Are you using regular 87 octane or high test?

 

87 octane ethanol free

 

I would check the battery with a load tester and if it is good and fully charged and it still won't start I would try some fresh regular ethanol gasoline.

 

I find that in cold weather, meaning less than 20ºF and down to 0 if I turn the key on and wait a couple seconds for it to prime then repeat 3-6 times it will start easier.

 

So does everybody use ethanol gas in their Rangers? I have tried turning the key on and off and letting the fuel pump do it's thing several times but still won't start. Good strong battery and engine is cranking strong but won't start.

 

So does everybody use ethanol gas in their Rangers? I have tried turning the key on and off and letting the fuel pump do it's thing several times but still won't start. Good strong battery and engine is cranking strong but won't start.

I use only unleaded.

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They use both ethanol and non ethanol.
I use ethanol because the non ethanol we have locally doesn't provide the performance and smoothness that the ethanol does plus it is lots more expensive.
I use Sta-bil in mine all the time and I haven't had any problems with it but our winters aren't as cold as what you have, and I don't use my Ranger in really cold temps anyway.
I am retired and just stay in by the fire.

If you don't run much gas through your Ranger it is possible that it still has summer blend gas in it or maybe the non ethanol gas in your area isn't all that great.

 

Thanks for the tip! I'll try the gas with ethanol and see if that helps. I run my Ranger every day here on my ranch. I also put stabil in my gas all the time. I did see a youtube of a guy that says Ranger chasis and efi relays from Polaris are defective and are the reason for hard cold starts. He recommended after market relays to replace those factory relays.

 

I run a fuel controller, if I set it to lean the machine starts hard. Even in warm weather. Could pressure the system then press the footfeed once then try to start, if it works its lean.

 

I'll try that thanks very much.

 

I have also seen that the first start of the day winter or summer of my ‘21 XP1000 Ranger cranks more than you would expect. Always use fresh 90 octane ethanol-free. Battery and all mechanicals A-1. I did feel that turning the key to ON for a few seconds letting the fuel system pressurize before starting helps.

 

I use non-ethanol 91 or 93 octane with Sta-bil treatment in all of my "smaller" engines (Ranger, motorcycle, snow-blower, lawn mower and as the base fuel for my chain saw and weed trimmer, the last two of which have to have oil added) and have never had a problem starting any of them. Hope I didn't just jinx myself. My Ranger sits in a non-heated garage for a month or so at a time between starts here in Minnesota and it has always turned over and started after two or three turns of the key.

Ethanol attracts moisture (hygroscopic). If there is water in the fuel, there is a chance that the water may freeze if the temps are cold enough and keep your gas from flowing through the fuel line. The ethanol also "gums" up fuel systems quicker (comment from my local Toro power equipment dealer).

I can't speak to the fuel controller, relays, and other components of the starting process.

 

I have a ‘19 NS 1000 with ride command and I live in MN and use it to plow a lot of driveway and I keep and battery tender on my Ranger during the winter months. No issues at all starting my Ranger. I also use unleaded 87 gas with no problems at all.

Best of luck….
VG

 

For all you Sta-bil users you might look into Pri-G. It’s a little difficult to find but Amazon has it. More expensive up front but only requires 2cc of the stuff to treat a gallon of fuel. I use it in all my small engines and Ranger too. Seriously good stuff.

 

I had the same problem and my dealer told me there is a summer blend ethanol free and also a winter blend ethanol free. Just be sure it’s winter blend or use regular gas at the pump til you get it.

 

Well I got my Ranger back from the dealer and they tell me since it didn't get below 28 degrees it started every time at the dealership. So they can't tell me why it won't start in cold temps. I expressed my disappointment that they couldn't find the problem and that next winter it will do the same thing and I'm out of warranty. I can't believe Polaris has not seen a problem like this before. My dealership obviously didn't contact Polaris to try to troubleshoot my problem. I'm calling Polaris tomorrow.

 

Well I got my Ranger back from the dealer and they tell me since it didn't get below 28 degrees it started every time at the dealership. So they can't tell me why it won't start in cold temps. I expressed my disappointment that they couldn't find the problem and that next winter it will do the same thing and I'm out of warranty. I can't believe Polaris has not seen a problem like this before. My dealership obviously didn't contact Polaris to try to troubleshoot my problem. I'm calling Polaris tomorrow.

I have the same problem with my 19. Last winter I had new issues with it starting. This year it won’t start when it’s below 30ish. I blow a space heater towards the motor for a few minutes it fired rite up. Thinking it’s the fuel pump is not performing like it should. No clue though. Just a guess.

 

It was your fuel. See it on all the forums and fb through the winter.

 

Go old school. Turn the headlights on for 30 seconds. That will heat the battery and give you more cranking amps. Back with our muscle cars we used regular in the winter because the flash point of the fuel was lower and would make those big block V8s start easier.

 

I have a 2021 Polaris Ranger 1000. It is hard to start in warm weather and near impossible to start in cold weather. Nothing but bullshit runaround from the dealer. The summer/winter gasoline argument is their favorite. I use 91 octane, ethanol free with stabilizer in every tank. I use my Ranger at least two times/day for feeding animals. It takes longer to start every day. Below freezing temps, it takes fifteen minutes to start. Fuel pump and pressure is good. Airbox is clear. Plugs are good. Sensors don't read faults. I can't get the dealer to do anything. I took it in and it sat at the dealership for a month. They admit it is very hard to start, but have no answer. In case you want to know the worthless dealership, Karl Malone. Never do business with them. Bottom line; Polaris makes very overpriced, poorly engineered, cheaply built, expensive junk that is not backed by the dealerships or by the Polaris corporate conglomerate. POLARIS SUCKS. I'm trading mine in for a Bobcat.

 

Mine starts in -40 no problem…..

 

POLARIS SUCKS. I'm trading mine in for a Bobcat.

Like this one built by Polaris?

 

Hmmm, I guess not. I didn't know, thanks. It explains why my neighbor hates his Toolcat so much. Told me to avoid buying one. I have a 15 year old Bobcat Skidsteer and it is tougher than a bucket of rivets. Always starts and runs great. The Ranger has numerous quality control issues, poorly manufactured and engineered components, but I do like the ability to "plug and play" with accessories (winches, plows, lights, etc) and when it runs, it is a great tool. But I find the vehicle overpriced and no modern, injected engine should be this tough to start. The bobcat diesel would probably be a more reliable option. I am exceedingly frustrated with this machine. No engine MIL fault codes are accessible from the dash. So far I cannot find a mechanical correctable causes for the tough starting. Is it of value to try and score the Polaris Digital Wrench Diagnostic Kit? Any knowledge? Thanks.......

 

Installed a 1” KAT’S lower radiator hose heater on my 2016 900 that has 14,000 miles on it. It stays out side all the time and we get -20 from time to time but 0-10 above is the normal. I plug it in for about an hour and the motor is 112 degrees. Fires up like it’s summer. Maybe some thing like that might help ya.

 

Like Big Blue said , get a block heater , a lot easier on the engine , starter too .
Seeing as you're having power to it , put a battery maintainer put on also , cheap insurance .
Put it on a timer if you need it in the mornings .

 

I have started parking it in the heated side of my barn. It still takes too long to start at 50+ degrees. A block heater where I live is always a good idea. Shouldn't be necessary in a gas engine, but not a bad idea. Only ethanol free gas is a 91 octane that I buy in bulk. The mid and low grade has 10-15% ethanol. The ethanol gas, being hydrophilic, keeps a month or less and gums up carbs. Injected vehicles tolerate it better. I refuse to put ethanol in my vehicles unless I am going to burn it up quickly.
This vehicle started great for the first three months in sub-zero temperatures and then one day it became difficult to start and is getting worse by the day. Battery passes load test, doesn't drop below 12.6 when cranking. Intake and exhaust clearances are spec. Air box is clear, plugs are fine, fuel pump generates proper pressure, so I don't know? Throttle valve maybe? Injectors? It sucks not being able to identify the problem. Frustrating as it is a new vehicle. It was still under warranty when it began and not been able to get the dealer to back it up. My only leverage is my business and they are more concerned with new customers than pleasing their existing ones. Bad business model if you ask me......

 

I have never used the Digital Wrench so I wouldn't know. Maybe someone else on here has experience with it.

But, I would run out the 91 octane gas and put some fresh 87 octane winter blend in there.
If that didn't fix it I would check the intake valve clearance. There is no way with a nearly new low mileage vehicle that it should be out of specification but it is possible I guess. It is pretty simple to check. I don't know the elevation where you are located but higher elevation lowers the compression pressure too.

 

Have seen plenty of guys have trouble starting on 91 octane. They wouldn't believe me that they would start hard on 91 octane till they filled up at different station with 87 and the next day it was 8 degrees out. It started in less than 1 turn. Had more than one machine do that.

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My salesman/dealership owner advised to not use the higher octane fuels because these engines do not like to start in cold weather with those higher octane fuels. Perhaps that's why the owner's manual recommends 87 octane in my 22 NS Trail Boss.

Like Big Blue, I've decided to instal a coolant hose heater. A block heater has been extremely helpful in getting my diesel trucks/tractors to start easily. I have been investigating where in the coolant system to instal the heater. The heater instructions indicate to install the heater "at a point closest to the water pump until it will accept the heater."

Unfortunately, there are a lack of options to instal the heater due to hose length, crowded space, or obstructions. I also considered ease of access in case there is a problem later.

The easiest access location is at the thermostat (1). I thought I could disconnect the existing hose from the thermostat, connect the original hose to one end of the heater and add a two inch radiator hose to connect between the heater and the thermostat. Then, if there was a need to disconnect the heater, I could easily reconnect the original length hose to the thermostat.

I don't know if there would be an issue with connecting directly to the thermostat, but I think the thermostat would open to allow the coolant to be heated within the engine quicker, much like a block heater at a freeze plug location. I'm just not sure if there is any long-term considerations to the heater being installed right next to the thermostat.

Please let us know what you decide/learn.

Happy holidays,

 

Have you tried giving it a snort of starting fluid to see if it helps get it firing and running quicker?

 

I’m having this same exact issue with my 19 NS. Anything under 32F it will crank and crank and not fire. Give it a little sniff of ether in the intake under the hood and it pops right off like it’s the middle of summer. Can’t be the gas either because we have 2 rangers we use every day and mine is the only one with starting issues. Both get gas out of the exact same barrel. Really has me scratching my head.

 

Same year rangers?

 

Gap the plugs a little more than oem it will help from my experience with sleds doing the same thing