Problems after cleaning spark arrester

WTsportsman said:

2013 sportsman 850 EFI. Decided to clean the spark arrester and when I cranked it up and gave throttle like the manual says it spit out a little smoke and then started revving high rpm and spitting erratically. I screwed the arrester back in and it is still doing it and shows the engine light now. It was running fine before I did this. What did doing this cause?

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I believe it to be a coincidence that a problem appeared while servicing the spark arrestor. Pull the codes and list them here, we will help best we can.

WTsportsman said:

Thanks for the reply!

It didn’t throw a code at first so I didn’t think much about it but after a few more cranks it threw 520.194.7 which I believe is stuck throttle. Today I played with tension of throttle cable and it didn’t do anything really but change rpm range. I also took off the throttle cover and didn’t see much other than slack in the line and a little loose but I didn’t mess with it.

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You are correct, that is a stuck throttle code, and verified it’s just a coinkydink that it appeared at this time. The throttle safety switch contacts need examined, and the cable adjusted so the gap is within specs when at idle and through throttle operation range. Check the cable for binding and chafing while handlebars are turned left and right. Look up the safety switch specs and adjustment for your year and model. I believe my ‘19 850 has slightly different specs than yours, so I don’t want to post that and confuse you. When you look up yours you will see where some guys use a small cable tie on the contacts to eliminate the throttle safety circuit, I recommend fixing it, not rendering it useless. You can get a service manual here, free for the asking via Latebirds generosity.