Well, i finally found the old ground connector tucked up and out of the reach of normal tools but after a bit of cursing I got it off and rehooked the new wire. Unfortunately this had no effect on the cranking delay.

Whats the best way to test the solenoid, I could give that a try.

But I think I did find the problem, err.. unfortunately.

By my luck I ended up with yet another problem (this one actually may not be electrical) and because of this I think it exposed the true fault. The quad just kept cranking the other day and wouldnt catch no matter what I tried. So eventually the battery got weak and wouldnt even click the starter. So i hooked up the jumper cables to the cherokee and what do you know, she actually cranked like a normal quad. No delay or anything.

This got me thinking and I ended up checking battery voltage. When it was running it was getting about .15 volts less then when it was shut off. So now I'm thinking my stator is on the way out.

Anyone want to buy a sportsman?...

 

Don't assume a battery's good even if new. Have it load tested. I've found plenty straight out of the box that couldn't hold a charge because a of a shorted cell and didn't have enough amperage. Plus that's something else you need to check when you get it running. It should be charging 14-14.5 volts back to the battery at an idle. If not the regulator rectifier is usually the first thing to go. Also it's not uncommon for the regulator to have a wire pulled out because of vibration on these models also.Just pop the front panel and check that all wires are secure. If it takes jumping off from another vehicle to crank it up,either it's a weak battery,a shorted cell not allowing enough amps to turn the starter over fast enough, a battery problem caused by a faulty or unplugged regulator/rectifier,or yes can be from a weak solenoid. Test voltage on the battery wire at the solenoid,then place the + lead on the solenoid starter wire.Turn the key on try to start. Voltage should be the same with no more than .1 volt drop according to the manual at the starter lead. This test just shows that the solenoid is operating properly, transferring the same voltage that the battery shows. But again amperage may not be enough if it takes having to jump from another battery to crank it.Plus another thing if you haven't pulled the recoil cover and checked/cleaned the pickup coil face and flywheel for dirt accumulation,this could even affect starting also.

 

Alright so the quad wouldnt start the other day, i turned the key and there wasnt even a click. This is just like how it was acting a few weeks back. But this time i tried the trick of jumping the solenoid posts with a wrench. Sure enough it cranks strong and starts up.

This happened a couple times in the last two days where jumping the solenoid brought it back to life. Even if it didnt fire right up with the posts jumped, i could use the key again after.

Does this point to the solenoid being bad? Wheres a good source to find a new one?

 

Can you borrow one from another bike to try it and see if it cures the problem ?
If the solenoid doesn't even click when you try it I would check for 12 volts on the red wire when you turn the key to crank . If good , check the ground on the solenoid , if those check ok then replace the solenoid , it's cheap enough .

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Starter-Relay-Solenoid-FITS-POLARIS-ATV-SPORTSMAN-500-2004-NEW-/290687953619?pt=Motors_ATV_Parts_Accessories&hash=item43ae5a2ad3&vxp=mtr#ht_1108wt_900