Big John

Got one ordered, thanks!

Amazing what putting your glasses on and READING what a switch is for will do for ya. I just thought it was for the headlights.

And that WAS the problem all along. I thought it was just the light switch until I put my glasses on and READ it this morning....lol Of course I am now quite familiar with the entire ignition system, as I literally checked every component before it finally dawned on me that what you guys were referring to as a kill switch was NOT the key switch itself.

My problem was simply the kill switch, which until now I didn't even know existed....duh While I am still perplexed at the readings I got from the CDI box, per the shop manual, it apparently works anyway. According to the shop manual, the readings I took indicate the CDI is toast.

Well, other than feeling like a total idiot, not unhappy. I have never owned anything with a kill switch. It has a key, which was all I expected to be there. However, after seeing the term 'kill switch' a couple of times, I took a better look at what I thought was just the headlight switch. DUH! Hooked everything(literally) back up, turned it over a couple times to check for spark, and voila, there it was. Put the tank back on and opened the shut-off valve and fired it right up....thank God!(and all you guys of course!) It starts and runs, which is all I need it to do. Apparently the guy I bought it from hit the kill switch when he drove it on my trailer, and until today I didn't even know it had one....! NOW, feeling a little less frustrated, I have no issue buying a carb kit, as this one leaks like a sieve, and so did the aftermarket carb. The rear brakes are toast, no chance of repair without replacing the rear drum, and good luck finding one of those still serviceable. Front brakes may be repairable, but it will need everything replaced IF the front drums are salvageable(I haven't measured them yet), including a new master cylinder. Also missing the core for the air filter, but I can worry about correcting that after I rebuild the carb. Again, thanks guys! Glad I found this forum!

I bought a shop manual and it has a chart giving what resistance you should get across certain terminals. I can get no reading at all, across any of them. They all read open. How does heating the cdi box up affect a solid state device, or fix it?

Not sure what you are referring to as the 'kill switch', but the neutral light comes on. It has a key, so why would it also have a kill switch?

aftermarket Carb I ordered is junk. No surprise from what I have read. Just noticed there is also no spark. Tested out all the components, and in attempting to test the CDI, I get no reading across any of the terminals whatsoever. It ran when I bought it, so I find it really odd that the CDI would be bad all of the sudden. In looking online, the aftermarket ones seem to have a BAD history of not working at all, and the OEM CDI is $200. If I were certain this is the issue, that would be one thing, but it worked for 40 years and then it just broke when I brought it home??? Really regretting buying this pos at this time. Might as well have thrown money down a garbage disposal.......

Thanks! If I can get this carb issue fixed, I will be happy with my investment. All I require is that it runs. Brakes would be nice, but not of paramount importance for my intentions. Not like I will be out hill climbing or anything. I just need something that will run and pull a deer or a cart around. Not going to be going fast enough for brakes to be a real issue....lol

Thanks for the help!

Brand new member, in more ways than one. Hello and happy Easter from Otterbien, Indiana. Age and health issues prompted me to buy a cheap atv I figured I could fix up a tad. Getting too old to drag a deer out of the woods, so bought an old 1984 Honda trx200. I have NEVER tinkered with an ATV of any type, so expected this to be a learning experience....oy vey. The dude got it fired up, drove it around a bit, and fed me a crock, and since it ran I bought it. Hook, line and sinker. All I wanted was something that would start, run and save me from a heart attack. And it had brand new tires all the way around. Said his grandpa bought it new and he just didn't have the time to fix it.... Said it needed brake cables, master cylinder, battery and a new carb. OK, I figured I could deal with that. Carb was leaking gas pretty bad out the bottom of the carb, but it ran so I took his word for it. Ordered a carb, and it leaks even worse than the old one. Old one wasn't oem either, I discovered. And it now it won't start, period. Cables were the least of the brake problems. The ENTIRE front brake system will have to be replaced to work. Master cylinder, hoses, wheel cylinders, adjusters, shoes and possibly drums. Rear brakes cannot be fixed without a drum, as when I pulled the back cover off, there was nothing left inside but pieces of the old drum. Drum was totally destroyed. Can't believe I didn't hear parts rattling around when he was driving it. The more I look, the more parts I find missing, or replaced with jury rigged garbage, and the more I am convinced every kid in Indiana has tried to fix it before me...lol ANYway....lesson learned. My question is what is up with the carb issues? Fuel just pours out of the drain hose on the bottom of the carb. On both carbs. Choke wasn't even hooked up on the old carb. This can't be normal. And my knowledge of small engines is just slightly greater than my knowledge of Honda or ATV's, which is zero. Tried looking online, and that led me here. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. As it stands, I have a brand new set of tires on a boat anchor..... John