Last Updated: August 15th, 2023

How To Start Yamaha ATV Without A Key?

How To Start Yamaha Atv Without A Key?

Losing the key to your off-road vehicle can lead to a complicated scenario. If it happens in the middle of a mostly empty trail, it will get you anxious and lead to frustration.

Many people think losing a key is an extremely rare thing and it will never happen in their case. But it’s more common than you think. If you actually lose a key in the dark woods or rocky terrain, finding it back would be very difficult.

After dark, you won’t have sufficient light systems to search for a tiny key between the rock cracks or the forest surface. If you love to ride on dunes, it is always advised not to take the key out of the vehicle at all.

Trouble scenes

Losing an ATV key in the middle of dunes poses minimal chances of retrieving it. If you don’t know the tricks to get your ATV started, whether it’s of Yamaha, Suzuki, or any other brand, you might have to spend the night on the cold trail with a lack of resources and broken confidence.

The tricks and techniques which will be mentioned here are quite universal for all ATVs. So you can use them in hard times and get out of the difficult trails even if you lose the key.

This ‘losing atv key’ scenario can also happen while you are still at home packing for camping on the wild trail or going for an amazing ride with your friends.

Then you will feel extremely angry if you can’t go out with your ATV just because you can’t find the ATV key. Not finding the key also leads to a lot of time wastage as many times, even after hours, the ATV key cannot be found.

The kickstart mechanism and pullup technique

Most of the modern ATVs have a pull-up system that works as a backup. You need to have the ATV manual or access it online to use this technique.

Otherwise, you can also keep it on your phone or download it, as it will help you further for getting your Yamaha atv started. The basic steps which you can carry out without the help of the manual are as follows:

  • With light force, first, you need to take off the front cover of the ATV, especially you need to reach the space where the capacitor discharge ignition is present along with the other electrical circuitry.
  • Then you need to locate the ignition switch, mostly wire a three-wire cable attachment present in your Yamaha ATV engine. The ignition switch needs to be disconnected from the actual engine connection. You can also take out the ignition switch itself if you want and then close the front cover just as it was.
  • Then you need to pull-start your ATV or kick-start it based on the functionality present in your Yamaha ATV or other models. Use the lever with the required force and release it. You atv should start up without the key in this format.

The wire-fusing process

This stereotype wire bypassing technique can be used to start your Yamaha atv even without the key. The ignition switch needs to be side-swapped through the wires by opening the circuit and setting out minute sparks to get the ATV started.

The process of wire bypassing is as follows:

  • First, look out for the biggest two wires that flow out of the ignition switch. The voltage wire will be mostly red, which carries twelve volts of direct current. When you check the outside of the main fuse for output wires, you can confirm if it’s read or not. After you cut this wire, you need to look for the other big wire.
  • At the capacitor circuitry connection, check for the color of the wire on the kill switches directly on the wiring harness. This wire you need to cut will be present as either the bottom or middle wire on the green portion of the capacitor connector. The wire will be present in black color with distinct white stripes. Cut this wire, and you will be done dissecting wires.
  • Then you also need to disconnect the ground and tape off the ends of the wires you cut as if you let them loose and hanging it can short together with connections.
  • After that, when you start the Yamaha ATV or any other ATV and move to a secure position, do not forget to disconnect the black and red wire you connected to start the engine. Otherwise, your battery will die out.

The solenoid trick and circuit jumping

For the solenoid, the trick removes the front cover of your ATV and finds the solenoid device present near the engine.

Then you need to find the wire directly from the solenoid to the Yamaha ATV battery. You need to cut this solenoid wire and then find the red wire that stretches out from the battery.

Then the cut wires need to join together, which means the solenoid wire and the voltage red wire of the battery. After joining them, the ATV should be able to start.

The circuit jumping process would require you to follow these instructions:

  • Find the lamp or instrument cluster’s topmost portion in your ATV engine area. In most Yamaha ATVs, you will be able to find this cluster attached with the help of three screws.
  • The key switch assembly needs to be removed along with the instrument cluster. There will also be electrical connections that you need to remove with the remains attached to the switch.
  • After finding the red wire, which has a twelve-volt voltage, you need to cut and hook this wire up to the neighboring terminal. A jumper needs to be installed from the opposite end of the cluster, which has the twelve-volt wire. This is when the Yamaha ATV should start without using the key.

FAQs

What are some common scenarios where I might need to start my Yamaha ATV without a key?

You might need to start your Yamaha ATV without a key if you lose the key in the middle of a trail, in dark woods, rocky terrain, or dunes. You might also need to do so if you can’t find the key while you’re at home packing for a camping trip or a ride with friends.

How can I use the kickstart mechanism or pullup technique to start my Yamaha ATV without a key?

To use the kickstart mechanism or pullup technique, you first need to take off the front cover of the ATV to reach the space where the capacitor discharge ignition and other electrical circuitry are present. Locate the ignition switch and disconnect it from the engine connection. Then, you can pull-start or kick-start your ATV based on its functionality.

How can I use the wire-fusing process to start my Yamaha ATV without a key?

The wire-fusing process involves locating the two biggest wires that flow out of the ignition switch, cutting them, and then disconnecting the ground and taping off the ends of the wires. After you start the ATV and move to a secure position, you need to disconnect the black and red wire you connected to start the engine.

How can I use the solenoid trick to start my Yamaha ATV without a key?

For the solenoid trick, you need to find the solenoid device near the engine, find the wire directly from the solenoid to the ATV battery, cut this solenoid wire, and then find the red wire that stretches out from the battery. After joining the cut wires, the ATV should be able to start.

How can I use the circuit jumping process to start my Yamaha ATV without a key?

The circuit jumping process involves finding the lamp or instrument cluster’s topmost portion in your ATV engine area, removing the key switch assembly along with the instrument cluster, finding the red wire with a twelve-volt voltage, cutting and hooking this wire up to the neighboring terminal, and installing a jumper from the opposite end of the cluster which has the twelve-volt wire. The ATV should then start without using the key.

Conclusion

Knowing the tricks for starting your Yamaha ATV without a key is essential. This saves you from a lot of trouble and anxiety. Here you should have learned more than one technique to get the ATV started if difficult times when you have lost the ATV.

There is much to learn about ATVs other than just riding, and the knowledge comes useful in emergencies very well. You can try the techniques of starting your Yamaha ATV without the key in a safe space for trying your skills and being an expert in it.

If you also a Honda ATV and lost your key, check out article on how to start Honda ATV without a key.

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