Recently acquired a 2000 Wolverine that needed some work, have finished most everything at this point.


I've been around several of these machines over the years, and it seems that a whole bunch of them develop issues with the electric starting once they have some age on them, and mine is no exception.


It had a bad battery when I got it, so I put a new one in. Fired right up using the electric start after that. After a few starts, the electric start started to work sporadically. I'd hit the button and the relay would click, but nothing else would happen. I'd then grab the back up pull-cord and pull it just enough to turn the engine over, then hit the start button and the electric start would "catch" and start the machine. After a handful of starts done in this manner it got progressively weaker to the point where it wouldn't even turn the engine over any longer and would just click the relay. I used a mallet to tap on the starter and it will try to spin, but it basically sounds like it's full of pea gravel at this point and doesn't turn the engine over.
I ordered a new starter online yesterday. I'm assuming I'm on the right track because of the way the old starter sounds. Any thoughts?

 

You probably just needed new brushes in the starter, but hitting it with a mallet will have broken the magnets, so you need a new starter now.

 

You could of tried the $16 bush kit (#4) Dirt Cheap Yamaha, Polaris, Suzuki & Kawasaki OEM Parts & Accessories – Cycle Parts Warehouse before the $280 starter.

My Polaris had a stuck brush in the starter 4 years ago that just needed a cleaning.

 

New starter was $45 online.

 

My site only sells OEM.

 

New starter cured the problem. A guy in my area rebuilds ATV starters with new Honda brushes for around $50 per, so I may have him re-do the old one for a spare.


Thanks fellas

 

I bought a no name Bendix drive for my 500 for $70 vs a OEM for $170 Canadian from the dealer and it still works 5 years later, so they are not all bad.

 

Our "aftermarket" parts supplier used to sell OEM starters and we had no problem. Recently they changed to ones with "made in China" on them and we have had trouble. They are a lot more likely to have magnets dropping off, coms seem more prone to burning too. They are often worn out by the time they need new brushes. Some of the original starters are on their third or fourth set of brushes and 20+ years old.