Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

Hi all,

I am contemplating buying an older Kawasaki 4 wheeler. It's got an electric starter, a battery and a back up pull start. The seller says that the stator is gone in it, and is including a replacement with the sale. He claims the battery is dead, but has to have it in the machine in order for it to run (to complete the circuit). He says the lights and charging system don't work because the stator is fried.

The machine started great with the pull cord, and I putted up the road with it with out trouble. I told him that I'd buy it once I made sure I could register it.

My question is this: Seeing how the motor needs electricity to run, is the stator not broken? Could the battery power the coil long enough to fool a fool like me? I've lost alternators in cars before and have had 30-40 minutes of driving on the battery alone, but am unsure about something like a 4 wheeler. Would it be likely that the stator is fine, and the regulator needs to be replaced?

Thanks all

John

I can't say for sure what the problem is.  You'd have to do some electrical testing to isolate the failure.  As far as running it on the battery, try starting the machine with the battery connected then take the positive wire off of the battery to see if the machine keeps running.  If it does, you should be able to ride without taxing the battery provided you do not use any lights or accessories.