[pottsville30]

hi i hope someone can help me out, i have a sportsman400 2004 took it riding the other day , washed itoff. 5 days later i went to go riding again and now the hot check engine light is blinking. seconds after i started it?was wondering if it is the thermo sensor? if so where is that located?

 

[The Kid]

i have one at the shop last week and it turned out it was the ecm computer was going out.
could be the fan has come unplugged. it will also cause the hot light to come on
thermo sensor is on the jug of the motor on the left hand side right below where the rad. hose comes out of the motor.

 

[Bruce!]

Welcome to the board!:rockwoot:

 

[pottsville30]

thanks, is there a way to check if it is bad, do you thinik it ok to ride it?

 

[Razorback]

I would not advise that you ride it if it's showing hot.
Is the fan running when it gets hot?
Is your radiator clean?

The main things that usually cause overheating are either a clogged radiator, bad fan, bad temp switch, or bad water pump.

 

[pottsville30]

dont know if the fan comes on, i didnt ride it .i went to take it out and the hot check engine light came on.it was fine before i washed it and put in the garage.was thinkin i got something wet ?can u check the thermo senso for continuity?

 

[The Kid]

dont know if the fan comes on, i didnt ride it .i went to take it out and the hot check engine light came on.it was fine before i washed it and put in the garage.was thinkin i got something wet ?can u check the thermo senso for continuity?

cross the two wires at the sensor and see if the fan comes on, i would let it dry out. sounds like some thing got wet

 

[pottsville30]

ok, Itook the thermo sensor out and put it in hot water ,it closed.I started the bike and unpluged the sensor but the fan didnt come on when i did that . i checked the fan for continuity and the meter is reading there is a circuit there. Was reading online and other posts are saying maybe ecm is bad??????

 

[The Kid]

i have a bad ecm here at the house that was doing the same thing

 

[Razorback]

It sounds like you tested your thermostat, not the sensor/switch that turns on the fan. It just looks like a threaded plug with wires coming out of it. I can't remember where it's at on the 400. Either on the side of the head, or directly on the radiator. You can test your fan by just hooking a 12v source straight to it.

 

[pottsville30]

ecm was bad had to replace it . thanks for all the help

 

[countryboy9799]

Can anyone tell me where the ECM is?
I see something under the headlight that is silver and has cooling fins on it. Is that the ECM?