I just bought a 99 sportsman 335- the regulator/rectifier burnt up and the previous owner parked it for over a year/ I have replaced the regulator rectifier , but it still wont crank. I have drained all the old gas and changed the plug- My guess is that the carb is gummed up. This is my first Polaris, is there any thing else I should try? how can I be sure it has good spark?

 

Lick your finger, and stick it in the spark plug boot. JUST KIDDING.
Seriously, though, spark isn't that hard to check, but it is best done with a buddy. Unscrew the spark plug, and re-connect it to the wire. Holding onto the wire, move the plug so the bottom is touching the engine. Anywhere there is a clean surface is OK, just be sure it is solid to the metal. Now have your buddy turn on the switch, and crank the engine over. You should see a nice strong spark. If you can't see the spark, or it is weak, you will be able to see it. THey also make professional spark testers for about $10 at hardware stores, if you don't like the idea of holding onto it, with all that electricity.

 

I tried the spark test you just described and did not see any spark, I did however shock myself when I accidently touched the plug while trying to start it. Could it just be a real weak spark? If so what needs to be replacecd? CDI?

 

I just made a little progress. As recomended by my dealer, I disconnected the ground wire to the CDI and bingo, I now have spark. The manual I have says to check the kill and ignition switch for shorts and to make sure all the wires are properly conected. I am not sure how to check the switches or what to look for.

Anyone have any ideas?

 

Ignition switch:
When OFF, there should be a connection (continuity) between the terminals where the black & brown wires connect. This should be open when ON

When ON, there should be continuity between the red/white and red.
This should be open when OFF
There should be no continuity between any other terminals other than listed.

Kill Switch
Run position - open
Off position - continuity between the black & brown.

(see a pattern developing? The connection between the black/brown is what 'grounds out' the system, killing the engine. If the switches seem OK, follow those wires, they might be rubbed through somewhere, causing them to ground out, also.
Don't quote me on this, but I THINK the brown wire is the ignition wire, and the black, the ground. By grounding the brown, you lose spark. I also think (if memory serves me right) the brown wire also is controlled by the reverse rev limiter.
If you need help, reply back, I have a manual with the wiring diagrams SOMEWHERE that will be more help. I am just checking my 'quick reference' right now.

<edit>
PS, If the jolt you felt wasn't enough to make your whole arm ache, and cause you to almost wet your pants, either it was weak, or you are tougher than I am

 

Thanks Farmr123- I am going to pull all the front plastic off and see if I can't find a short- A short may have been what cased the regulator/rectifier to burn up in the first place.

That "terminal" board on these older Sportsmans really sucks!

by the way, I must have only gotten a weak shock (the CDI was plugged in at the time) because it was just a tingle- nothing like what you descibed (thank goodness!)

 

What do you sugest I do? I have pulled all the plastic and can't find any pinched wires. I cleaned the carb and made sure all the wires on the "terminal" are pluged in good.

Do I have any options other than taking it to a dealer??

Also, if this matters- The choke lever is broken and there is a blue wire with a white sripe that is not plugged into anything ) on the terminal. (dealer said it is probably a dummy)

Any help is greatly appreciated as I REALLY don't want to have to take it to the shop.

Thanks in advance

 

Well, I got out the Polaris book. For a 99 Sp 335...

If there is no spark or weak spark, unhook the black wire at the CDI module. If you now have spark, check the ignition switch, kill switch, and speed limiter circuit for short to ground. Also check terminal board and connections for moisture, corrosion, and to be sure they are connected to wires of the same color.

One possibility is the throttle cable is too loose. That may sound silly, but Polaris machines have a safety switch built into the throttle, so that if the throttle sticks open, and you let off pressure with your thumb, it will kill the spark.
Try holding the throttle partway open, do you get spark now? If so, that is your problem. You could also unhook the WHITE wire from the speed limiter in order to by-pass it. If that cures your problem, simply tighten the throttle a little bit, or there is moisture in the switch. If you pop off the top of the throttle housing, and look around, you should see 2 little contacts. They should NOT be touching unless the throttle is stuck partway open. It works by detecting excessive slack in the cable. Over time the cable can stretch to where they contact at idle. MANY people have complained about poor or non-running Polaris machines that just needed the cable adjusted.

Also, under normal circumstances, there should be NO power going to the speed limiter through the Green (or gray/orange, depending on model), except when in reverse. If power goes into the speed limiter thru that wire somehow, it can confuse the speed limiter. Unfortunately, most of the time, when it is confused, it usually kills the spark to be safe. If power comes in thru that wire, check for crossed wires, or a bad/misadjusted neutral/reverse sensor switch.

Remember that the speed limiter cuts the spark when it recieves voltage through 2 or more of these wires:
Green (or gray/orange
White
Yellow/red


Just remember, Voltage in:
white wire - throttle safety switch
Green or Gray/orange - gear position switch
Yellow/red - Rev limiter (I think that is in the headlight pod)

Last but not least, it could be a bad RPM limiter module.


Good luck

Farmr.

 

“If power comes in thru that wire, check for crossed wires, or a bad/misadjusted neutral/reverse sensor switch”



You may have hit the nail on the head! - I noticed that the gear indicator lights are not quite right. The shift linkage appears to be adjusted properly as the machine shifts into all gears smoothly, HOWEVER- when in neutral, all it takes is 1/16 movement backwards on the shift lever and the reverse light comes on. Come to think of it I never bothered to make sure the neutral light was on when I was testing spark as I assumed that this machine would start in any gear. Do the 99’s have to be in Neutral to start?

Could this be the root of all my problems? I sure hope so. Also- I know how to adjust the shift linkage, but it seems fine. How do I adjust the neutral/reverse sensor switch?


Thanks for all the help- I REALLY appreciate it.

 

Airwolf:
Gear selector switch/neutral light switch

Forward: R/W wire connected to the gry/W
Neutral: R/W cont. to Grn/W
Reverse: R/W cont. to Purple

there should be no other continuity other than what is listed.

If it seems like it shifts like it should, it might be the switch is maladjusted or bad, not the shifter linkages. On my Xpolorer, the switches are on the tranny itself, not on the linkages. I can't remember if the 335 had it in the tranny or on the shifter handle linkage housing.