2005 Polaris Sportsman 6x6 Owners Manual - Page 44

Recoil Starter FEATURES AND CONTROLS If the battery has been drained or 2 1 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 38). 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 52. 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. 41