Registered: Nov 2005
Location: Stanford, KY
Posts: 132

Guys,

Not a coonhound question, but a hunting vehicle question. I have an ATV I coonhunt with. The other night I went to start it and it made a slight pop and the electrical system went dead. I put jumper cables on and it immediately started; however when I remove any cable the electrical system immediately goes dead and the engine stops. Once I reconnect the cable the electrical system comes back to life and it will start. I am sure this is a simple problem for someone with electrical knowledge but I am at a loss as to where my problem is.

Thanks,

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Registered: May 2007
Location: NW Iowa
Posts: 311

Sounds like you have a dead battery for sure and possibly a bad alternator. I would try recharging the battery first. If it won't take a charge then it's likely just the battery. If it will take a charge and works again for just a little while then it is likely that the alternator is not recharging the battery while the atv is running, which it should do. Whuch means you have a bad alternator. You can always take the battery to a local mechanic and ask them to test it for you. They will usually do a load test on to make sure it functions properly while something is drawing from it. I would for sure have the battery tested somewhere before buying a new alternator.

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Registered: Jun 2006
Location: Platteville, Wi
Posts: 5676

sounds like a bad connection on a battery post and it runs because your bypassing the post with jumper cables..just a thought..

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Registered: Jul 2006
Location: Carrollton,Missouri
Posts: 947

Charge the battery and try to get it to start.If it starts and runs,unhook the battery and see if it still runs.If it dies after disconnecting the battery its the alternator,it shows that the alternator isnt pulling enough juice on its own to keep the machine running.

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Registered: Nov 2005
Location: Stanford, KY
Posts: 132

All - thanks for your help. I will pull the battery and have it tested and then check the altenator. I didn't think about it being the battery. I assumed that once it was started via the jumper cables it would continue to run even if the battery was dead. I too thought I had a bad connection on a terminal but everything is tight with no corrosion.

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