Speedo Brain Pod out? Not so fast.

[Ken]

Well..this weekend was interesting.

We started riding at 10PM. We started up the Quads, and Miren's Headlights were blinking off and on. Not good at 10PM at night. Even though the trail is all rocks...we know it really well. So we rode conservatively. The lights stopped flashing for awhile....but then started again. In boulders, we realized when the lights flashed, there was no 4WD. Later on....and the next day, the Speedo was flashing, all the icons lit and then flashed off. Wacky.

At first, we thought it was the Speedo (Brain) going wacky. So last night I ordered one from http://www.worldofpowersports.com/, which you can find on the link page.

But, to be thorough, I decided to post on ATV TIME. I got a response from a guy named Polaris Tech in Alabama, and it was NOT the "brain".

sounds to me that you have a voltage regulator/rectifier going out. the speedo will sence too much voltage in and shut itself down. this would be why you loose 4x4. the lights flicker because of the voltage increases and decreases. of coarse you saying the idle fluctuates also may indicate a short to ground puting the stator in a load and therefore causing the rectifier to increase voltage due to demand.....
either way i would look for a charging system flaw, not a speedo.


So...I called home. How to test this FAST?? I called my 12 year old daughter and asked her to help. So, while I'm in San Diego working...I talked her through taking off my Pod and putting it on my wife's ATV. She didn't have the strength to pull the plugs out...but she did a great job.

Once the ATV started...the lights were fine....but a minute later...they started flashing.....REGULATOR!! I called the Polaris dealer in Citrus Heights and they've ordered it for Friday. Not taking any chances (I'm going riding Sunday), I ordered another from World of power sports.

So...worst case...I have 2 Speedo's and Regulators for spares.