Suzuki LT300 Dumb Questions

[KeepTryin]

OK, so a guy at work GIVES me a late 80's 2WD LT300. Good rubber, been run hard by non-mechanical ice fishers and put away wet like 2 years ago. Has a plow and chains too. I want it and can't afford a nice/new wheeler. I never will be able to so let's not start down that road... Deal is, take it home, look at it, if I can get it to run and still want it I can buy it from him for $300. Nice offer, he can afford to be generous, trust me, (he's got a WAY $RICH$ wife) It seems to have compression and be 'all there' although the mice have gotten into it, the toolbox is full of crap and nest stuff and the battery compartment was full of acorns.

SO... I get this thing home, out of the truck, in the garage, and start looking at it. The battery is of course toast although it's a high-end gel cell. I put a known good battery in it from my riding mower and there is no neutral light or anything when I turn the key on and no sparks when I swipe the cables on the terminals with the key on. Neither is there a voltage drop across the battery shown by my VOM.

WHERE is the main fuse located on these? I am trying to get a panel off between the handlebars and speedo but two of the screws are rusted and I though I'd ask here if anyone knows.

ALSO, I cannot figure out where the oil window is! There is what appears to be an oil filter housing on the starboard side (just like my Kawasaki KLR650) but I CAN'T FIND an oil window! Admittedly all the snow and dead leaves haven't melted off yet... There is no dipstick on the oil cap but there is a notation of 1600cc oil capacity. I realize Spirithawk had this same question about his 250 (it just occured to me as I am typing this) and will go check that thread but if the 300's are different let me know, hey?

Thanks Thanks
KT

[hillbill]

just an idea, clean the carb and see if it will fire. if it dont have spark yu may hav a prob.thats prob the first thing  yu shud chek.id chek the actual compression and see what it is.also be sure the mice didnt chew anything important.go over it inch by inch and see what yu find.even if it dont run, ive parted out wheelers just like yours on ebay  for a good profit.most of the non running wheelers ive seen have been carb probs.let us know what yu find dude.

[KeepTryin]

Thanks Hillbill, but I haven't got to the fuel system yet, I'm a little intimidated by no electrical past the battery, you know? I'll pull the plug and yank on the recoil to see if there is any spark, but was hoping to at least see a neutral light and get the starter to turn over before trying to get this thing to light off....

KT
OK back to the garage till midnight I guess!

[KeepTryin]

Well, found the main fuse, it was OK. Still dead as a doornail, I'm stumped, ah well nothing ventured nothing gained... if it HAD started I'd have a cheap wheeler!

Wiggled every wire I could find, tried every switch, had it in neutreal, moved the reverse lever back and forth, tried the starter, nothing. Even jumped it with my trolling motor battery after sticking both the mower and motorcycle battery in it. Tried the key switch in both postitions. Can't think of what else to do. Took the headlight apart thinking there would be some mass of wiring in there, nope.

If I could even get a click or a light in the speedo or a neutral light or get the starter to turn I'd be thrilled, but no such luck. Nothing nothing nothing!

Just got to figure out how to get it back in the truck by myself to return it, damn.

KT

[Rex in OTZ]

ATV rotted wireing,  best start from battery to its first stop the solenoid, does it click if you jumper a wire on the coil post? hows the solenoid ground? how is the battery to frame ground? ther is a wire off the battery or the battery stud on the solenoid to the switch to power the solenoid to get it to click close when you hit start it should close that relay to allow power to the starter.
 could have lost the key in past and the wires to the ignition switch are cobbled from trying to hotwire it (old ATVs & lost keys?)

[KeepTryin]

Hi Rex, here's what happened!
Put in good battery, ran screwdriver across solenoid, sparks, engine started rather quickly for a unit sitting outside for 3 years in Wisconsin. Unit runs and drives, bad brakes on front (only left and it grabs), minimal on rear. Reverse works. Key turns engine off. No sign of battery charging. (No voltage rise across battery when blipping throttle, in fact voltage drop when revving) this tells me unit is running off of battery power and not charging. Not sure if unit has seperate magneto to run CDI and alternator for battery charging is bad or what. Unit is incredibly rusty from abuse/sitting outside. Put fresh gas and seafoam in, ran unit around town, purrs like a kitten, likes to yak some oil out of breather up by headstock, looks like it has in the past. Jumpered trigger leads of solenoid direct to battery via mini alligators and it thunks good, starter button on handlebar doesn't work, no lights anywhere. Vinyl covered wiring harness junction under seat, all those connections look good.

Said the hell with it and brought it back to owner, who said hey now I can sell it easier. I had cleaned it up and replaced some fasteners, ran a waxy silicone cloth over it and it looks better than it did. Let him have my good battery as it is out of my now blown-up lawn mower and was going to replace it after this it's fourth year anyway. Kept his bad one for a core charge. Thanked him for letting  me dink around with the atv and learn some things, but I want/need a nicer unit. (Like a mid-90's methinks)
Both of us were happy mostly. I was bummed it had so many problems, but was glad didn't have to buy it. He already had two guys at work want to buy it as it was in my truck today and it was common knowledge I was trying to troubleshoot it.

Got some odd length 2x4's out of the deal, anyway. Ah well.

KT

[charles p]

Does it have a kill switch somewhere?

[KeepTryin]

Hi Charles, no it  didn't. There was a place for one in the left control pod on the handlebars but it had been removed. The machine had obviously been rolled a few times, judging from the condition of the handlebars and headlight shell. Perhaps it had been damaged at some point. This unit obviously had a lot of stories, only a few of which were known by the second owner who let me take it home to look it over.

Besides, the engine ran fine and you could turn it off with the key.

Thanks though!

KT

[Rex in OTZ]

I'd suggest a shop manual, Ohm the mag roter pick up leads, the ignition was working the electrical was not, found in past pull starters would crumble little bits of metal off and they'd stick to the rotating magnet on the flywheel wipeing out pickups old Honda 3-wheelers were really bad for that, even my 86 TRX 250 had a case of indegestion (no ignition suddenly) a starter star gear tooth come loose and stuck to the rotating magnet and munched all sorts of vintage parts