Hey guys I'm working on a 98 fourtrax and the oil temp light stays on. Tried testing the switch with a test light but it's not grounding out at all whereas the plug itself is grounded. I'm assuming this is gonna be a short in the wireing as I had to rewire my neutral safety switch. Is there a way to test my oil temp switch before rewireing so I can make sure I won't be disable in anything? Thanks in advance!
Oil temp light on a 98 fourtrax 300
Camohurley4x4
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ok, there is your problem !. hook your test light to the neg on battery ?, or the engine itself, you want a ground to start with. turn the key on, put the test light to the end of the oil temp wire, the test light should light up ?, this is how all Honda's work !. the neutral, reverse, and oil temp switches are always hot at all times !. when you go to neutral ?, you ground the internal side of the switch by the shifting parts inside right there, same goes for the reverse, the wire connection is always hot, so, when you go to reverse ?, your grounding the reverse hot wire, or in this case, the switch inside the case contacts, and grounds the hot lead, which makes the light on the dash come on. same thing goes for the oil temp switch..BUT !!!!!, the oil temp switch does not use any parts to make a connection to ground !!!, it is ohm'ed out !!, this is what makes the oil temp switch light up your oil temp light on the dash
. if your switch is bad ?, or you have a short between the light on the dash to the switch ?, this is what is causing your light to remain on, pretty simple to understand .That is a variable resistance sensor that responds to temperature changes, its not a switch. You'll need to test it with an ohm meter (multimeter if ya got one)... it should read around 10k ohms (9.5k-10.5k) at room temp. If it does not read within that range (or close to it) it is a bad sensor. You can pull it out and test it in heated oil to verify that it responds to temp changes correctly if it measures ok at room temp.
Section 20 of the factory service manual covers troubleshooting of the sensor and alarm and wiring:
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lol, I gave inside info, you gave pics and spec's..lmfao. I think we both made our point ?!..lmfao.That is a variable resistance sensor that responds to temperature changes, its not a switch. You'll need to test it with an ohm meter (multimeter if ya got one)... it should read around 10k ohms (9.5k-10.5k) at room temp. If it does not read within that range (or close to it) it is a bad sensor. You can pull it out and test it in heated oil to verify that it responds to temp changes correctly if it measures ok at room temp.
Section 20 of the factory service manual covers troubleshooting of the sensor and alarm and wiring:
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Thanks guys! I'll look into it in the AM!
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your welcome, please post back on your findings !!.
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Alright guys so I don't have a multimeter at the moment but with key on and key off I'm not getting any power out of the switch itself and still don't see how the light will stay on with the key on and the plug disconnected from two or three different spots in the line.
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I will! I'm gonna continue trying to figure it out tonight. Wife is mad at everyone and everything and I've been dammed to the garage for a bit so here's to a good night of grease and dirt! Lol I'll keep y'all posted thanks again!
If you are putting a test light on the oil temp sensor plug and your test light glows brightly...? That indicates a shorted oil temp sensor doesn't it... also known as junk. LOL
Keep in mind that you are not working on a switched circuit... there is no such thing as on and off... it works by varying resistance. I saw that you were approaching this all wrong... that is why I jumped in. Unless you are going to replace parts until it finally works, you'll need to find an ohm meter and diagnose it.
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gonna explain this ONE more time, and I hope you understand ?..lol. test light on engine, key on, put the test light ( probe end ) to the WIRE HARNESS SIDE CONNECTOR !, your test light should light up. that wire going to the oil temp sensor is always hot when the key is ON, not off
. now, with wire connected to the wire harness side...running to the switch, at the bullet connector to the switch ( oil temp switch sensor ), key on, test light ( probe end ) to the bullet connector, test light should glow again. the problem I am seeing here ( not counting you putting the test light wrong ), is for some reason, your oil temp light is on, because you have a short some where between the light on the dash ?, to the oil temp sensor switch ?, this is why your light is staying on. ( and no..i am not upset explaining this !..lol ).
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Alright guys I went thru all the wireing and found a screwy wire replaced the section now the light is off and doesn't come on with the key. Is that correct? I remember hearing it's supposed to come on momentarily as a systems test but is that when you start it or just with key on. It's becoming clear that someone did a bunch of wireing on this that knew less then I do
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sounds like you got it fixed !!..good job !.
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So it does come on with the key and turn off a second later? I thought it was supposed to but it's not doing it here. I might go ahead and replace the switch just to be safe! Thanks for all the help!
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most Honda's , when you first turn the key on, the oil temp light comes on for a few sec's, then goes off, this takes place during the key on, or while cranking it over, by then, the light should be off
. and your welcome.
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Hey guys oil light aside for a minute I got the bike running. Well iddleing. But it dies at half throttle I put a brand new carb on it.and when it idles it will die after a few minutes. Any ideas?
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lotsssssssssssss of ideas !..lol. ( you are in great hands here on the forums ). bad gas ?, tank vent closed ? ( gas cap ), carb dirty ?, petcock clogged or dirty ?, jets clogged ?, this a new oem carb ?, or some stupid china crap you got on ebay ?. air filter clean ?. best bet ?, start at the tank, drain, flush, clean tank, work your way to the carb !. if ya got a stupid china carb on it ?, and still have the oem carb ?, buy a carb rebuild kit, shindy or moose makes great kits, either one is good, and cheaper than going to the Honda dealer, and buying oem parts separate !..lol. very good carb cleaning stickys in the repair section !, if ya get stumped ?, ask away !, lots of great members here always willing to help !. don't be afraid to ask questions ?, the worse, stupidest question ?..IS THE ONE YOU DON'T ASK !!..LOL.
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My guess is possibly water in the gas so I'm gonna try that this weekend. And yes it's a China carb? wife made me stay to a tight budget. I bought he same one for my grandfather and put it on his four-wheeler and it worked perfectly. And as far as the stock carb..it's toast had some caps missing and is fully rusted out.
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china carbs are worthless.
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Also I have my airbox pulled off right now could lack of back pressure on the carb cause that?
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