Polaris Sportsman 500 No Spark: The Causes & Fixes
Polaris Sportsman 500 no spark is generally caused when you have issues with the spark plug wire, misfiring cylinders, distributors issues, and a faulty spark plug. The fix to these issues, most of the time, is just replacing the faulty parts.
These issues are most commonly experienced, and in some cases, they might even lead to accidents when there’s a misfire. As mentioned above, replacing the parts is the easiest way to fix them, but diagnosing the problems can be difficult too. Today, we’ll go over all the ways you can diagnose and fix these issues in detail and a lot more. Without further ado, let’s get into it.
No Spark Issue On Polaris Sportsman 500: Causes And Fixes At A Glance
Cause | Solution |
| Spark plug or distributor issues | Check for proper connectivity with the wiring and replace the spark plug and the wire. |
| Misfiring cylinders | Find out which cylinder isn’t firing properly with DTC codes and replace it. |
| Unfunctional or damaged coil pack | Replace the coil pack |
As you can see, most of the time, you just need to replace the parts if there is a problem. So diagnosing the problems is harder, but we’ll cover it below.
Troubleshooting and Fixes of Polaris Sportsman 500 No Spark
Here are the most common problems of no spark on Polaris Sportsman 500, and their possible solutions are discussed.
1. Misfiring Cylinder
This is the most common reason you might have no spark issue with any vehicle, as the cylinders are what makes the spark in the first place. But since there can be a problem with just about any part in the cylinder, it’s hard to identify which one specifically isn’t firing properly.
So you should first get it scanned and get the DTC codes. If you have any DTC code starting with P03, then you have misfire issues. For example, P0302 refers to a misfire with cylinder two, but P0300 means it’s random.
Here’s a chart of all the DTC codes, along with some information regarding its location and other parts.
Source: RANDOM MISFIRES (aa1car.com)
Solution
After finding which cylinder has the issue, you can replace that cylinder.
2. Ignition Coil Pack Issue
The ignition coil pack might cause no spark issue with your Polaris Sportsman 500, as it gets the voltage to create a spark. So testing your coil pack is very important. To do so, you need to get to the spark plugs first from the hood.
Remove the bolts from the coil packs, and inspect for any burn damage. After that, you should check your spark plugs to see if there is a black line of carbon running down, which indicates a misfire.
Solution
If you see any serious burn damage, you’ll need to replace the coil pack. You should replace the spark plugs if you see the line of carbon too.
Now get an insulated tool and press it against the coil, with no snapping noises when you press the tool against the coil, then the coil pack is fine, and you’ll just need to change your spark plugs.
But it might be hard to understand just from text, so you should check out a visual representation of testing the coils too. The following video may help you.
2. Spark Plug Wire Issue
Your spark plug wire might have poor connectivity, or it might have leaks or other damage that can cause this issue. So you should also take your spark plug out and check for any leaks regarding high voltage.
Check for corrosion and carbon stains, which you might also see in spark plugs.
Solution
You could try to fix the spark plug wire. But it isn’t that expensive to buy a new one anyway, and it’s easier just to replace it entirely.
3. Electrical Current Distributor Issue
The distributor in your Polaris Sportsman 500 is the part that distributes the electrical current from your vehicle to all the individual cylinders. So as you might expect, it can greatly affect whether you have a spark or not.
But since testing for issues with this manually can get incredibly technical and most ordinary people can’t do it. It’s easier to test a Polaris Sportsman distributor.
If you do this, you’ll get DTC codes, and from there, you can find out the exact reason behind it. Each DTC code has a different meaning and different fixes.
Solution
Replace all the parts needed according to the DTC codes and make sure the distributor cap is aligned properly. You can do this by just rotating it with a screwdriver.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: How much does it cost to replace issues with no spark on a Polaris Sportsman 500?
Generally, it’ll cost around $100 to $120 to replace most of the parts that have issues. But if you’re getting it professionally checked, it might cost another $30 to $50 for the labor costs and the service itself.
Q: What’s the simplest way to check for issues with the spark?
You should check your battery and the wiring for spark issues.
Conclusion
Issues with the no spark for Polaris Sportsman 500 are mostly caused by the battery and wiring, so you should check that first. Then you should test our cylinders to check which one is misfiring, test your ignition coil pack, and your spark plugs and wires. If they have problems, then replace the cylinders, coil pack, spark plug, or spark plug wire which isn’t working as intended.
But if you’ve replaced all these parts and still have issues where you have no spark, you should check out your distributor. This is because your distributor can distribute electrical current, and if the spark plugs aren’t getting enough current, they can’t make a spark.
Overall, you can diagnose most of these issues and fix them by getting a professional scan with DTC codes. It’s not as hard as it sounds, and it won’t take more than 1 hour. With that said, good luck, and cheers!
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