ive got a 2003 sportsman 500 ho 4x4 me and my buddy went riding and i went into a daredevil mode and got her stuck in some water it was all up around the engine area i live in new york so it gets cold so now when its cold the starter zings but when its in the 40s she fires right up so i think the water in the crank case or some where in there is freezing so some1 told me theres drain plugs on it i was wondering if some1 nos excatly where there at i tryed googling it there showing how to change the oil but thats the next step soon as i some more money i just changed all the fluids 4 months ago so its not that old plus i broke my gear short linkage so it was pretty fun but cold as hell messing with water when stuck

 

Check the air filter to see if it's gotten wet.There's a 14mm drain plug at the bottom of the recoil assembly. Kinda hard to get to,but it's really best just to remove the recoil cover 8mm bolts and pull the cover off to remove any water/moisture. Then you can spray a little WD40 to dissipate any water and wipe everything down. Plus you can have access to the starter bendix and can grease it up. Seal the cover good with rtv silicone,Yamabond,etc,plus you can do as some do and silicone the rope handle to help keep water out. Be sure to check your oil to see if it's milky colored(water contaminated). All it takes is a little water getting through the front gear case and transmission vent lines to mess things up also.

 

Probably water got down the pull rope hole into the bendix drive. Now it will not work if frozen. Had that happen I needed the exhaust from the truck on the recoil to thaw it out so it would work again.

 

I agree with TLC. I had this happen on my old 2000 sportsman. If you take the recoil housing off and clean everything and dry it all out you should be fine. Also after putting it back together silicone the handle to seal it water tight. If you need to use it you can rip the silicone and pull start it.

 

Thats what I do now. Lots of exspensive parts down that rope hole that do not like getting wet.

 

ok thanks guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
good advise!!