WAY OT: Can anyone help with ATV no starting?

[1969FordMan]

Ok, Im on a couple ATV forums but the guys on there arent very helpful so I though I would see if you guys could provide any insight for me.

I have an old YAMAHA 400, Rode it this weekend and after riding about 10 miles with the headlights on the battery was dead. Charged it up and rode the next day, but the battery didnt get a very good charge, it wa dead a few cranks later. I attempted to jump it off and did so once after several attempts to start it. I tried to jump start it a second time to load it up. NOTHING.. . . . . . . tried to cahge the battery, it charged for a while, but it still wouldnt start. After a few tries the battery wont do ANYTHING, when the charger is hooked up it shows NOTHING like nothing is connected. I put another battery on and tried again, but now you have to fiddle with it for it to turn over (silynoid problem?) but no matter how much you crank it does NOTHING. Its getting gas ans air, so I tried to see if it was gatting fire. I stuck a screwdriver into the sparkplug wire, i felt NOTHING. bad ignition coil?

Anyway any help would be appreciated greatly. I know its WAY off topic

[fordman]

if your not getting spark it has to be electrical. wheather its not getting power to make the coil give spark or a hot coil that is going bad.

[ford4x4fun]

Pull the plug and actually make sure there isn't any spark there. I would say something electrical, with what you are describing. What did you use to jump it with?

[1971ford]

Pull spark plug, plug into coil plug wire like it would be if it were in the engine. Hold the plug up close to a metal piece on the bike and crank it over. Spark? If no, then find where you are losing it. It might be the coil or CDI or whatever the atv has. How do you know it is getting fuel?
Have you tried trusty ol' starting fluid?

Not too much help but what year and model is it so i can see what ignition setup it has?

[1969FordMan]

its a 2000 YAMAHA Big Bear 400. or YFM400.

Im going to try to pull the plug tomorrow, but I have misplaced the only size socket I had that fit it so it may be day after tomorrow.

[1971ford]

2000 is old?
Dang, our bumps are ANCIENT.

That's a new ride in my book. when you said old i figured 80's. Still the same deal though. Just more crud to sort through if it comes to be a no-spark problem.

[fuzzier1]

It was already asked but not answered. How did you jump it? If you used a car with the engine running you probably burned up the ignition or other parts. So again how did you jump it?

Fuzz

[ford4x4fun]

It was already asked but not answered. How did you jump it? If you used a car with the engine running you probably burned up the ignition or other parts. So again how did you jump it?

Fuzz

That is what I was thinking when I asked

[fuzzier1]

It was already asked but not answered. How did you jump it? If you used a car with the engine running you probably burned up the ignition or other parts. So again how did you jump it?

Fuzz

That is what I was thinking when I asked

Yea if you have a MC or ATV and jump it with a car, with the engine running, you will most likely let the smoke out of the ignition and other electronic goodies. If you HAVE to jump it, use another MC/ATV or a car withOUT the engine running. To much for the small batteries means big money having to be paid to fix it. I that isn't what happened here.


Fuzz

[frankensteined_67]

sounds like you may have a bad Magneto.

[1969FordMan]

I hate to tell you guys this but I used my bump........................ RUNNING. Im assuming thats what fried my battery? And possibly a lot of other things................

[cep62]

Pull spark plug, plug into coil plug wire like it would be if it were in the engine. Hold the plug up close to a metal piece on the bike and crank it over. Spark? If no, then find where you are losing it.

I don't know about Yamaha but a Honda mechanic said on some of the newer machines the spark isn't visible to the eye.
he said you needed a meter . He had people throw money into the machine and still no spark , so they wouldn't try to start it. They'd bring it in and he would put the plug in and it would fire right up.
He attributed it to flooding or a fouled plug, after cranking it and looking for spark it cleared out and with a new plug it fired right up.

[1969FordMan]

It has a brand new plug. And I just took the carb apart and cleaned it and had it running GREAT

[george worley]

Get a volt meter and start checking the electrical connections. Maybe a fuse or circuit breaker is blown.