I have a 96 xplorer 400 that will not start I have tracked the problem down to the ignition system. When you hit the starter button and check the spark plug it will spark one time when the motor turns over then no more, when you hit the starter again you will get one spark again and then none. Has anyone had this problem with the 400 2 stroke before? I am thinking that it is in the stator but don't want to buy one if that is not the problem. Does anyone have a service manual with tests for the stator assembly to help diagnose the problem? I appreciate any help or advice.
Thanks,
Brian Rhoads

 

try unpluggin the black wire from the rev limiter box. also try unplugged the black wire from the CDI box...its easy to try the cheap fixes first

 

is the rev limiter box the black rectangle shaped one that is on top of the oil tank? I have always had honda machines and am not really farmiliar with polaris yet but I am getting educated.

 

if your at the front of the bike looking at it..the rev box is on the left hand side of the machine and it should be just behind the oil tank

 

Unplugging the black wire from the cdi unit let the engine start, is the cdi bad or is the problem elsewhere. I checked in a haynes manual and it suggested the thumb kill switch which is also the starter switch on this machine. I tried to test the thumb switch but it doesn't function unless the black wire is plugged in, which also kills the motor. I am kind of running into a wall and I don't have anyone with a cdi that I can borrow to rule it out and of course a new cdi cannot be returned. Does anybody have any aftermarket cdi sources?

 

something similar happened my friends xplorer. What we found was where the wiring harness runs along the left side of the motor, it had chafed a bare spot through the harness. Look where the cylinder meet the case on the left side. Could be worth checking.

 

agree with above post..sounds like there is a bare wire somewhere. cdi is not bad because it still lets a spark happen. the only thing that is happening is it senses when the black wire is tied to ground. when that happends the spark turns into electricity. general rule of electricity is "follow path of least resistance" so instead of trying to jump a gap, it just grounds to the bare spot. either your kill switch is bad or the black wire has a bare spot. you could rig up your own kill switch type apperatus to check it. take a momentary switch and bring two wires off of it. take one to the ground and take the other one where the black wire would normaly tie into the cdi. completely unplug the orignal black wire. start the machine then use your new switch to see if it will kill the machine (you will have to hold it down until the machine completely stops)

sorry for the long post..i felt like typing for once

 

Hi just reading this thread I have the same problem with my polaris xplorer 400 2000 I have replaced the Cdi coil regulator and spark plug I tried unplugging the black wires still nothing I checked the wiring it's all good so now I'm lost when I hit the start button it sparks once and then none actually there is pin holes in the wiring from the stator from an ohm meter when the tested them it wouldn't spark out though them would it

 

Welcome! Check the resistance on the Red and Red/Black wires from the stator to the cdi. Should be around 226 ohms resistance. Also the White and White/Red wires should show around 97 ohms resistance.(+ or - 20% on both readings) If either of these are off by more than 20% could be a stator problem. OPT

 

I joined this site in hopes someone can help me I'm a auto mechanic by trade and have fixed a few quads here and there but this one is leaving me stumped iI purchased a 95 xplorer 400 4x4 has one spark then none new stator, new pulse coil, and new coil the guy I bought it from said a magnet came undone in the flywheel and took out the stator but he glued it back and the corners are kinda chipped could this be the problem? I did the black wire trick and that didn't work also please help at Whits end with this thing