Symptoms: About one year ago I noticed my batteries began to wear down, or possibly go bad because of freezing over the winters. So, I'd buy a new battery every spring. At the same time, I noticed that my ATV became harder to start, or at times the battery would drain, after being fully charged. Thus, the starter/engine would turn over. So, most of the time I thought it was:
1) Bad Batteries
2) Something draining the batteries while the bike is turned off, not in use.
3) Combo of 1 & 2 plus the starter

Myself and my cousins believe the problem is at or between the battery or starter. This is what happened yesterday after the bike has sat over the winter.....

1) I try to start the ATV and nothing happens, completely dead battery. If anything, a clicking sound and maybe one single time it turned and that's it.
2) I decide to charge the battery overnight, so I can load it the next morning
3) I wake the next morning, and the battery is charge, ATV cranks, and starts up! Great!
4) I load the ATV and head to the farm
5) 5 hours later, I decide to unload the ATV, nothing! It just makes a clicking sounds, constant buzzing sound - both sounds at different starts. And then sometimes no sound.
6) We put the battery on a charger for 2 hours....it cranked over 1 time. The the same as No. 5 happens.
7) Go to Walmart and buy a new battery, and we charge overnight.
8) Next morning I was sure it would crank over and start, because this has been a consistant problem for past two years. So after charging the new battery overnight, we install, and start......nothing, only one - maybe two cranks this time and No. 5 happens.

Possible Problem:
A. The starter is freezing up, or has gone bad over time?
B. Electrical problem? Fuse? But if it was the fuse, I wouldn't think it would of started in morning.

Note: We tried to pull start, but the pull cord will not pull, it's stuck or something. We had the ATV in neutral, unless you need to hold down the clutch with your foot as you pull?

If it is the starter, is it hard to replace, or in an area hard to reach?

 

Bringing to the top again....

 

One of two things.
1) Stator is bad. You can check for output with the bike running.
2) Something is drawing down the battery when the bike is turned off. With the bike off, connect an amp meter in series with the battery and check for current draw. Depending if this bike requires memory power to hold memory in some installed electronics (I don't think it does) it should read no current flow. If it does, start pulling fuses until the amp meter drops to zero. This is where your drain is coming from.

If after a new fully charged battery is installed the bike will not crank, starter is bad.

Jim

 

first problem would b the wal-mart batteries i just threw the one away in my raptor and it was only 3 months old, it just couldn't hold up at all in everyday use. try switching to a better battery if checking the electral falls through for some reason but i'd try what Morky said first

 

Check all your connection are clean and tight first.

We were told by a Yamaha Mechanic the 660 needs a much more expensive 300 CA (Cranking Amp) battery because it has no decompression system and is a big bore. Just try to pull start one. LOL

A more typical ATV with a decompression system can get any with a cheaper Walmart 150-190 CA battery but not the Grizzly for long.

 

I can barely pull start my 660 and I'm 300lbs and in fairly good shape. The batteries for these things cost $70.00 plus(just for reference)...if its been on the charger all night and still wont start the battery is most likely junk even if it does have a slow drain. Otherwise, I agree with MORKY as best course of action.
Good luck!

 

I am having the exact same problem with my '03 Grizzly 660.

I thought it was a bad battery, so I bought a brand new Yuasa, it's still acting up.

Took the new battery back to the dealer and had them do a load test, they say it's good.

So now I'm in the same boat, trying to track down my power drain. I know the griz should draw some power because of the clock in the dash, but I don't know how much power draw is acceptable.

This has been a very frustrating problem for me too.

 

the same tihng is happening on my 2001 grizzly, i replaced the solinoid and it worked once and then my buddy said that it was the brushes in the starter so check both of those. and with the pull start, try pulling once, then yanking it hard and it should work. that's what it does for me.

 

Hey SmokinBarrel, do you have a winch?

I have a Warn A2500, and just realized my solenoid on my quad is the recalled one. One of the problems with the solenoids is that, when they go bad, they are in a constant state of on, drawing power. Warn recalled them because they can get hot. Mine never got hot, but I'm hoping the replacement will fix my Grizzly.

 

Pull the rope gently until it stops, let it retract in the pull it again hard to start it. You'll find it much easier to start this way.