ATV Electrical Problems Q&A
From stators to batteries, regulator-rectifiers and beyond, a wide range of electrical problems can and do happen to ATVs. Whether it's a Honda or a Yamaha quad, a faulty component in the electrical system can cause both charging and starting problems.
John Talley does live Q&A sessions every Friday at 3pm Eastern, and in this issue he answers questions from our viewers about Honda and Yamaha ATV electrical problems. Here are John's answers to some of our viewers' questions about starting and charging problems with ATVs made by both manufacturers.
Honda ATV Electrical Problems
I have a 2014 Honda Foreman, no spark. I changed the stator spark plug and wire but still no spark. Any suggestions?
John Talley: With the 2014 Honda Foreman, you’re getting into one of the more complicated machines … it sounds like you’re heading in the right direction starting with the basics. I would also be curious to know if the Foreman is giving you any type of error codes on the display, check engine light, anything like that. It may be trying to tell you something, and to get a read on that you’ll have to take it to a dealer if it is in fact throwing a code.
Watch the videos above to see how to test the charging system of a Honda ATV and how to test powersports vehicle stators.
Yamaha ATV Electrical Problems
The fan on my 2007 Raptor 700R won’t turn on. I checked the bullet connectors. Any other ideas?
John Talley: You need to make sure that the fuse going to the fan itself is still intact, and after that you need to check the thermistor … inside of your radiator. It actually screws in, and that’s basically your contactor point that’s going to let power go over to the motor itself. So with a temperature gauge … bring it up to temp, keep it on there, and see if that is actually reaching its operating temp or it’s switch-on temp. And see with your volt-ohm meter, check it there, or just with a test light and see if power is actually passing through. And if it is, well, at that point you want to go ahead and send power directly to your motor and make sure it’s ok.
Watch the video above to learn about the differences between test lights and multimeters.
I replaced the stator, rectifier, solenoid, and ignition on a Yamaha Rhino, and it still won’t start unless I bridge the solenoid. Any suggestions?
John Talley: It sounds to me like you’re not actually triggering the solenoid itself, so I’d check the key switch to see if it’s actually giving you a contact closure. If you’re not getting power there from that trigger, then there’s your problem. It’s going to be the actual starter switch.
Watch the videos above to learn how to troubleshoot charging and starting problems on a Yamaha ATV.
Want to see more live repair questions answered? See more motorcycle and ATV repair questions answered here.
