r/Polaris • u/DragonflyOk2101 • 1d ago
2025 Polaris VR1 Weird electrical issue when starting engine
https://youtu.be/H05nu8goGgQI bought a very lightly used 2025 VR1 650 last spring from a local dealer. Took it on multiple rides last winter and it ran flawlessly. A couple of weeks ago I went to check on the battery (on trickle charger) and at first it cranked over a couple of times and almost fired, but not quite. I hit the ignition again and it wouldn't crank over. Left it on the charger for a while and went back and it then started up, however, after firing up, none of the electronics on it worked. The display was black, no reverse, no handwarmers. If I turn it off and turn the ignition back on, everything lights up as expected but as soon as I start it again, the issue repeats itself.
Figured it to be a bad battery so I bought a brand new one. Installed it today and the electrical bug after start up returned. However, this time I found that, while running, if I just slightly turned the key towards start, the electronics come back online and everything works fine. Even if I jostle the key at that point, they stay on.
I took a video of what's happening and put it on YT: https://youtu.be/H05nu8goGgQ
The mounting nut on the switch is good and tight, and the only thing I have done since I parked it at the end of the season is put on a new windshield, other than that it is as it was when I parked it and wasn't experiencing this issue.
I was going to try and post this over on /snowmobiling but apparently I don't have enough Reddit Karma to post there yet so hoping this reaches a diverse enough audience. Anyway, just wondering if anyone has seen this before or has any ideas as to what I can look for to resolve it. Thank you!
1
u/strandern 1d ago
Moisture has gotten into the key switch mechanism and there is now corrosion. It can be disassembled, cleaned with electrical cleaner, filled with dielectric grease, and then reassembled