2005 Ranger electrical problem

Cancerwarrior · 01-10-2012, 08:09 AM

Hello all, I am really hoping someone can help me out with this as i dont want to go to the dealer and get ripped off. I have a polaris ranger 500 with a carb that all the electrical stopped working. No lights, starter, nothing when u turn on the key. It was working just fine until i tried to jump it off one day and thats when it just quit everything. All the connections seem solid and I just put a brand new charged battery on it and nothing. Is there some sort of reset switch?Or a fuse box that I dont know about? I lost the manual I had for it so any troubleshooting help would be greatly appreciated.

Cancerwarrior · 01-10-2012, 09:12 AM

Also just FYI, my wife was driving it when the battery shifted and the positive terminal touched part of the frame and shorted the battery out. I tried to jump it off at first and it seemed to do fine and crank up. But when I removed the cabled it would die. When I hooked them back up the second time is when I got no power at all. Even when I hooked up the new battery. Nothing. If it is the ECM module (which I think it might be because there seem to be no fuses). does anyone know of a good website to buy one at thats not too pricey?

tpc1210 · 01-10-2012, 02:46 PM

It sounds funny but I had that same situation on '04 500 and it turned out to be the ignition switch. Try to test voltage to and from your ign. switch. Hope this helps. Sorry can't help with the ECM.

Russ Chastain · 01-12-2012, 10:57 PM

Shorting out the battery may have fried some of the electronic parts... you may have to bite the bullet and take it to the dealer.

Slacker · 01-21-2012, 10:27 AM

There should be fuses somewhere. My 08 has self reseting breakers, I don't know if they had them on your model or not but there should be one or the other. Mine are under the hood on the left side looking from the front. If the fuses are good then here's what I would do.

Grab a test light or a volt meter, they're inexpensive if you don't have one. This should be relatively easy to hunt down. Hows the battery? You should check it because you shorted it. A battery shop or auto parts store can load test it for you. Once you determine that you have a good battery start follow the positive cable and checking for power at each connection. When you find where the power ends try to figure out why. If it ends coming out of a solenoid or relay turn on the key to see if it is controlled by the key. If you come to the end or a cable or wire and it has no power but had power at the other end then is parted in the insulation. You get the idea. Electrical problems can be frustrating but when you have no power anywhere it's usually a battery, fused link or key controlled solenoid. Hopefully it's just the battery and it didn't smoke the regulator or something expensive. Good luck.

Cancerwarrior · 01-28-2012, 08:49 AM

Well I got a tester and followed the positive cable. Batterys good, I have power going into the starter solenoid but not out of it. I still cannot find any fuses or breakers on this model. From what I've read online the ECM controls all of that so there is none. So I'm gonna replace the starter solenoid and see if thats why i get no power anywhere. Its only a 35 dollar part so I really hope thats it. thanks all for the tips, ill keep ya posted.

Russ Chastain · 01-28-2012, 04:27 PM

If it's not the solenoid then it may be the key switch. The solenoid needs to get low-amperage 12v power in order to close the circuit for the high-amperage 12v power that turns the starter.

If the key switch doesn't send the power to the solenoid then it can't close to send juice to the starter.

Cancerwarrior · 01-31-2012, 07:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Russ Chastain

If it's not the solenoid then it may be the key switch. The solenoid needs to get low-amperage 12v power in order to close the circuit for the high-amperage 12v power that turns the starter.

If the key switch doesn't send the power to the solenoid then it can't close to send juice to the starter.

I ordered a new ignition, found one cheap on ebay for 20 bucks. This may seem like a stupid question, but how do i test the ign. exactly? do i need to scrape off some insulation on the red wire and touch the voltmeter to it?
It seems crazy that the ignition would make ALL the electrical not work, but it makes perfect sense the way you desribed it above.

Also, just FYI, the starter will turn over when i jump the connections on the starter solenoid.

Russ Chastain · 01-31-2012, 09:18 AM

Sounds like the starter is good, and there is high-amp juice to the solenoid, which is good.

You should be able to test without damaging insulation. There should be two large wires (the ones you jumped, I presume) and one or two small wires attached to the solenoid. If there is one small wire then it should be the one to test - place the + side of a volt meter on the terminal it attaches to on the solenoid, and put the - side of the meter on a good ground.

With the key turned to the START position (you may have to get someone to hold it in that position), that wire should get juice and show some voltage.

If there are more than one small wire then you will have to figure out which one is supposed to be + from the key switch.

Cancerwarrior · 01-31-2012, 09:44 AM

OK, there are two small wires on the solenoid, neither of them light up at all with the tester. I have power going into the solenoid, but not coming out of it on the other big wire or the two small wires. Would you think its just the starter solenoid? or do you think it could be both ign. and solenoid? It seems like the headlights would at least come on, so i really hope its not a popped ECM since they're 200 bucks or so. Thanks for all the help. I've never had to chase down electrical problems before.

01-10-2012, 08:09 AM	#1
Cancerwarrior Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 12	2005 Ranger electrical problem Hello all, I am really hoping someone can help me out with this as i dont want to go to the dealer and get ripped off. I have a polaris ranger 500 with a carb that all the electrical stopped working. No lights, starter, nothing when u turn on the key. It was working just fine until i tried to jump it off one day and thats when it just quit everything. All the connections seem solid and I just put a brand new charged battery on it and nothing. Is there some sort of reset switch?Or a fuse box that I dont know about? I lost the manual I had for it so any troubleshooting help would be greatly appreciated.

01-21-2012, 10:27 AM	#5
Slacker Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 228	There should be fuses somewhere. My 08 has self reseting breakers, I don't know if they had them on your model or not but there should be one or the other. Mine are under the hood on the left side looking from the front. If the fuses are good then here's what I would do. Grab a test light or a volt meter, they're inexpensive if you don't have one. This should be relatively easy to hunt down. Hows the battery? You should check it because you shorted it. A battery shop or auto parts store can load test it for you. Once you determine that you have a good battery start follow the positive cable and checking for power at each connection. When you find where the power ends try to figure out why. If it ends coming out of a solenoid or relay turn on the key to see if it is controlled by the key. If you come to the end or a cable or wire and it has no power but had power at the other end then is parted in the insulation. You get the idea. Electrical problems can be frustrating but when you have no power anywhere it's usually a battery, fused link or key controlled solenoid. Hopefully it's just the battery and it didn't smoke the regulator or something expensive. Good luck. __________________ 2008 Ranger Crew 700 Limited Edition 10,000 miles and counting

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
2005 Polaris 500 ranger problem	cainsw	Full Size Ranger Discussion	3	09-19-2011 10:39 PM
2005 Ranger electrical issue.	firefyter	Full Size Ranger Discussion	5	02-16-2011 10:37 PM
700 EFI Ranger electrical problem	minnsnoman	Full Size Ranger Discussion	0	04-23-2010 10:56 PM
2006 Ranger engine wont start, dead, electrical problem	LT1SS	Modified Tech Discussion	4	02-09-2010 03:54 AM
2005 Ranger Clutch? problem?	buster1966	Full Size Ranger Discussion	7	03-06-2009 05:08 PM

2005 Ranger electrical problem

05 polaris ranger 500 check engine light

2005 polaris ranger 500 where are the fuses

2005 polaris ranger when you jump the solenoid it turns over but wont start no power

can you use any 12 volt starter solenoid on an 05 polaris ranger 500 carb

jump solenoid on 2005 polaris ranger and starter engages

polaris battery shorted out

polaris ranger 500 startor wiring

polaris ranger electrical problems

polaris ranger fusible link

polaris ranger solenoid buzzing

polaris ranger starter problems

starter relay 2005 polaris 500

what will cause low volts on 05 polaris 700

wiring up a 2005 polaris ranger starter

yamaha quad electrical problems battery charged no electric to lights or starter

01-10-2012, 09:12 AM	#2
Cancerwarrior Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 12	Also just FYI, my wife was driving it when the battery shifted and the positive terminal touched part of the frame and shorted the battery out. I tried to jump it off at first and it seemed to do fine and crank up. But when I removed the cabled it would die. When I hooked them back up the second time is when I got no power at all. Even when I hooked up the new battery. Nothing. If it is the ECM module (which I think it might be because there seem to be no fuses). does anyone know of a good website to buy one at thats not too pricey?

01-10-2012, 02:46 PM	#3
tpc1210 Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Irving,TX Posts: 19	It sounds funny but I had that same situation on '04 500 and it turned out to be the ignition switch. Try to test voltage to and from your ign. switch. Hope this helps. Sorry can't help with the ECM.

01-12-2012, 10:57 PM	#4
Russ Chastain Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 1,078	Shorting out the battery may have fried some of the electronic parts... you may have to bite the bullet and take it to the dealer.

01-28-2012, 08:49 AM	#6
Cancerwarrior Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 12	Well I got a tester and followed the positive cable. Batterys good, I have power going into the starter solenoid but not out of it. I still cannot find any fuses or breakers on this model. From what I've read online the ECM controls all of that so there is none. So I'm gonna replace the starter solenoid and see if thats why i get no power anywhere. Its only a 35 dollar part so I really hope thats it. thanks all for the tips, ill keep ya posted.

01-28-2012, 04:27 PM	#7
Russ Chastain Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 1,078	If it's not the solenoid then it may be the key switch. The solenoid needs to get low-amperage 12v power in order to close the circuit for the high-amperage 12v power that turns the starter. If the key switch doesn't send the power to the solenoid then it can't close to send juice to the starter.

01-31-2012, 09:18 AM	#9
Russ Chastain Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 1,078	Sounds like the starter is good, and there is high-amp juice to the solenoid, which is good. You should be able to test without damaging insulation. There should be two large wires (the ones you jumped, I presume) and one or two small wires attached to the solenoid. If there is one small wire then it should be the one to test - place the + side of a volt meter on the terminal it attaches to on the solenoid, and put the - side of the meter on a good ground. With the key turned to the START position (you may have to get someone to hold it in that position), that wire should get juice and show some voltage. If there are more than one small wire then you will have to figure out which one is supposed to be + from the key switch.

01-31-2012, 09:44 AM	#10
Cancerwarrior Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 12	OK, there are two small wires on the solenoid, neither of them light up at all with the tester. I have power going into the solenoid, but not coming out of it on the other big wire or the two small wires. Would you think its just the starter solenoid? or do you think it could be both ign. and solenoid? It seems like the headlights would at least come on, so i really hope its not a popped ECM since they're 200 bucks or so. Thanks for all the help. I've never had to chase down electrical problems before.