Pull out the plug, hit the start button and verify you have spark.

EDIT this was on the checklist, I take it you tried this?

 

Make sure you have compression as well. My old 01 500 did same thing. Turned out it was a head gasket.

 

Since it died for no obvious reason and Either "starting fluid" didn't make any attempt to fire it has to be something electrical. I wish I could tell you what to do but sure someone else will. Good luck!!

 

Fuse is right. The first thing to do is pull the plug. Is it dry or wet? If it's wet is it gasoline or maybe even water. Easy to tell the difference by just smelling it. Lay the metal part of the plug against the metal of the head and crank the engine. You should have a pretty strong yellow/blue spark across the electrode. If not, pull the plug wire boot off the plug and do the sam thing with a screw driver. Put it all the way into the boot and hold it a small distance, like 1/16" or so from the block. Crank the engine and see if a nice spark jumps from the screwdriver to metal ground. If you have a spark that way, but not with the plug, replace the plug. For $5 its the first thing you should do any way. Plugs do go bad. If you have no spark anywere you need to start looking at the electrical componets; coil, kill switch, etc. You'll need the manual to diagnose. If you do have spark but it won't fire then you have a fuel problem. Clean the plug and put it back in. Spray a little carb cleaner down the throat of the carb and see if it will fire fore a second or two. If yes then you're not getting fuel. Clogged carb, filter, etc. There is gas in it, right?

 

Don't know how many times I've bumped the kill switch hitting a pile of snow or turning around to look behind me backing up on stuff. Hopefully it's something that simple.

 

Great suggestions!

So I went out there about 5 days after the stalling to go pull the plug as suggested.....but tried it first. It started right up, no problem! I let it run for about 5 minutes and turned it off

Two more days passed and it snowed so I went out again. No problem at all starting and I plowed a couple paths to test it out and ran good. I put it on the trailer and drove over to my apartment to plow the driveways.

It fired right up, I reversed it off the trailer with no problem. As soon as I put it in drive it stalled. A minute later I got it started again. Same thing happened. Reversed fine, put it in gear, and it shut right off.

I had to push it back on the trailer in the snow, ugh, and hand shovel again.

Any thoughts on why it would shut off between gears? Is it a transmission issue? Still hasn't restarted. I just got it home, pushed it back into the garage where it sits.

Thanks!

 

I think Ridinagain is on the right path. Moisture could be your problem in the kill switch if you haven't bumped it. Get some contact cleaner, take the switch apart and clean it thoroughly. Also, Sometimes you can get a pinched plug wire that grounds itself especially when wet. Seems to me electrical is where this is leading. Die electric grease helps too in plugs, plug wires and pretty much anything where you attach male to female plug wires to.

 

I know moisture gets in the switch....I went out to plow after starting it an going in reverse I hit the reverse by pass..it was frozen...would not move...I took one of those packet hand warmers an held it on there till it free'd up..spray contact cleaner in there with a lube in it...all set now

 

Thanks for the suggestions! Would it be the kill switch even though I have full lights and it still turns over?

 

No, Kill switch is Everything OFF.

Sometimes carbolated machines can gum up in the bowl and cause the float to stick too. But it seems to me that when you take it out in the snow where the moisture is high, you have your issues. I would start looking at plug wires to coils and everything that under the tank that snow/water could short electrical systems out.

 

99 is a 2 stroke? I had a 00 explorer that was acting similar....ended up needing a top end, had 4000 miles / 400+ hrs, it might've been time.
I did all the minor trouble shooting things, a neighbor suggested pulling the plug and giving it a shot of oil....thing ran like a champ for about 5 mins.

 

I had something similar happen to me. I was plowing and while backing up using the reverse override, the quad shut off. My dealer said to check the fuses and one was bad. After replacing it, the quad still won't start. I've tried about everything mentioned on this thread. It's a 500 sportsman non efi. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

I would check your voltage regulator and the connections. Being right in front it got hit with a lot of snow and one of the wires shorted. I took it off and I could actually see a bump/crack in the regulator. No way to service them. The other thing I would check is the red wire going to the battery. The thick one will go to your relay and there is another small red one that runs to your voltage regulator and ignition switch. Mine was covered with a boot and I assumed it was soldered but it wasn't. It had it's own "O" connector to go onto the batter post. I was getting a bunch of false / positives in my electrical testing and I believe that is (possibly) what caused my regulator to short. But I say that only as a possibility because we all know that we wouldn't miss something so simple as that. Right?:hmmm:

 

Thanks! Will do.