How to Bypass neutral switch????

[sledneck0695]

I have a 85 big red 250es and the neutral light wont come on so it won't start. Also my reverse light and the headlight doesn't work either. I tried just cutting the neutral wire and running it directly to the positive post on the battery and still nothing and the bulbs not blown. I also tried following the wire back to the little box that it gets plugged into and cutting it from there and running it to the battery and still nothing. So I have no idea what to try next . Any help info pictures of other peoples anything would be great thanks.

[jeswinehart]

You need to ground the wires, not hook em up to hot. Right behind the engine is another connection for the neutral/reverse wiring that may have come apart. It is a real pain in the bottom to see/locate.

john

[Flyingw]

Stop cutting wires unless you know what you are cutting and what is running through the wire!!!! Don't do that

[dougspcs]

You're butching wires and connecting to hot with absolutely no idea where they go or how the circuit is designed..

STOP NOW before you do horrible damage to your trike..or worse cause a short that ends up with a battery exploding in your face!!

And John is right, the neutral switch is a ground for the circuit..if the switch isn't grounding because of a corroded connection then this may be the only reason your trike won't start. Did you check there 1st?

If not get a cheap test meter and a copy of the electrical diagram.

Electric flows like water in a specific path, you just need to follow the path and see where the flow stops!! Switches and connectors are the number one suspect..

[barnett468]

I have a 85 big red 250es and the neutral light wont come on so it won't start. Also my reverse light and the headlight doesn't work either. I tried just cutting the neutral wire and running it directly to the positive post on the battery and still nothing and the bulbs not blown. I also tried following the wire back to the little box that it gets plugged into and cutting it from there and running it to the battery and still nothing. So I have no idea what to try next . Any help info pictures of other peoples anything would be great thanks.

Below is an orig service manual with wiring diagrams. It might take up to 5 minutes to load. There are also links to wiring diagrams on the home page of the site.

http://www.oscarmayer.net/atc/manual...0es_bigred.pdf

[MonroeMike]

Below is an orig service manual with wiring diagrams. It might take up to 5 minutes to load. There are also links to wiring diagrams on the home page of the site.

http://www.oscarmayer.net/atc/manual...0es_bigred.pdf

Wrong manual. You can get the correct one here, from kb0nly.
http://kb0nly.info/ATC/index.php?dir...ice+Manual.pdf

[tri again]

Dear fellow mainer.
Check fuses first. There's an odd one, looks like a double open end wrench inside a rubber boot and inside a plastic case with tiny phillips screws. and a couple normal fuses near the headlight and I forget where else. Owners manual should tell you and is avail on this site.
The neutral light is a ground circuit that conects to switches under a sheet metal shield near the brake pedal...green and black wires.
keeps it from starting in gear. I've had a few just get loose and oily and a few that broke with sticks and twigs.
That sheetmetal can be bent out of the way to get to it.
those switches are like 10 bucks. but usually only need to be cleaned.

Is this machine new to you?
Are you sure it's in neutral? all the way down to neutral and 5 up, right?

[sledneck0695]

Yeah I'm pretty familiar with it and yes it's in neutral. prior to not having it come on at all it would sometimes come on and sometimes it wouldn't or it'd blink. If I just cut that wire and ground it than how is gonna be getting power to illuminate the bulb????

[Howdy]

Yeah I'm pretty familiar with it and yes it's in neutral. prior to not having it come on at all it would sometimes come on and sometimes it wouldn't or it'd blink. If I just cut that wire and ground it than how is gonna be getting power to illuminate the bulb????

It don't get power from that wire. It get's a ground from that wire.
Howdy

[El Camexican]

Yeah I'm pretty familiar with it and yes it's in neutral. prior to not having it come on at all it would sometimes come on and sometimes it wouldn't or it'd blink. If I just cut that wire and ground it than how is gonna be getting power to illuminate the bulb????

Think of it this way (coming from an electronically challenged individual). You need to complete a circle in order for things to work. A faulty switch, broken wire or corroded terminal represents a break in your circle. You know how people always say “shut the light off”? They should really be saying “shut the light on, open the light off”, because that is what is really happening, they are closing the circuit to complete the circle and turn the light on and opening the circuit to turn it off. Your starter button and neutral light only have a complete circle when the trike is in neutral and the key (if it has one) is on.

Start soldering and heat shrink tubing those cut wires back together and fix your ride properly. The guys posting here that know your ride will get you through it, PLEASE don’t cut any more wires.

[Flyingw]

To answer your question Sledneck, Positive power is always sitting at the light bulb and on the solenoid. What those two things don't have tp make them work is ground. The neutral switch on the case is actuated by a tab that's attached to the end of the shift drum. In neutral, the tap touches the tip on the switch providing a path to ground to illuminate the light and enable the starter solenoid. Its easier to actuate the ground than it is to actuate the positive power. The tips of those switches do wear out (both neutral and reverse). They have copper tips so they are a wear item. Yes you can attach the wire for the neutral light directly to ground but it also makes your starter button live all the time. Accidentally hitting the start button while the engine is running will damage the starter and starter reduction gear train so that's why that circuit is there. Its the same thing for the reverse light but it only turns on the light.

We don't mean to be so dickish but we field questions all the time from guys who hack up their wiring and then ask why their trikes don't run. He are here to help, not criticize.

[tri again]

Yeah I'm pretty familiar with it and yes it's in neutral. prior to not having it come on at all it would sometimes come on and sometimes it wouldn't or it'd blink. If I just cut that wire and ground it than how is gonna be getting power to illuminate the bulb????

Yeah, don't cut anymore.
If you take the wire off the neutral/reverse switches down by the footbrake, it may just work if you clean it and put it back on or just ground it to the engine. Nothing can really go wrong with those switches, they just short to ground if the internal gearshifting parts let it snap free.
If you simply ground those wires to the frame or engine, that makes it very easy to run onesself over since they usually start so easily.

[sledneck0695]

Alright I'll connect them wires back together but I can't find where they ground to????? I"ll be home in a few days and look some more so any help on that would be appreciated.

[Flyingw]

We are here to help. Wiring is not as intimidating as you may think. Reading the diagram is like reading a road map.

[Chopsaw]

Could be the key switch . Don't leave that out . I've had the light flash , or not shine ,,, wiggle or cycle the key and it worked . Just bringing that up .