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P500 Flopped and now Starter Won't Crank?

Maritimer

Maritimer

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Feb 23, 2019
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Coming back from a fishing trip last evening I flopped my < 1000 KM Pioneer onto it's side in the most gentle way you've ever seen. I used the winch to pull it back onto it's wheels then out of the hole that caused the tip-over in the first place. (Ice on one side of the trail, bottomless much on the other = flop)

The machine had turned itself off with the tipover switch and I winched it back upright without the engine running.

Now, when turning the key the starter just grunts. Sometimes it will spin the engine over once then stop.

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So far I've:

tried a 14000 Jump Pack
tried a 7000 L-Ion Jump Pack
tried a good car battery and jumpers
tried charging the stock Yuasa battery back up to 97% (about 4 hours on a snap-on shop charger)
Switched the machine in and out of gear using the manual tool
rocked the machine back and forth to be sure It is in neutral
jumped the starter solenoid with a screwdriver
whacked the starter with a big stick and a hatchet

yet still... turn the key and to starter just grunts and sometimes, rarely turns the engine over once. After a couple tries of this the starter gets noticeably hot to the touch.

Do I have a bad starter after less than 1000 KM or is there something else I should try here? (note, my machine is still in the woods.. will get a tow later this afternoon)

Thanks!
 
Last edited:
Neohio

Neohio

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Also pull your spark plug to confirm engine is not hydro-locked. Try spinning engine with starter with plug out. should spin without issue.
If it won't. Something bad has happened.
 
Maritimer

Maritimer

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Probably dumped oil into the airbox and now you're low on engine oil. Not my area of expertise but check the airbox and oil level in the engine. Might be preventing you from blowing the engine up?
Thanks a million! I hadn't even considered that it could have given itself a slug of oil.

It spit what looked like about 1oz of oil out the plug hole then started right up.

I ran the battery down trying to compress that oil then started chasing a red herring.

Truly appreciate the wisdom @trigger @Neohio ‍!
 
100Acre

100Acre

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Thanks a million! I hadn't even considered that it could have given itself a slug of oil.

It spit what looked like about 1oz of oil out the plug hole then started right up.

I ran the battery down trying to compress that oil then started chasing a red herring.

Truly appreciate the wisdom @trigger @Neohio ‍!
definitely look in your air intake. you may have impregnated the air filter with oil.
 
100Acre

100Acre

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when I flopped for the 1st time, I had to keep running it in order to operate the winch to upright the 500. It ended shutting off when too much oil drained upwards into the airbox because the low oil sensor automatically shut off the engine. Also at that point, so much oil had filled the air intake to render it inoperable until I was able to clean it out. Also changed the spark plug as well as the oil. After that it cranked right up.
 
Last edited:
100Acre

100Acre

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After this last experience, I purchased a come along. Was contemplating a second battery to run the winch.
 
100Acre

100Acre

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Rule of thumb, Whenever you flop over, immediately shut off the engine!
 
DG Rider

DG Rider

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when I flopped for the 1st time, I had to keep running it in order to operate the winch to upright the 500. It ended shutting off when too much oil drained upwards into the airbox because the low oil sensor automatically shut off the engine. Also at that point, so much oil had filled the air intake to render it inoperable until I was able to clean it out. Also changed the spark plug as well as the oil. After that it cranked right up.
Low oil sensor? I doubt it has one of those either.
 
Ross1147

Ross1147

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Jun 27, 2015
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Did it survive?
Haha, yup. I posted the story on here I think 3 years ago or so. Long story short hit a rock, knocked out oil plug, stalled out when I went to shift over a mile later. New oil plug and refilled with Amsoil. Over 500 miles since no issues.
 
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Maritimer

Maritimer

New Member
Feb 23, 2019
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New Brunswick Canada
Ownership

  1. 500
Thanks a million! I hadn't even considered that it could have given itself a slug of oil.

It spit what looked like about 1oz of oil out the plug hole then started right up.

I ran the battery down trying to compress that oil then started chasing a red herring.

Truly appreciate the wisdom @trigger @Neohio ‍!
20190419 095429

...and the airbox... about 16oz of oil drained in over the minute or so it was flopped. Presumably the cylinder filling with oil is why it stalled. Luckily idling at the time so no apparent damage done.

Guess I will want to snorkle this up into the roll bars with everything else?

Thanks again folks.
 
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