LT80 problems starting

[Gwbarm]

When im doing testing like that i usually use a lawn and garden battery strapped to the bike so it doesnt run down so quick. If you have a battery jumper pack you can use that, just anything that has more than 4 AH.

[Mech]

As Gw says, a jumper pack or jumper leads from a bigger(car) battery, or even just attaching a battery charger while you're working on it will help by charging between attempts at starting.

If you use jumper leads off a car that's idling it keeps the voltage up near 14.5 volts and that makes them crank over faster, and sometimes when things are hard to start but nearly going, that helps a lot. It's better for your starter motor too to have high voltage. Low volts means it needs more amps, which is the current, and it's the slow turning and heavy current that over-heats them.

[Andyjack]

Just an update: ignition switch seemed to be working ok but thought ide bypass it and it fired first touch of button so faulty ignition switch, so job don. Just like to say a big thank you to everyone for there help and advice. Thanks so much. Cheers Andy.

[Gwbarm]

Thats great news. Not that the switch is not working, but that its not something more serious. Good you figured it out.

[Andyjack]

👍👍

[Mech]

Do you mean you disconnected the switch ? Bypassing it wouldn't work.

The ignition switch and the handle-bar kill switch both earth the stator to kill the spark, and they are both open circuit for run. Either switch can kill the spark. They both though, need to be connected and switched to run for the starter to operate.

I'm confused about what you've done.

I think I'd go back and check the switches were connected up correctly to start with. It's possible that someone had changed one or both switches with a later model switch, and the later model switch could have the wires in different positions in the plugs.

 

 

[Gwbarm]

A little confused also, the start stop switch just kills spark, but in an earlier post, unless i read it wrong, you had good blue spark, but maybe it was intermittant, or not sparking when the plug was screwd in, which could be a switch problem.

[Mech]

Yeah, something's funny. I'm suspecting it's an intermittent problem (of course), that's come right by it's self, or because Andy changed something. Perhaps a chafed wire rubbing to earth and killing the spark sometimes, or a bad connection which Andy fixed inadvertently, or multiple problems.

I hate mysteries, and inadvertently curing things without knowing what it was I'd done..

If you're all good with it as is Andy then don't worry. If it plays up again though, remember this thread and we'll look into it a bit deeper.

 

 

[Andyjack]

Hi, I disconnected the ignition switch with  the block connection that connects the ignition switch to the wiring it is a 3 wire block connection with a orange, red, and black/white wire. It also has a separate yellow wire, then i made a connection block that looped the red and orange wire as it would if the ignition was on and the bike started stright up. If you look at my earlier post ive always said i dont think it looks like a very good spark but it has always had a spark. I havnt worked on the quad fir a few days apart from last night and this is what i did. Or sorry i also connected the booster to the battery.

Edited December 22, 2023 by Andyjack

[Gwbarm]

Good you found that, explains a lot you weren’t getting a good connection through the block connector

[Mech]

Hmmm. If you've got the old version ignition with the cdi and coil all in one, then the red and orange wires aren't any part of the ignition. They only power the start relay. That shouldn't have made any difference to the spark. Connecting them like that might have made the starter more reliable but it shouldn't effect the spark..

I'm still mystified.

If it plays up again remind us about this thread.

[Andyjack]

Well I don’t know what to tell you but it has.  i even tried the tool again that you connect to the coil lead to see how strong spark is and this time it worked, i had a spark over 1cm on it and before if u remember I couldn’t even get a spark with the tool. But all ive done is connected the red and orange wires that connect to the ignition, nothing else.

[Gwbarm]

Long as its working, who knows, is a mystery though. 👍

[Andyjack]

Thanks, kids are happy thats main thing. But i will say its been worst head scratcher ive ever worked on haha. Thanks for your help.

[Mech]

Ha.. Well it's a weird one. Only thing I can think of is there's a bad earth somewhere but I've already tried to figure where it could be and I came up stumped.

Like you say.. If the kids are happy then we are happy. Gotta love happy kids.

[Gwbarm]

Yeah, kids are happy! Most important, Its the magic of christmas.