Ask The Editors: Starting Troubles
A likely culprit.
It sounds like you’re on the right path. Typically when a tether or other such safety device fails to make the necessary contacts, it simply shuts the entire ignition circuit down dead. To the electronics, it is no different than trying to start a vehicle without inserting and turning the key.
Without knowing the color coding of the wires (this is often the precise problem with buying off-brand Chinese machines – they follow no codes, have no documentation and lack dealership support for help and parts), the best way to eliminate the safety tether entirely is get to the harness it connects to and run jumpers from the various contact points until you find the correct configuration that allows the ignition circuit to complete (to check this, put the ignition to the on position and your meter leads on each side of the switch set to Ohms/ continuity).
While we wish we could tell you with certainty where this harness is located, there simply has to be spot along the machine’s circuitry that serves as a secondary kill switch somewhere. Often with tethers, they appear like a simplified key switch with a fob that detaches from a corresponding assembly. Even if this assembly is missing entirely, the wiring must have a dedicated circuit for the switch. Also like an ignition switch, most use only two wrire designs – with leads made to plug directly into a harness along the main ignition circuit.
Also note that in your case someone else will likely have to hold the brake lever for each ignition test as well – the more safety circuits, the more possibilities for trouble.
Once you determine the correct configuration, splicing the wires together in place of your jumpers will allow you to eliminate the tether altogether. Hopefully that solves the problem.
