What kind of problems does a Can Am DS 250 normally have? In this blog, we’ve outlined all the most important things you should watch for when you’re in the market for a Can Am DS 250. In the rest of the article, we’ll discuss every single problem in detail. Furthermore, we’ll tell you how to identify it, fix it and how much it costs to fix. Read on!
There are some issues with the DS 250, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad vehicle. Many drivers are very satisfied with their DS 250 and have driven many miles without any problems. It is absolutely reliable.
Also read: Are Can-Ams Reliable, Check Your Model Here!
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1. Engine Mechanical Failures
The Can-Am DS 250 is no stranger to engine issues, with almost all of the problems seen with this vehicle being directed towards the engine.
This is caused by simple mechanical failures, which are caused by the insides of the vehicle. Usually, if that’s the case, when you start driving, the machine overheats, and the vehicle will stall. And if you start it up from idle, it will start sputtering, make more noise than usual or keep dying every time you ride.
There is no way to pinpoint exactly which part of the engine fails as it varies from time to time.
2. Electrical Starter Failure
If you have ignition issues and even the jump start doesn’t get the Can-Am running, start troubleshooting, one by one eliminating possible suspects. Cleaning your carburettor, doing a compression test, and checking the spark plugs to see if they’re overheating are a few tests to start with. And if there is still no obvious answer, there is a high probability that the problem might be the battery itself.
One way to test this out is to hook up a car battery of the same electric output to see if there is ignition, although it is essential that you do not damage the Can Am’s delicate internals by using the wrong battery. But if you don’t want to risk it anyway, your local dealership might be the way to go.
There is also the chance that the battery is perfectly fine, but for some reason, it doesn’t work. The first thing you want to do is check the ohm reading to the CDI and shift box to make sure there is power. If nothing is wrong with that, you should remove the CDI and shift box and connect them to the battery to check if they work. It should probably be one of these two. If it is, simply choose an aftermarket replacement or if you still have the warranty go to your local dealership.
3. Safety Feature Glitch
The Can-Am DS 250 comes with state-of-the-art safety features primarily because of the age group that is meant to ride it. But sometimes, a little glitch in the safety system can knock your machine out. On occasions, the safety system where the Can-Am cannot start in gear becomes glitchy and often stops the Can-Am DS 250 from going forward when you start it.
This can be a trouble if you can’t find out what’s wrong. Who would blame the safety system right? But if you do catch on, you might need to take it to your local dealership since it can be unsafe to use the Can-Am DS 250 if the safety system is going haywire.
“I have a 2008 Ds 250, when you start the machine and put it in gear without holding the rear brake, it will die–this is normal, but when you let off the brake with it in gear, it dies. Put it back in neutral it starts and runs fine when you go to reverse runs fine; just when you hit the brake go to fwd it runs as long as the rear brake is pressed, you let off the brake, and it will die every time, I can drag the rear brake, and it runs.”
4. Engine Overheating
This is one of the most annoying problems you can have. If your engine has the overheating light on it, you need to start looking for solutions. When it comes to engine overheating, there are tons of possible reasons.
You can try bleeding the radiator and inspecting the fan of the Can-Am DS 250. The Can-Am DS 250 radiator fan has a tendency not to kick in when needed. Then try checking whether the fuse is damaged.
In the case of the Can-Am DS 250 engine heating, the most common issue is a faulty thermostat. Often when owners complain about an overheating engine in the DS 250, it is a result of a faulty thermostat. Even when your engine is cold, the thermostat indicates that the engine is overheating.
5. Weak Spark Or No Spark At All
If the engine does not spark or the spark is weak, you won’t be able to fire up your Can-Am DS 250. The engine starts, but there will be no ignition. The best way to handle this is, simply to remove the spark plug from the engine and reinsert it into the spark plug wire. Insert the spark plug into the cylinder or ground it. Make sure the spark plug electrode is close enough to a grounded object.
Start the engine, if all goes well, you should see a spark fly out of the spark plug and bounce off the ground it’s in contact with. The first thing to try is to change the spark plugs. They are cheap and, therefore, usually run out of spark. Make sure you purchase the correct spark plugs for your engine and install them correctly.
6. Cheap Plastic
As a vehicle made to be driven by early teens, the quality of the material is below par, which is both bad in safety concerns and also bad in maintenance issues. The plastic seems to be easily broken and, with a few bumps and bruises, starts to crack. There are also accounts of the seat not being solidly attached, causing the chance of the rider dismounting mid-jump while in his seat.
The braces for the lights, the bumpers and the axles are the main problem areas. Since the DS 250 cannot handle the weight of a grown adult, a grown adult riding it may cause the chain to loosen and the axles to pop out. Overall, the quality of the plastic used for most of the body of the can am DS 250 lacks quality and durability, making it more susceptible to damage and making it a bit more dangerous.
7. Start Button Doesn’t Work
If the start button seemingly stops responding, no matter how hard you try, then it’s not going to start responding after you wait a few minutes, like on a computer. Faulty start buttons are one of the more common problems. Obviously, the DS 250 isn’t made for riding in mud or in bad weather conditions, so neither is the start button prepared for this.
The start button on the Can-Am DS 250 is not waterproof, thus making it susceptible to being damaged even while just ridingin heavy rain. To diagnose the issue, you should first remove the 2 screws from the bottom, which will allow the plastic housing to split in two and then remove the choke lever and then take off the small screws that are connected near the handlebars to keep the housing in place.
You should be able to take the start button out. Before doing anything drastic, you should first clean out the whole thing, just to make sure that it’s not because small debris gets stuck and ruin the electrical connection. Use a file and some compressed air to clean the thing, and also make sure to use quality electrical cleaner. This works in most cases, but you will need to clean it every once in a while. If this doesn’t work, it might be a problem with the connection.
Here’s what one customer had to say about the Can-Am DS 250 starter problem,
“We have a 2015 unit, and the yellow start button gets messed up, and we have to pull it apart and clean it, then it works perfectly for a while, well, like a year. It is not waterproof, so it gets messed up in bad conditions.”
First, try manually connecting the starter with the solenoid. If then it works, it is just a problem with the connection. If not, you should try using a multimeter to measure the electricity passing through the wires, and all the while making sure you don’t get electrocuted.
Sometimes the reason it doesn’t work is that the current is too weak. You should also check the wires connecting to the CDI and the shift box. If there is no current or a weak current, it’s either a problem with the battery or the wire, both of which are common in this vehicle. If that is the case, you should go to your local dealership, and they will be able to help you out.
