ATV not starting; fully charged battery

Can you send pics of the battery cables and terminals? It really sounds like you've got not so great of electrical connections. Maybe try jiggling the cables while hitting the starter?
Mind your fingers.

 

Certainly can! I can get some at the end of the week.

 

Check the little bullet connection on the 12ga wire under the seat by the battery. My wolverine is a 2005 and it had a similar problem as you are describing. It was that stupid connector.

 

I shall check that! I’m not near the machine now. Which color wire is it on? Appreciate your feedback.

 

Going by memory here, but IIRC Yami usually had red wires feeding power to the harness...and I think there may be an inline fuse in a holder there too...? Really diggin in the ole memory banks here. What year is this machine again?

 

Yup...mine is red.

 

Thanks guys! It’s a 2003. And yes, I now know what wire you are referring to. It’s off the positive wire and it’s the one that’s connected to the inline fuse. I’ll pull that apart and inspect the connectors.

 

If you have a multimeter, check voltage through the fuse, then you know 100% that power is getting to that point. While its out, I'd also check voltage there, and at the battery while you are trying to start it too.

 

I had the same problem with my 2006 Honda TRX350 Rancher.
Replaced the battery and it starts on a cold day without being on the tender

 

Good progress today! Started here:



I jumped that fuse block at the bullet connectors. Nothing. I sanded down the ground wire at the frame, nothing. I pulled apart the switch a the bars, inspected, nothing.



I then replaced the battery cable bolts with new ones from a kit I picked up from Amazon. Boom; we had lights on the dash and a touch of the start button and she lit right up. So! It was the connection after all.



Here’s the kit. Money well spent! You can see the old battery bolts in the lid. Wondering if those weren’t the correct bolts for the application all along.

 

I'm glad to hear you had success in getting the machine back in service.

 

Glad to hear you got it!
You very well may be onto it here...sometimes the battery bolts can be too long for the height of the battery terminal and the bolt bottoms out before it had the cable end clamped tightly...this usually only happens if you don't use the bolts that come with the battery. You could add a washer to the bolt to take up some of the extra length if it is close to being right.
The other issue I've run across many times, especially on "el cheapo" brand batteries, is the battery bolts that come with the battery are too short to get the threads started once the cable is in place...the secret here is to jamb something under the nut that will hold it up against the top of the terminal so the bolt threads can grab it, but whatever you jamb in there has to be soft enough to allow the bolt to fully tighten if the threads protrude through the nut once everything is tight...a piece of a rag wadded up works...I used to save the lil rubber caps that come on the battery vents to jamb under the ones that caused trouble, worked perfect.

 

Zip ties for the win.


Just caught this thread tonight.. glad you finally got resolution.

 

?

 

I have zip ties under the nuts of the quad battery.

Always have threading issues if I don't use them.

 

So you use it as a spacer/shim?
Sorry, just trying to understand how a zip tie can be made to work here...oh wait, do you have a battery that has the lil round holes in the otherwise solid sides of the battery terminal block? I can see being able to use a zip tie with that setup...

 

I saw a video recently where the guy used some clear fuel line to hold those nuts in place. If the area was really small, he’d cut the line in half lengthwise. It was a handy trick!

Now all the pieces are coming together. This explains why I had issues starting the quad in cooler weather. It usually started no problem in the warmer months. Hoping this takes care of the issue!

I installed a new SAE connector to the battery as well. I have a solar charger to keep the battery topped off.

*EDIT:
Forgot to add- Tested the battery with the machine running and the charging system is putting out 14+ volts at the terminals.

 

I forgot about that one...it may have been the clear vent line that comes with regular lead acid (not maintenance free) batteries...it often does not need replaced, so I'd save it for when one was missing, or this lil trick too...you can literally cut 1/4" off the end to use for "battery nut shims" and still be able to use the hose for its intended purpose...just make sure to cut off the right end...the end that goes on the battery has slits cut in it to relieve pressure in case the bottom end gets plugged up.

 

Great tip! That’s an excellent use for that tube that comes with the battery.