[RangerRider_1]

I was checking some things out on my Ranger today. Ran across an issue where I wanted to check one of my relays. I looked in the service manual and found a wiring schematic. For someone that may not know how to read the schematic, it may not mean much to them. So if you ever run across an issue where you want to test a Polaris relay, or you want to run whatever is controlled by the relay (fan, fuel pump, lights... etc) it is pretty simple to do if you know what the relay is doing.

How to test:
To test the relay you will need a 12vdc power supply and a continuity tester of some sort (I use a digital Voltmeter). The diagram in the service manual shows the relay as if looking from the top. Just remember if you flip it over, the pins are changed to the opposite side. Looking from the top, you need to put +12Vdc on the pin 85 and battery ground (-) to pin 86. When you do this, you should hear the relay click and there will be continuity between pin 87 and 30. (The pin numbers shown in the service manual is pretty much standard across the board for electrical diagrams.)

If it doesn't click and/or there is not continuity with the voltage applied, then the relay should be replaced.

 

[fswan]

Good to know! Another quick test is to swap out the relay with one of the others in the fuse box -- they are all the same. If the circuit starts working after the swap, you have found your culprit.

 

[rooster t cogburn]

Only bad thing about swapping electrical parts, if you have a short, it could destroy the swapped part, best to always let you test meter to do the dirty work. js

 

[Dseldoc]

If you don't have a volt meter or continuity tester and are leary of putting a known good relay on a bad circuit, you can put the suspect relay in place of one that is working. If the working circuit then stops... replace the suspect relay.

 

[RangerRider_1]

Sometimes, you just want to manually run the item being controlled by the relay... just to rule out any wiring issue between the relay and the item. If that is the case, just remove the relay and add a jumper between 87 and 30 on the diagram. The item should come on.