brake caliper from the axle, and unbolted the axle from the differential. At this point, I'm thinking that I will need to pull out on the axle to remove it from the diff. Suprisingly, when I removed the last bolt, the axle dropped straight down in to my hands.

Somehow, someway, the axle had been broken off smooth right where it goes in to the diff. When I say smooth, it looked like it had been turned on a laithe it was so smooth. There were no signs of grinding or stress, so I'm assuming that it was a defect in the steel that had a weak spot that snapped as soon as a load was put on it.

My guess is that the original owner bought the bike, took it on a couple of rides, the axle broke, he figured it was something major, and sold it. Needless to say, I bought a new axle on the internet for $125, and now the bike runs great.

I went riding on the Houston Valley Trails in the North Georgia mountains last week, and the bike performed flawlessly.

Hopefully, my findings will help someone in the future that is experiencing a similar issue. Once I tore down the axle, the functionality of Turf Mode was very easy to understand.

Bryan

 

WOW! Very interresting.

I was going to suggest that you call the Dealer or person you bought it from and throw it back at them.

But I'm glad you figured it out.

How does it run now?

 

The bike runs very well. The only issue I have is with the choke. When the bike is cold, I pull out the choke, crank it, and it fires right up. It idles up as you would expect, but after about 5 seconds, it idles back down, and will die unless you hit the gas. From then on, I have to continually rev the engine up and down until the bike is warm. I've tried pushing in the choke halfway to help keep it idled up, but to no avail.

Once the bike is warmed up, it runs great.

I'm going to change the air filter, drain the carb, and check the spark plug. I'm also wondering if the idle needs to be adjusted.

Does anyone know what the idle speed for a 500HO should be when warm?

Thanks.

Bryan

 

that smooth spot stub is deliberate,it is alittle line to have it snap there instead of breaking the case+breaking other internal parts when it is abused,something really stressful+sudden happened there. i had that on mine, broke clean,not sharp.