Frank Angerano

Sunshine the two wires going to the thermo sensor at the radiator, take a piece of copper wire and jump them together!!! With the key on the fan should immediately come on. If so then your good to go and it’s just a matter of the engine coolant reaching temp. I also want you change that thermostat if you can. It may have trouble opening and not allowing coolant to circulate properly. I don’t think it would be a water pump but start with the thermostat.

Do you feel the relay clicking when you turn the key on and off?

I love it! Have a blast this weekend and ride safe.

Try this. Leave the key on and pull the relay. See if the relay clicks when you pull it. If so then the relay is working. Or just touch the relay and see if it clicks when you turn the key on. What I would do next is trace the wire that feeds the lights and disconnect it. See if that changes anything. Does that bike have a digital screen on it ? Any codes ?

No oil !

That is a great idea. That’s redneck 101 right there. Quick question. That front of the ac where the filter is. That’s the intake portion, how come you leave that exposed taking in the hot air from outside ? Why not build another cowl like you did and connect it to the tent as well. This way your recovering more cooler air from inside the tent then drawing the outside hot air ? Either way I freaking love it.

Welcome to Quadcrazy Charlie.

Looks great. What year is that? The headlights and bike over all appears to be a newer bike ? Very well done! And welcome to Quadcrazy!

You can bench test it. Basically put it on your work bench and put power to the stater for a second. It should spin. Black cable on the metal part of the body of the starter and touch the red cable to the lug where the wire bolts up to the starter. If it does not spin then it’s dead. Order a new one.

Ok great so keep going trough everything to rule out any shorts including a good inspection of that 4x4 selector switch and see what you come up with. Hopefully you put the oem regulator in and the cdi and she fires right up. Leave that 4x4 selector unplugged before you try to fire it up and see what happens.

Hay @Travis Mitchel welcome to Quadcrazy! Nice bike you found there. First picture without the gas tank plastic ? Second pic with it on ? The bike looks in tact. If that bike was sitting out in the elements and the kill switch and ignition aren’t working it may be a matter of just cleaning the contacts and adding a little dialectic grease spray on them. If not then maybe you have to see if the wiring was messed with. I like the older bikes!! You can do whatever you want to them and it only makes it better. A little sanding and some spray paint and that bike will look great. How did you come across it and how does it run aside from the kill switch issue ?

So looking at your diagram that you posted. That pick up coil is bridged so automatically you will get a continuity reading on that. Along with the ignition coil etc. unfortunately you really can’t test a cdi. But you can test the other two items, pick up and ignition coil. That information should be posted in the manual as far as the acceptable ohms reading.

That’s some good work. Just keep one thing in mind and this will throw you off a little bit. There are resistors inside some of the components with the cdi and other items like that work like a light bulb. For instance a light bulb is connected to a ground and a positive to make it work correct ? So you should get a resistance reading on the red and black wire going to that bulb because the element inside the bulb bridges the red and black wire but at a very low resistance rate. That’s why a lot of the repair manuals show how much of a resistance reading you should get on certain parts. Like you pick up coil and or the stator etc. So don’t automatically think it’s a short when you get a continuity reading.

Lighting connections will not stop it from running. This harness should work for your bike, take a look at the images and compare the plugs. https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F303186573464

Ok so if I’m understanding this correctly you have a 1989 4x4 bayou 300 harness from your bike? You picked up a harness and it’s for a 4x2 bayou 300? The years that you will find fit are from 89 to 92 I believe. There are a few on eBay and the 400 bayou 4x4 will fit for the 89 300 as well. You can compare yours to the ones on eBay as the pics of the harnesses are pretty clear. What I would do is if possible take both harnesses and put them side by side. Open the tape up on both of them and see the differences. It may be possible to add what you need by copying the original harness if nothing is too burnt up.

I’m confused, the bike you have is an 89 and you bought a 2002- 04 what ?? Bike, harness ? If you can explain a little better so we can maybe help you out.

Anything is possible so yes the 2x4/4x4 could be causing a short. Can you see if there is a purple wire coming off the cdi and trace that back to maybe the brake switch your mentioning and disconnect it. Test it this way and see what goes on. The 4x4 selector if possible unplug it and see what happens. I will go back and look at the diagram and see what I can find.

Ok I’m back. So that red wire on the starter is clear yes ? No shorts and no continuity from red to ground ? Tye three wires you see are ground wires. No issues there. so I would go after that “P” wire coming off the kill switch and disconnect that and see what happens. This will isolate half of the system. It’s the one I circled in blue on the diagram.

Give me a little bit just landed at JFK. I will get back to you soon

I would test everything including the stator. It can’t hurt to run some tests while you have things open. I’m just not keen on the cheap regulator you have. This way you eliminate all loose ends.

Ok so basically now it’s just a matter of new parts coming ? Cdi and regulator ? Why did you swap out the starter in the first place if I may ask ?

But still popping fuse ?

Ok have you put the oem one in to see what happens?

Yes sir. I think that’s correct. It’s possible that the momentary draw could have done damage. I hate to say it but definitely a possibility. Have you tried any of the new regulators ? And put it all back together so see how the fuse holds up ?

No worries please it’s my pleasure to help. Ok so disconnect the wire from the starter, test again and see if that wire fails. And then test the bolt lug where the wire connects on the starter. If the wire fails than it’s shorted against the frame someplace. If not then the starter may have a failure. You can also take the wire that’s coming from the starter and very very quickly tap it against the positive terminal on the battery to see if the starter spins. If it sparks like hell straight away stop.