ATV cooling fan

[BowPro73]

Anyone had electric fan problems similar to this? I have a 2001 Arctic Cat 500 4x4. My electric fan comes on when ignition key is powered up. It's supposed to. It's not a switch activation by thermostat, just plain voltage power with key on. The fan no longer comes on. Ive checked the fuse and it's good, also tested the fuse terminals jumped with the light. I've pulled the connection plug and tested plug with the light and it has power. I reconnected the plug and poked into the wires just before they go into fan motor housing and got light, so, I know it's not a broken wire past the connector. I then pulled the motor and ran two wires into the connector and straight to the battery itself. The motor spins on contact. Reversed the wires and it spins on contact in the other direction. I'm assuming the fan motor is good. It's not locked up or dead. What else can I check for? Thanks in advance.

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[deerplanter]

Maybe check and see how much voltage you are getting to the motor, other than that I have nothing.

[BowPro73]

Maybe check and see how much voltage you are getting to the motor, other than that I have nothing.

I checked it with voltmeter and it's getting like 1.4 give or take. I don't know what controls the voltage.

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[BowPro73]

Ah. I found a voltage regulator on it after googling images of ATV regulators. I'm guessing that's gonna be the problem, because my headlights have burned a lot dimmer than they used to for some time now. I'm gonna pull it and clean connections good and try it before I buy another one. Hopefully connections are just gunked. I'll report back with the outcome. I hate seeing the problems never answered. Lol

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[ballgame]

We have the exact same bike.

Yes the voltage regulator under the right rear fender was the problem.

[BowPro73]

We have the exact same bike.

Yes the voltage regulator under the right rear fender was the problem.

Were you able to clean the contacts or did you have to buy a new one? I'm still gonna try to clean them first.. Lol

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[deerplanter]

Ah. I found a voltage regulator on it after googling images of ATV regulators. I'm guessing that's gonna be the problem, because my headlights have burned a lot dimmer than they used to for some time now. I'm gonna pull it and clean connections good and try it before I buy another one. Hopefully connections are just gunked. I'll report back with the outcome. I hate seeing the problems never answered. Lol

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Good deal, I think you have found the issue. Hopefully it's just a connection issue.

[BowPro73]

Update.... Haven't fixed the fan yet, but.... I had been having some carb issues way after the fan had went out. I've been running without the fan for some time, but hadn't drove it long enough to have overheat issues regardless. It was spitting and sputtering when I'd give it throttle, and it would barely move. I could turn it off and then back on, and it would fire right up and move about 20 feet before it would do it again. It sounded like a carb issue. I broke down the carb and cleaned it good. I tested it for about a five minutes, and it drove and ran good. We loaded it up and took it to lease. Got it off trailer and it pulled the spit/sputter again. I brought it back home and removed the carb and disassembled it, soaked it while I had a rebuild kit ordered. Kit came in, cleaned it up good, dried it out, and rebuilt it. Ran good for a few minutes and back to the problems. I noticed it was choppy at it idle without lights on. Turned on the headlights, and the chop cleaned up a little, but not completely, turn em off, and the idle got rougher again. Voltmetered the battery when off, 11 something. Voltmetered battery when idling, almost 15. Removed air filter box to get to the voltage regulator. Fired up ATV and had the rough idle, unplugged the connections to voltage regulator and it purred like a kitten, even immediate throttle response. New regulator on the way. Maybe with the new one on, the fan might run. I'll update the outcome.

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[Loneaggie]

I have this same ATV. The fan is triggered by a thermostat in the radiator. It’s not uncommon for it to go out and guys will hotwire the fan to the ignition fuse. It takes some patience due to the location but it’s a cheap part on eBay or country cat. Took me about 30 minutes to replace as mine was hot wired when I bought it. Also the carbs will leak because the rubber disc in the primer assembly cracks. Rebuild kits usually don’t include it. It’s pricey for what it is but will solve some leaky carb issues.