85 250 big red won't start

[svo58]

I just put my 250 B.R. together ,i hook up all the wires and connections and the neutral light is not going on.I checked the lower right of the motor,the 2 wires are pluged in.I have a new battery ,the head lights work.I know the starter works ,i took it out and jumped it .I checked the old posts in this forum and it said the neutral light has to be on for it to start.I cheched all the fuses,2 by the light and one by the battery-they are good.Why is the neutral light not comming on,did i miss something.The electric start won't work with out the light on,is that correct.If so how do i trouble shoot this to get it running.I never herd this big red run before,i bought it non-running.So where do i go from here.Any and all help would be great,thanks.....svo58

[ClayW]

Ok Bro, try this. Turn the key to the on position. Make sure the Kill switch is in the on position. I assume you checked that. After that, take a wire and wire it up under the positive baterry clamp so it will hang and you can use it. Its just a hard wired hot wire now. Take that wire and bring it over to the solenoid thats above the starter on the frame left side behind side cover. There you will see 2 BIG wires on the top and two small wires. I believe the small ones are yellow with red strip and a green. Take that hot wire and touch it to the YELLOW wire right where its soldered on to the solenoid and see what happens. It should turn over and crank. That will make it turn over with the key off and the ignition off. Hard wires it for a second. Let us know from there. If it does, you not getting 12volts to the solenoid. COrrosion may be the cause or a loose wire.

ClayW

[jeswinehart]

Hey Vick ,,, you may perhaps have those reverse and netrual wires switched ,,, . Put it in reverse and see wich light comes on (if any).

john

[svo58]

ClayW ,i tried what you said.I hooked a wire to the pos. side of battery and with the key on and in the run position i tuched the yellow and red wire at the top of the selenoid were it's soldered and NOTHING but i took the HOT wire and tuched the starter and it turned over.Where do i go from
here,thanks Clay
Jonh,i will look at the wires to see if they are crossed.Any other hints let me know,thanks john

[freewheel3]

Just a thought, might be obvious but, it is IN neutral, right?

[ClayW]

Well for some reason you are not getting 12 volts to the starter. Check the main fuse that is back by the solenoid. Then take a volt meter and start testing the voltage on the positive cable. Not on the battery end but the other end. You basically wont to test it at every connection all the way to the starter. THis process will take you to the solenoid and on past it. Somewhere you have a bad connection or the solenoid is completely trashed. Just look at it like its 5 extension cords hooked together. 1 cords bad and the rest are good. Therefor the light at the other end wont come on. Im pretty sure that if it was in gear it would have ran over him when he hot wired the starter. LOL

[firefirefire90]

ever thinkj the light just may be burnt out?

[svo58]

Yea it's in neutral,I have a volt meter but not sure how to use it.It has a bunch of settings -what one do i set it on to do the test a ATC electrical system.I don't want to sound like a idot but i never used one.Can anyone point me in the rite direction to do this.Thanks......victor

[ClayW]

12volt DC. There should be a AC and DC setting. Use the DC setting. Pick the voltage setting that is closest to 12 volts without going under 12V. Its likely 20V. Put the black to ground on the batter and the Red to the points down the wireing harness that you wont to test. This help?

[jeswinehart]

There is another very usefull setting on that tester of yours. It is called ohms. If you set it to that setting you will be able to check for broken wires and / or if switchs are doing what they are supposed to be doing.
I will pm you my e-mail addy
e-mail me your phone number and I'll call you and perhaps be of more help over the phone. I will call if it don't get to late.
I also can scan pages out of my manual about testing the switchs on your trike if you do not already have a manual with that info in it.
I bet it is something simple ,,, but you hafta simply find it first.


john