2004 Yamaha Kodiak Starter or Winch kills power

[Denis Lanthier]

Hi All,

I have a 2004 Yamaha Kodiak, which has taken me to many remote places and hauled lots of game.  I still love it after 16 years.

Lately when I go to start it using the starter, sometimes it clicks and kills the power in the display.  Lights don't work, nothing works and I end up having to unplug the battery, wait awhile, and replugging the battery ends up giving the power back.   Using the winch will sometimes kill the power as well.

battery is new, all fuses are ok, I'm at a loss.  I can start it with the pull crank and it will work and so will the lights.

Any insights or advice would be appreciated!

[Ajmboy]

Kodiak is a great quad, I used to have a 450 myself. My first thought is that the battery is defective. Do you have a battery booster pack or 12v source to jump the battery when it happens to rule that out?

 

[Denis Lanthier]

I really thank you for the recommendation.  I hadn't thought of checking the battery after trying the starter.

So I measured the voltage at rest (12.84), and then I flipped the key and pressed the starter and the voltage didn't change and the power died and the starter didn't even try.  Now when I turn the key on/off, the power display doesn't go up but the battery voltage stays the same.

I think that means the battery is good correct?  Any other insights into what it could be?

[davefrombc]

Have you  checked for a short between  the starter solenoid  and the starter? That  would  drop  the power to everything  else and  if there  is an automatic circuit  breaker in the main  feed it  would open  and  take a while to  cool down  and close again. If  there  is  a  circuit  breaker  the problem also  could be  it  is  becoming weak  and dropping  out  at  a  lower  current.