I want to thank any and all help in advance. I will try and be very thorough.

I have a cheap Chinese Go Kart that I recently re-wired. Everything seems to be checking out with the exception that I can not turn the key without popping the fuse. I can Jump the starter and get the engine to turn (not run though).

I have tried disconnecting the CDI, regulator, starter motor...to no avail. Fuse still pops, and instantly I might add. As soon as I turn the key to the on position, not even to the start position.

I tried to make a diagram of my wiring schematic for all to see.

Do I simply have the fuse misplaced? Or is there a short to ground due to incorrect wiring?

 

The switch itself may be shorted out. Did you check it with a meter or test light?

 

Don't know if this helps you any? Hooper Imports Experts on Chinese Motorcycles and Parts, Engines

 

I checked the switch for continuity. I get continuity through the red battery wire to the green ground when the key is in the on position. I get continuity from the red battery wire to both the green ground and red/yellow solenoid feed when the key is turned to start. The switch seems to be working properly. I did not check voltage because the fuse keeps popping and I don't want to put a larger fuse in and risk damaging anything. I Believe all things should work with that 10 amp fuse, maybe even a 7.5 amp.

I checked that site out and it is useful. I made use of that site as well as some images I dug up online to rewire everything.

I am starting to wonder if I am just missing something. Perhaps a relay in the ignition circuit to create resistance. I was under the impression that the feed that runs from the battery through the key ignition and to the solenoid should be one of low draw to simply trigger the magnet in the solenoid. So is the circuit just drawing too much current, or do I just have something wired wrong? In my head I think of it as if there is no resistance in the feed running from battery > key > solenoid > starter > ground....then it will most certainly pop the fuse every single time. I was almost certain I had it wired 100%, but obviously not because it doesn't work properly.

Thank you both for the response and the help offered.

 

Hi jumbofrank,

Great effort with the wiring diagram. That really helps.

In your latest post you wrote " I was under the impression that the feed that runs from the battery through the key ignition and to the solenoid should be one of low draw to simply trigger the magnet in the solenoid." and "if there is no resistance in the feed running from battery > key > solenoid > starter > ground....then it will most certainly pop the fuse every single time" You are 100% right in those two statements. So yes, you have a short or zero resistance circuit.

In your diagram you have 3 wires coming out of the key switch. You also stated that the key switch has 3 positions "OFF" "ON" and "START".

You have the starter solenoid wired correctly as in the right path (as long as the yellow with red stripe is supposed to go to the solenoid.)

Think of your igntion key switch as two separate switches. 1 switch is a ON/OFF switch (killswitch) like a light switch only instead of flipping a toggle, you turn a key. The other switch inside of your ignition key switch is your start switch. Think of your start switch as a doorbell (normally open switch) when you push the button in (turn the key to start and hold it) the doorbell rings for as long as your holding the button and when you release your finger it stops (when you are holding the key in the start position the starter cranks the motor until you let it snap back). When it snaps back, it snaps back to the "ON" position of the first switch which tells the CDI to keep the spark plug sparking until you turn the key to the off position. I am 99.9% sure that the green wire coming out of the ignition key switch does not go to ground. The only circumstance where a simple ignition key switch like your's would have a ground wire is for a light that tells you the switch is in the "ON" position

By connecting that green wire to the negative battery terminal you created a zero resistance circuit. You have it wired so that the voltage travels from + battery terminal> ./ . (switch) > -battery terminal.

Now we have to figure out where that "RUN" wire.

KEEP ME POSTED

 

frankvmcdermott,

I follow what you are saying. In my previous post I had made mention of having no resistance in the line. That's why I had mentioned adding a relay of some sort in the line. If that ground shouldn't run from the ignition to the battery, where should it run to? I have three wires coming off that ignition. Obviously one is the feed from the battery. So that leaves the other two. One is definitely the feed to the solenoid to complete the lower voltage circuit on the smaller wires to trigger the magnet to make the path for the larger circuit. I guess I need to tinker a bit and figure out where that other wire should go, if not to the ground. I will try and take a look at it this weekend and I will most certainly get back to you. The help is greatly appreciated.

 

Don't know if this will help,but Polaris youth models have a dual ceramic resistor set up that looking at the wiring diagram branches into the ignition switch and also into the voltage regulator through yellow/red and black wires.Wiring I know is different from yours.
#5 Dirt Cheap Yamaha, Honda, Arctic Cat & Polaris OEM Parts & Accessories – Cycle Parts Warehouse

 

Eroc4554,

I read your post about how you checked continuity of the switch. The switch may NOT be functioning correctly. If you have continuity between the RED wire and the GREEN wire, that means the Green wire is also a postive wire and is supposed to control an accessory like a head light, NOT to turn the motor off.

The green wire from the stator should go to the ground point on the voltage regulator. The Green wires coming from all parts should be grounded to the frame and not to the negative battery post.

A normal key switch should have 4 wires coming from it. example: WIRE 1 (RED) comes from battery(feed in). WIRE 2 (BLACK) Feeds the "START SWITCH and voltage regulator (feed out). WIRE 3 (GREEN) goes to frame ground (feed in). WIRE 4 (BLACK WITH WHITE STRIPE) splices together with the killswtich wire that runs to the CDI or Igntion Control Module(feed out) . When the switch is OFF (wires 3 & 4 are Connected and wires 1 & 2 are Disconnected) the CDI is grounded so the spark plug will NOT spark and the "START SWITCH" WILL NOT have power. When the switch is ON (wires 1 & 2 are Connected and wires 3 & 4 are Disconnected) the path from the CDI to Ground is broken (the spark plug WILL spark) and the "START SWITCH" becomes live (whether that start switch be a push button type or key ignition type).


My guess is that your ignition key switch is not a kill switch. It is just a start switch and the on/off portion of it is to control a headlight. If thats the case the only way to turn the engine off is with the separate kill switch (which you have wired correctly).

THE FIX: DISCONNECT THE GREEN WIRE FROM THE IGNITION KEY SWITCH AND PUT A WIRE NUT OVER IT. DISCONNECT AND REMOVE THE GREEN WIRE FROM THE VOLTAGE REGULATOR TO THE BATTERY. DISCONNECT THE GREEN WIRE FROM THE STATOR AT THE BATTERY AND ATTACH IT TO THE GROUND TERMINAL ON THE VOLTAGE REGULATOR. TRY TURNING THE KEY TO THE "ON" POSITION NOW. THE FUSE SHOULD NOT BLOW.

 

Erco4554,

I took your diagram and revised it so it is correct. If your like me, you need to see things to understand them. I hope this helps you as much as it helped me figure your problem out.

 

FRANKVMCDERMOTT,

A lot of what you posted makes sense to me. I really appreciate you taking the time to modify my diagram and help me out. I am going to give it a whirl this weekend and I will report back to let you know how it goes. It seems like I am not too far off from having this thing wired correctly. I'll keep you posted. Thanks again for all the help.