I bought this project a couple months ago and just haven't had time to get back to it. I'm going to try to sell it or get it running, but figured I would work on both.

It wasn't running when I bought and was able to start with jumper wires and bypassing the ignition switch. I got a new switch, rebuilt the carb and finally got a battery that fit it... and now nothing. I can get it to turn over by shorting the solenoid, but it won't fire now, and it no longer has a hot positive on the ignition switch. Before I jump into this too much can someone point me in the right direction on what to check first. My first thought is check for blown fuse or even several, but I look it over and when I read in my clymer manual I can't find anything for the 2005 Sportsman 500 on where fuses are? I'm guessing these may have the fuses in the wires throughout the quad... am I right? Any other things to check? Could my solenoid maybe be fried?

 

Pop the front panel and see if the BLACK finned Chinese ecm module has been replaced with a silver US made Sure Power module.These can cause all kinds of problems from not starting to electrical wiring fires. You can search this forum on ecm problems also. Even if it has been changed the replacements can go out! This was an on going problem!!! Look here. Huge ATV Recall by Polaris - Sportsman and Scrambler This is the first thing I would check out. It is a safety recall and if the module hasn't been changed(some atv's are still floating around that haven't been,most dealers should be able to help you out) OPT

 

Mine is a black finned "made in China" Sure Power ECM. So if I understand this correct, then I need to unplug my negative battery cable, and get to the Polaris dealership to see what they will do for me?

 

Yes!! Call your nearest dealer,they should be able to help you since it's a safety recall and Polaris will pay for this! Don't let any dealer try to charge you for the replacement! OPT

 

Well... that's exaclty what the dealer is trying to do. Says that my particular ATV shows to have had the computer swapped twice under my vin number. Wants $150 for new ECM. This is crap! If this was indeed what happened, then shouldn't they have taken my old ECM?

Any ideas on how I can get the old ECM swapped for the right one without it being on my dime?

 

If the vin# has been turned in to Polaris as having the ecm replaced,then possible that previous owner or someone reinstalled a Chinese ecm if the module is BLACK when they sold it! Polaris didn't want the old Chinese modules turned in for warranty,so there are probably a bunch floating around!! Don't know if this will show any info as to any warranty work,but put your vin# here and see. http://www.purepolaris.com/en-us/Ran...earch-VIN.aspx
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I'm surprised by that! There's really no logic as to why an owner would do that before he sold it... if Polaris did indeed actually allow them to keep the part. If I had a safety recall of this magnitude... then I would want to make dang sure that the parts recalled, and made Polaris liable, were off the market.

I'll call Polaris direct tomorrow and see if there's anything they can do. Maybe I can send them the bad ECM and they send me a new one rather than go through a dealer.

 

Hopefully Polaris will help you out on this,but don't get your hopes up too high if they have records of two replacements. I had a stack of Chinese ecms and they told me to trash em that they didn't want em returned unlike all the other warranty parts that they requested. Something sounds fishy on your atv as to why it still has a Chinese ecm?? Could be the previous owner as I said or even some dealers could have listed all affected units they sold(and never got around to replacing all the ecms) just to claim warranty bucks? OPT

 

How much should I be paying for a new ECM? Is there anywhere less expensive than the dealership for me to get one?

 

The replacement American made #2203348 module is $136 at Cycle Parts Warehouse. You might also check Cheap Cycle Parts,but probably wont be any or much cheaper. OPT