hello ,i just seen that my daughters four wheeler will start with out the key being in or in the off position,it will start right up if the red switch on left side is in the up position. I don't think it is suppost to do that is it !! good thing the brake was locked.
thank ,jim

 

I wonder if this quad has been rewired by someone. I can't remember from your previous posts if this quad is used or new. I can't believe a new quad would be wired without a starter saftey interlock. That would be lawyer bait for sure.

Is your key ignition switch even hooked up to anything? It sounds like your left up/down switch is the new ignition switch added by someone later.

 

yes this bike is only a yr an half old and it does look to be hook into the wireing harness this may go back to the tail light problem I've got to, with it staying on also.

 

Well what would be the problem so that i can get this fixed ?

 

It is not clear to me what this left switch is doing. When you flip this left switch up does the start motor turn immediately? Or does this enable the start circuitry so that when you then push on the start button the starter motor turns?

What are the wire colors on your real ignition switch? There should be four wires. Measure the DC voltage on all four wires to ground while the left switch is turned off. One of them should have 12 volts on it all the time. Another should have 12 volts on it only when the ignition switch is on.

 

Hello Lynn,
Yes the ignision switch has four wires to a plug then heads back to the back of the bike.purple red black and one other color.The button on the switch on the handle bars is a toggle switch with it off it will still start the starter if i flip it down it does the same but will start the motor will turn over and start up.
very weird.it will also drain the battery just checked it and its competely dead. I thought the tail light was the problem but now I don't know. Any ideas ?
Thank you
Jim looper

 

Jim,

I'm on vacation posting from hotel rooms, so the internet connections have been a little iffy at times.

It sounds like your left switch is just the ordinary handlebar kill switch. All quads have this switch unless it has been hacked out. It allows the rider the ability to kill the quad without removing the hands from the handlebars. Imagine if the throttle sticks wide open... The rider would panic and have a very tough time letting go of the handlebars with one hand to shut off the ignition at the ignition switch. Everyone should get in the habit of shutting down the quad with the handlebar kill switch so that it becomes second nature - the first and automatic thing to do in an emergency.

So measure the four ignition switch pins with a meter with respect to ground. One should be 12 volts all the time. On should be 12 volts only with the ignition switch in the "on" position. Do you see this?

Your battery is dead. This is bad, and must be addressed immediately. Batteries that sit araound while at anything less than fully charged are damaged very quickly. You must get this battery charged up using a motorcycle battery charger. The charging current must not exceed 2 amps. Ignore this and you are writing off your battery in addition to your other problems....

You say that your brake light is on all the time (when your battery was charged up). But was your brake switched closed? In other words, were your brakes applied? If so this is a non issue, and I would concentrate on why your ignition switch is not working.

 

Hello Lynn,
ok if the other ing wires have power to them all the time then the switch is bad ? Correct and i have put battery on charger, the tail light stays on all the time but i just unplugged it so it will stay off. so witht the kill switch off, the push button for the starter will ingage the bike will try to start. i will try to check wireing and see what it is and then get back to ya .

 

When you turn the ignition switch off the power to headlights, brake lights, etc. should be cut off.

So try unplugging the ignition switch at the connector (you may have to remove plastic to gain access to the connector). If that kills the brake light and the battery drain problem then the ignition switch is bad.

By disconnecting the wires to the ignition switch, you just did what the ignition switch is supposed to do (disconnect battery from all electrical loads) when the ignition switch is off.

If the brake light stays on even if you unplug the ignition switch then we've got to delve further into the non-standard wiring. But I doubt that will be necessary.

If it were me I would be measuring voltages at the ignition switch both on and off as outlined earlier. This (to me) would be much simpler, faster, and more efficient, but I'm offering a different troubleshooting tactic to help you approach this problem from two different angles.

And yes, if you have 12 volts on two of the four wires even when the ignition switch is turned off then your ignition switch is bad.

 

Hello lynn,
I tried the plug coming off the ignition switch but that did nothing at all. i have not tried t o see if power to wires but like you said it should turn everything off. tail light is still on and i can also push the button to start the bike. At least the saftey or kill switch next to the starter button does turn the engine off while it is running.Any thing else i can try !
Thank you ,Jim Looper