'83 Gas not turning over

[Nibeck]

Just replaced some broken mounting brackets for the generator/starter. Put everything back where it belongs.

First start attempt - Success! Yeah. I then went about cleaning a bunch of stuff up(tools, etc), and tried starting a second time, no dice. Electric is flowing (lights come on, backup horn sounds, etc.), but the starter won't turn over.

I can hear a solenoid clicking when I step on the gas pedal, but the starter doesn't turn over.

Any suggestions on troubleshooting?

_mike

[Dave Box]

The two most common problems starting the 2PG engine are ground faults and the solenoid itself.
It may be that you are hearing the solenoid clicking or you might be hearing the microswitch on the throttle. To make sure you should clip a voltmeter to the two small terminals on the solenoid. With the ignition switch on you should read no volts until you depress the throttle, now you should see ~12 volts. If you do and the engine did not crank, try shorting out the two big terminals. If the engine now cranks you have a defective solenoid.

If you still have issues then you probably have a ground fault. Trace the negative from the battery to the ground point on the chassis. Remove all the cables and clean the chassis to bare metal, also clean the cable lugs. There should be three cables, one from the battery, one to the forward reverse switch and one to the engine block. This last one is important (and somehow seems to get lost) as it grounds the engine to the battery. Without it the engine will seek any ground, like the choke cable, and fail.

This should get you running.

Finally a couple of points
1. Jack up the rear end or remove the drive belt so if it starts unexpectedly it does not run over your kid / cat / wife etc.
2. If you do need a new solenoid make sure you get on intended for the purpose. An auto starter solenoid is not designed for constant duty and will not hack it.

Good luck
Dave

[Nibeck]

Great info, thanks! Will run some of these tests this afternoon.

_mike

[Nibeck]

Dave, things looked good for a while, but I'm back at the starting point. First thing I did was clean the ground cable form the battery. Easy, and immediate success, started right away

Now, after a few days, things are back to not running. I dug into the solenoid testing and here is where I am.

- Two small leads on solenoid show no voltage with ignition on
- Two small leads show no voltage with ignition ON and pedal depressed
- Shorted two main leads on solenoid, and engine cranks fine

Even though the engine cranks, it won't start, I suspect there's no spark.

Am I looking at a dead solenoid? Any recommendations on a source?

_mike

[Dave Box]

Mike,
Your diagnosis is spot on. If there is no voltage to the start solenoid then there will be no voltage to the ignitor or the coil so the engine will not start if you jump the solenoid.

I would jack up the back axle or remove the drive belt so if it does suddenly start it does not run away with you.
Now with the negative of your voltmeter connected to the negative on the battery, check for 12 volts on one side of the ignition switch, if you see 12 volts turn on the ignition and look for 12 volts on the other side. If you still see 12 volts measure on the positive side of the solenoid (the one with the colored wires on it) depress the throttle and you should see 12 volts. If not you have a defective microswitch or a broken wire on the throttle.

If you do not see 12 volts either side of the ignition switch then there is a break between the battery and the ignition switch. The big cable goes from the battery positive to the solenoid and from that terminal there will be a thin wire to the ignition switch. It should go via a fuse (and that might be your problem). Of course after these carts have been through a few hands the fuse might no longer be there. Anyway trace the wiring and let us know what transpires.

Good luck

Dave

[Nibeck]

OK, we're getting somewhere.

It appears to be micro switch.

- Ignition switch seems to be working fine. 12v on one side, on the other side, only when key is on.

I don't see voltage on the small terminal of the solenoid (the side with the wire running down to the micro switch)

I sent a direct 12v from the switch to that post, and everything fired up fine. Starter turned and spark fired.

Do I need replace the micro-switch?

_mike

[Dave Box]

It is quite unusual for the switch to break, but not unheard of. I would remove the switch (which you are going to have to do anyway) and check the wiring, soldered connections and switch itself. If you rule out the impossible, then whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truth. (Sherlock Holmes).

Dave

[Nibeck]

Got it. Will dig into the switch itself. Probably just bad wiring. Cart is old and dirty.

Can I safely remove all of the spongy material off of the "firewall"? Don't know if it's for sound or heat, but it makes working on these components tough.

_mike

[Dave Box]

My old cart had been dumped in the woods for many years so I had the same issue. I removed that nasty stuff and just sprayed the firewall matt black. I guess you could find some sound absorbing, heat reflecting sticky back stuff but the cart seems to be happy without it.

Dave

[Nibeck]

Dave, thanks a lot for your help. All is working now, and the kids are mighty happy. One of the leads on the micro-switch was rusted through. New wires and mounting hardware, and all is well. My son, Evan, had a great time helping me work on this.

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