Polaris 2008 Scrambler 500 4X4, Owner'S Manual

Page: 43 / 129

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FEATURES AND CONTROLS
Recoil Starter
If the battery has been drained or
damaged and cannot start the
engine, use of the recoil starter (1)
will allow vehicle operation until
repairs can be made. The recoil
starter is located on the right side of
the machine.
Polaris 4-cycle engines are
equipped with automatic
decompressors. This makes recoil
starting possible by reducing the amount of compression during
starting. The decompressor senses when the engine is spinning fast
enough to start and restores compression when running.
1. Position the vehicle on a level surface and lock the parking brake
(see page 36).
2. Shift the transmission into neutral.
3. Make sure the engine stop switch is set to RUN and the main key
switch is in the ON position.
NOTE: If the engine is cold, use the choke as outlined on page 45.
4. Grasp the recoil starter rope handle (2) firmly and pull slowly so
you can feel the engine strokes.
NOTE: Every other stroke will be a “compression stroke” and will
make the rope harder to pull. When a compression stroke is
found, continue pulling the rope just until the engine rolls past
the stroke, then stop pulling immediately .
5. Allow the recoil rope to rewind into the recoil assembly, then pull
the rope abruptly and forcefully to start the engine.
6. Repeat steps 4-5 if necessary.
CAUTION
Extending the recoil starter rope until it stops can cause damage
to the recoil assembly. Do not extend the starter rope so far that
it stops.
If the starter rope handle is not seated properly, water may enter
the recoil housing and damage components. Make sure the
handle is fully seated on the recoil housing, especially when
traveling in wet areas.
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