Ask The Editors: ATC Dying Out
Running great. For a few minutes anyway.
Wouldn’t fire back up without sitting for a while.
Then it died again shortly after.
New carb + jetted, DG exhaust & Uni filter.
Just like as if it won’t start in your garage, diagnosing a machine that conks out during a ride is a matter of checking for the three ingredients necessary for internal combustion: Fuel, air and spark.
Given that you list a new carb, air filter and proper jetting, we’re going to guess fuel and air check out, which leaves us only with spark.
It sounds elementary but a lack of spark always begins by ruling out the easy stuff first: Is the spark plug new? What about the wire & cap? If these things check out and you’re still not getting spark, then the diagnostics have to start getting deeper. Is there a short (ground) anywhere within the electrical system? Even something as simple as faulty ignition switch can cause what you describe. How is the coil? CDI box?
The key to checking all of these things is to grab an electrical multimeter, set to resistance (ohms) and begin placing your leads around connection points to check for continuity.
Were we to guess, vibration is likely causing an exposed section of wire to make contact with metal and making a direct short, which kills the machine and keeps it from restarting until it moves just enough to function normally again.
The only good news in all of this is that compared to the computer controlled, fuel injected, sensor laden complexity of the modern ATV, machines of this era are refreshingly simple and accessible.
