Hard starting Polaris.

Angus 1895

5 year old buck +
I’m hoping to go fishing soon. This Polaris is getting hard to start in the cold. Other than a new battery, what could I do?

Thanks
 

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Could it be a bad stator? I've seen that happen in an ATV before.
 
The starter cranks good.

I think it’s starved of fuel when cold.

I got a trickle charger, gonna buy a block heater, and octane boost.

It wouldn’t start at 5 degree, ( it chugged and fired some) battery went dead, within 1/2 an hour at 9 degrees it immediately fired up.
 
Not the starter, the stator. Sometimes they go bad and won't fully charge the battery.

Could well be a fuel issue, though. If it's just a problem in extreme cold, that might just be a problem with the battery not putting out enough juice. I've had that happen with my car before. I just made sure to park it in the garage until the weather warmed up.
 
I’m charging the battery now, it’s still taking a charge. Yes it’s lately cranking a lot more than it used to.
 
Cood be the valves need adjusted, if it's never been done.
 
Once they serviced it is when it became hard starting. But it’s easily a month before they can service it again.
 
It fired up much quicker with a fully charged battery. But it also is 18 degrees outside.
 
Get a better battery. Cheap atv batteries don't last long. Good ones not much longer.
 
Even the cheap batteries are $150 for ATV's at Auto Zone/O'Reilly's. Can't imagine what a good one costs.
 
Running premium?
 
Running premium?

That was my first (actually 2nd behind battery) thought. The FIL was putting old gas out of his farm tank into his UTV and ATV. Both cranked a while before starting while using that gas. I started filling them up with straight gas (no alcohol) and the problem went away after a couple of top-offs. They both start easier and idle better.
 
Do not run premium! Run 87 octane without alcohol.

Polaris themselves told me this after last winter. My new Ranger would roll and roll without starting.

It works!! I started mine 2 days ago at -18f on the first bump of the key.

Another thing….my dealer said to just BARELY give it a bit of throttle on startup. Like 1/8” on the pedal. This also works..on premium gas.
 
Do not run premium! Run 87 octane without alcohol.

Polaris themselves told me this after last winter. My new Ranger would roll and roll without starting.

It works!! I started mine 2 days ago at -18f on the first bump of the key.

Another thing….my dealer said to just BARELY give it a bit of throttle on startup. Like 1/8” on the pedal. This also works..on premium gas.
That's why I asked. Premium in my Ranger led to the same results.
 
Fuel injected? The FI and or ignition does not have adequate power due to the draw down of the starter on a cold battery.
 
Spark plugs
 
Sorry for stealing your idea HomerJ!

For me, it’s been a night/day difference though! Last winter I darn near stoned the battery a couple of times before it started on 93 octane. It was driving me nuts that a $35k machine with under 50 hours started so poorly.

The only “issue” I have now is that 87 octane non-ethanol gas can be hard to find.
 
Sorry for stealing your idea HomerJ!

For me, it’s been a night/day difference though! Last winter I darn near stoned the battery a couple of times before it started on 93 octane. It was driving me nuts that a $35k machine with under 50 hours started so poorly.

The only “issue” I have now is that 87 octane non-ethanol gas can be hard to find.
My Polaris dealer told me to run plain old 87 octane with ethanol. The motors are built to run on it. I do add Stabil in the winter.
 
I think the alcohol actually helps with cold starts….doesn’t it?

My problem is that I don’t go through much gas in a year and I worry it will pull in a bunch of water and cause other problems. But maybe I shouldn’t.
 
I think the alcohol actually helps with cold starts….doesn’t it?

My problem is that I don’t go through much gas in a year and I worry it will pull in a bunch of water and cause other problems. But maybe I shouldn’t.
Stabil for ethanol when you fill up. Problem solved
 
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