Servo motors can be found in a variety of different devices. Toys have them inside, so do DVD players, even the robotic arms used in assembly lines have them. Some servo motors are less complex than others though in the end they’re all essentially the same thing; a self-contained electronic device that rotates or pushes parts of a device with precision.

In ATVs, servo motors take on the role of enabling a driver to turn their 4x4 on and off. The servo motor engages and disengages based on the position the 4x4 switch mounted on your handle bars is in.

Unfortunately, when a servo motor breaks the driver can run into some big problems like getting stuck in whatever mode the rider left it in before it broke. The broken motor makes it impossible to switch without some sort of repair. Likely, this repair would be replacing the entire servo motor however, there’s a small motor inside an assembled servo motor that can also be replaced. This can give you back your control, but if it doesn’t then you’ll have to replace the entire motor.

Is Your Servo Motor the Problem?

It’s very easy to automatically blame the servo motor when you’re stuck in either 2x4 or 4x4 mode except, the servo motor might be perfectly fine and left as a scapegoat for another part. Electrical connectors, connecting to the servo motor and elsewhere can get dirty, which can cause it to malfunction, break down and ultimately break. If you’re still suffering the former, a simple cleaning with some electrical contact cleaner can do wonders. Then you can add some dielectric grease to keep this problem from happening again anytime soon.

Another problem that can affect the servo motor’s performance is having fuses blow in the fuse box. If this happens enough then you can be sure the servo motor will burn out too. In this case there’s likely some underlying issue with the electronics that are keeping them from working as intended like frayed wires, broken connectors or other problems that would require more advanced diagnostics to find and fix.

Now, servo motors have a wide range of different prices, assembled, apart or relying on the failure’s old bolts to still be in good condition. For example, an OEM Yamaha servo motor can cost as much as $500 and if you add labor into that it goes up even more. At partdiscounter.com we sell identical servo motors to what Yamaha sells for the Grizzly 600 and 660, but for less than half that price. We also know what our customers and those who will join us in the future are likely thinking; that OEM parts are always better because you know right away they’ll fit, but we sell direct replacement servo motors. This means they follow exactly the same specifications and you won’t be able to tell the difference. Our servo motors are also made to fit your factory differential and wiring harness so that you don’t have to take apart too many things to get back out there.

Servo motors are not as interesting to deal with as performance parts that can change the entire character of your bike when installed. They are still pretty important, especially if you enjoy 4x4 driving. Getting into a tricky situation like being stuck in a rut or slippery ditch can take out any 2x4 but with a working servo motor you can just flick the switch and cruise on out of there, leaving the less fortunate in your dust. This isn’t the part you want to forget about or ignore if it breaks, make sure to fix it or replace it; otherwise you won’t have access to all the features that made your vehicle so enticing when you bought it in the first place.

If you have questions about servo motors please let us know in comments.

Sources:

  1. Introduction to Servo Motors: http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-project...
  2. Servo Motors: http://www.engineering.com/ProductShowcase/ServoMo...
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