I have a 110 taotao atv that will not start. I have noticed for the last two months that I will have to turn the ignition on/off a time or two then will crank fine. Now, when turning the ignition on it will not turn over nor will the lights turn on. If I press the starter button I will hear a clicking noise and when using the remote start it clicks more rapidly. The noise is coming from under the seat around the battery. Could this be a bad ignition switch (key switch) or something else. I have checked the bus fuse and it appears to be fine. Thanks in advance.

 

Sounds like your battery is dead. Get a meter and measure the voltage right on the battery terminals when trying to start the quad (and the starter solenoid is clicked or clicking...). What voltage do you measure?

Or, use jumper cables to jump the quad battery to your car battery (please take extra care to get the polarities matched - plus to plus, and minus to minus...).

Does it start then? If not does the starter turn normally?

Your first problem of an intermittent ignition switch may be a separate problem to be tackled after this one.

 

I know it's not a given, but the battery is new and worked great the day before. Also the light running lights will not faintly turn on.

I will have to get a battery volt meter. I'm no mechanic if you take a look at some of my post so please explain things as simple as you can. What kind of meter do I buy? Like the $50 ones at Lowe's?

Will the battery be directly connected to the starter/solenoid?

Is the starter and solennoid the same thing?

 

A meter would solve this question in 5 seconds...

Jumping your quad battery to your car battery would solve this question in about 5 minutes.

$50 sounds like a lot to me. I have a very robust $20.00 meter from somewhere (I forgot where I bought it - but I've had it for years). The same meter design is now sold through harbor freight, though I definitely did not buy mine there. I don't know if the HF quality is the same.

Harbor freight also sells really cheap meters which I've seen on sale at $2.99 (battery included!). If you have a harbor freight nearby its worth a visit. Mail order at HF is a possibility but handling/shipping fees makes it less attractive.

For measuring battery voltage any meter will work. Find a cheap one.

No, the starter motor and starter solenoid are two separate things. Look at your positive battery terminal. Follow the fat red wire from it. It goes to one screw post on the starter solenoid. There is another screw post that has another fat red wire that goes on down to the starter motor input terminal.

The starter motor turns when the battery is connected across it. 12 volts goes to the starter motor input. The case of the starter motor is ground, and there will be another fat wire from somewhere near the starter motor frame or case back to the negative battery terminal.

Starters draw a *lot* of current (30 to 50 amps). The purpose of the solenoid is to switch the battery voltage directly to the starter through fat wires that can pass the required current. To do this solenoid has two small wires going to it. When 12 volts is applied to these small wires a couple or three amps flow into a coil of wire in the solenoid. This generates a magnetic field which sucks down a big steel plate which shorts those two screw posts together - connected the starter motor directly to the battery.

By using the solenoid you can use a small starter switch with a little current to switch on and off massive current to the starter motor.

 

Thanks Lynn,
I had to vote and feed cows yesterday. I plan on buying the tester today and giving it a shot tonight.

Thank you for the explanation/schooling. I have definately learned something today.