I have an 04.5 400 sportsman and on a long run yesterday the electrical system would periodically die and the engine would stall. The gauge pod would die, headlights shut down etc.... If I tried to restart by turning the key to starter position nothing would happen but if I turned the key to off position and then it would restart and run fine for a while. I can also restart by switching the red switch on the left handle bar to off and then back to run and then turning the key to the start position. Sometime it will run fine for 1/2 hour and sometime only for a few minutes but it always will restart and run fine for a bit. It is like something is reseting when I turn the key or red switch to off and thern back to run. Any ideas a to what the problem is?

 

I would check condition of the battery first! Have it load tested. If you can rule out the battery,then it could be a short in the wiring under the head light pod. Starting from the left control switch wiring going into the main harness by the steering post. Check for any broken ground wires,wires from the connector going into the speedo itself, also headlight harness wires are usually bent down and can break a ground wire or rub a bare spot.Same thing for the ignition switch wires,check that there are no shorts. Plus as you say you can move the on off switch back and forth and will crank,could be a short in left control switch itself (I've replace a few of these) You may have to remove the lower pod to really get down into the harness if everything else checks out.One other thing is to check that battery is charging 14 volts and is not be drained down by a bad regulator/rectifier. A lot of things to check,sometimes you can solve it pretty quick,some times you just have to have patience and check. ONE last thing, don't remember if your model is under the ECM recall,BUT call you dealer with vin# and if it is,COULD be the problem?? Keep us up dated OPT

 

Just to clarify about the "off/run/off switch". If the machine dies and I leave the key in the run position I can cycle the red switch to off and back to run and then I just have to turn the key to engage the starter. If I do not touch the red switch then I have to turn the key back to off and then to start to engage the starter as normal. If I do not do either of these then nothing happens when I just try to restart from the run position. The battery is good as are all battery/starter connections.

 

I would still check if your model is under the ecm recall first!! Funny things and dangerous things can happen if the ecm is bad! If the ecm is not the problem, I still think you have a problem either in the ignition or control switch wiring OR the switches themselves. OPT

 

My first thought would be the ECM but you definitly do need to check the basics first. I have been burned by loose battery cables before. Not many 04.5s were covered on the recall although they should have been.

 

Here is a old post about the ECM recall. http://forums.atvconnection.com/pola...cm-recall.html

Looks like a 2004.5 should be in there since the 2004 and 2005 are.

 

I called the dealer and gave them my serial number but there is no recall on my ECM. I double checked this on the polaris website and again it is not recalled. As for diagnosing my problem would a short somewhere cause everything to fail and not reactivate once the intermittent short corrected itself? Whatever is happening it requires shutting the key or run switch off and then on again to "reset" things. Also if the machine was running and I disconnected the battery everything would die but would the lights come back on once I reconnected it without thouching the switches? Are there any circuit breakers of any sort that may be tripping due to a short or something? Under the front cover there a 5 " things" that wires plug into, little black plastic things, plus the ECM. Are these relays , circuit breakers etc...

 

DON'T disconnect battery while running!! can cause a lot more problems! I have replaced Ecms that were not on the recall list,but on your schematic there is a 20 amp circuit breaker in the harness also shown(could be taped on top of the harness coming into the pod area as some later models are, but could still be in a sealed plastic pouch with red wires coming out each side?) Cutting off and back on sounds like what the circuit breaker can do,but the ecm can mimic the same thing!! See if you can find it first. If you find a sealed pouch,just split it open and check for corrosion on the two leads,same if its taped to the harness,check that connections are tight.Crank machine and if it cuts off check if power is still coming from both sides of circuit breaker.They can cut power if overheating. Check back with us. OPT