mikemc53

OK gang, sorry if this post runs long but I'll try to keep it reasonable. I have a small UTV (American Sportsworks Trail Wagon 200) that's about 10-12 years old - can't exactly recall the year, but the problem I have could be with any vehicle so I am posting here in the general forum. Anyway, for the first 8 or 9 years I never did anything other than standard maintenance (oil, chain, etc.) and this thing started ever time and ran just fine. In those first 8 years or so, I replaced the battery once, at about 6 years. I don't use it for trail riding, just small jobs around the place so it never really gets beat but does run almost every day in the summer. I put it up every fall and take it back out in the spring and like I said, no issues. About 2-3 years ago the battery went again, after about a year, and then I went on a run of batteries in the next couple of years. They never seemed to last a season so, obviously, something is not right. Last year after another battery replacement I was still getting a no start and no lights but the battery had power. I did some very minimal testing (I have a multimeter but I am not real proficient) and I thought I had narrowed it down to the solenoid and/or the ignition switch. Being that they are inexpensive I replaced them both and it ran fine. I got back to it this spring and expected some issues but it started immediately and ran OK (some intermittent engine surging) for about a month and then the electrical issues started up again and here is where I really get confused. A week ago I drove it a bit and shut it down and about an hour later I got the no start, no click, no lights...nothing, so I figured that I killed another battery. I was getting 12.8 V at the battery posts and about 12.7 at the solenoid. I jumped the solenoid with a screwdriver and it immediately turned over. Got back in and started it with the key, drove it around and everything was fine. Two days ago, same thing, drove it for a bit, shut it off and when I tried to restart it, about an hour later...nothing. I tried the headlights and they came on so I tried to jump the solenoid again. There was one very small clink and then nothing. No lights, no start, nothing. There is still 12.7 V at the battery and 12.6 or 7 at the solenoid but it will not jump start. I have 12.6 V at my ignition switch and the same at the utility plug, but nothing at the headlight switch - which I really can't figure out. I am not sure where to check but I would have expected since I have juice at the solenoid I should be able to jump it, or at least get sparks but, nothing. Having voltage at the ignition switch and the utility plug but none at the headlight switch has really got me stumped. Any thoughts are appreciated.

Hi gang, need a little help here. I'm posting here instead of the specific UTV forum because the questions /problems I have are probably not specific to any particular model or brand and sorry for the length but wanted to give some background. For the record, my UTV is about 10/11 years old and it is a Trail Wagon 200, which I believe became American Landmaster. I've had it since it was new and I only use it in the summer/fall as I live out of state the rest of the year. It's lightly used for small projects around the property and to run out to the mailbox about 1/2 mile away. Winterize it every fall and remove the battery which is place on a battery minder. Never had any issues until late last year when the battery (I believe it was the second one) died and I bought a replacement. Well, the replacement died in less than a week so I figured I had some other issues. Checked everything and found no apparent shorts or bare wires so I returned the battery and bought a different make. Same thing, about a week and it was done. I hooked up my tractor battery to it and it was fine but it was not really a good fit so I tried one more time with a proper fit battery and it lasted the rest of last season and up until now everything was fine. About a week ago I was driving and it sputtered, one time, so I payed no attention and added some Sea Foam. A few days later it was running and started sputtering real bad - barely firing - and it definitely seemed electrical. It sputtered for about a minute and would not move and then smoothed right out and ran fine. But, after I shut it off it was done. I checked the battery and it said it was around 11V so I figured I had better find this electrical problem. The battery charged right up to a bit over 13 but every time I tried the key...nothing and the battery showed low again. Pulled out one of my tractor batteries, which was fully charged and the same thing. No lights, no start but I do have power at my auxiliary accessory plug and when I disconnect my ignition switch (3 wire) I have power coming to it. I get no power across the terminals of my brake interlock, but I don't know if I am supposed to have it there. Something dumps the batteries down to around 11, though I do still get that 11V at the accessory plug and coming into the ignition. No lights at all and no sound from the solenoid or starter, though I thought that one time I heard a very faint click back there somewhere but only once. Any help is appreciated. I am not sure how to check the regulator, solenoid or starter so suggestions are welcome. Thanks

I will do my best to describe this so bear with me. The UTV is a Trail Wagon (American Sportsman) but the make might be immaterial with this problem. I have now gone through three batteries in a few months and the last two just a week apart. Here is the sequence: I use my utv lightly almost every day but that is only about 5 months a year as I live in Florida and Michigan and the utv stays in Michigan over the winter. I always store the unit and trickle charge the battery, and this does not seem to be the issue - let me explain. Last fall, just before I left for Florida, the battery died and it was a few years old so I wasn't concerned. It did die without a lot of warning as I didn't get the gradual slowing of the start process that usually precedes the battery death, but I didn't think much about it. It died completely and would not take a charge or a jump so I bought a new battery and it worked great. I only drove it once or twice and then put it up and left for Florida. Came back a few weeks ago and the battery was in good shape on the trickle charger. Put it in and everything went well...for about a week. Without warning the battery went dead (10.8V) and would not take a jump or charge. Like the previous year there was no gradual wearing down, it just quit. I chalked it up to a cheap battery and got another battery. This one was strong and the utv started up like always...for about a week. Same thing with no warning and this time the battery was at 11.4V. I'm thinking bad alternator/rectifier, at that time but I needed to check it. I charged it, though it again did not seem to want to charge, at first, but then I got it to 12.6V so I gave it a shot. The minute I turned the key it died - no starter sound at all. I jumped it with my tractor and it started. I immediately put a voltmeter on it while it was running and it was up around 14.4V which tells me the alternator part seems to be working. I let it run for a bit and shut if off. Next morning...dead (11.4V) and struggled to take a charge but I did get it to 12.6V again so I went to hook it up. Put the positive cable on first and just for kicks I checked the voltage before I hooked up the negative cable and it was 11.3V - just from hooking up the positive. I got another older battery to take enough of a charge (12.8V) to try it again. This time I hooked up the negative first and checked the voltage - 12.8V still. Hooked up the positive and checked the voltage - 10.8V. This makes no sense. Simply connecting the positive cable completely kills the battery without ever turning the key or anything. And when it kills the battery it really kills it. They usually don't want to take a charge so something is really busting them. I am at a loss...thoughts?