Lost my key....How do I hotwire my snowmobile?

[Mike Stark]

i lost my key to my 1980 yamaha 440 exciter. its a pull start. how do i hotwire it? is there anywhere i can get another key?

thanks,

mike

[Macgyver55]

A lot of the older sleds would start by simply unplugging the ignition switch. Not sure about the Yamahas though, but its worth a try.

[Mike Stark]

so i connected the two wires going into the ignition switch...nothing....those were the only two ignition wires.

any ideas?

[Mike Stark]

would i need a toggle switch?

[kc0myy]

the only thing the switch does in open the wire so it grouds out. if you cut the 2 wires and tie them together it should run otherwise I don't know what to do. yes I would get a toggle switch so you can turn the machine off. another thing you can try is. alot of those older switchs can to turned on with another key like it. I know with the old polaris and like truck toppers they can be opened with a small key.

[PierBridge]

Definitely try unplugging the ignition switch first. Otherwise call the nearest Yamaha dealer. Or find somebody with a similar year sled that key will work also.

[2thepointsetters]

so i connected the two wires going into the ignition switch...nothing....those were the only two ignition wires.

any ideas?

When you removed the wires from the switch you should not have connected the wires together.

[BoxMN]

On my old polaris the key is the same as an old tractor key

[stumper]

Originally Posted By: mstark83

so i connected the two wires going into the ignition switch...nothing....those were the only two ignition wires.

any ideas?

When you removed the wires from the switch you should not have connected the wires together.

Exactly, You want the circut OPEN , not closed. unplug it and DONT wire anything together until you want to shut it off.

[PmDavis300]

call your dealer. if it is like my sled (1990), you can just order a new key.

[Mike Stark]

so leave the wires open????

[Surface Tension]

Yes leave the wires open.

[Mike Stark]

left the wires open...fired on the first pull!

thanks folks.

[DTro]

Seriously?

So a hotwire is as simple as opening the hood and cutting the wires?

Good to know, I can see my key getting lost somewhere somehow sometime.

[rcatcherman]

Keys are for when you are at the bar so the other people know what you are driving..

[Shack]

Seriously?

So a hotwire is as simple as opening the hood and cutting the wires?

Good to know, I can see my key getting lost somewhere somehow sometime.

Dtro on your sled this might be easier said than done. You just have to unplug the connector behind the ignition switch and the sled will start up. It is getting to this connector that might be an issue if I recall. I know I lost the key to a ZR580 I had and boy was that a pain to get behind the ign. switch

Quote:

i lost my key to my 1980 yamaha 440 exciter

On this model of sled, any key of similar size will most likely turn the Ign. switch. Just stick it in and jiggle around. If I recall there was only one key offered for this sled.

[Macgyver55]

Seriously?

So a hotwire is as simple as opening the hood and cutting the wires?

You dont even have to cut them...just unplug the ignition on the older ones. All it does is ground out the ignition.

[PierBridge]

I don't believe Dtro's sled can be started in this manner. I think they changed the method in the late 90's for POPO sleds.

I always had a hidden kill switch installed on my machines. Nothing worse than coming out of bar and your machine is gone.

[Bradley L]

I signed up just to say I thought Surface Tension was full of it! But he wasn't i have a 340 enticer dad hides the key cuz we got 45 acres out back he doesnt want me driving around cuz if some one gets hurt we could watch a mill go down the drain.. But i tried hotiwireing the 2 wires didnt work then unplugged the ignition cable off the harness fired up in 3 pulls.! THANKS Surface Tension not going to lie i felt like an one-who-thinks-I-am-silly even trying it.

[low277]

Some snowmobile engines use a N.O. ignition, where the wires are not connected to run and connected to stop. Others use a N.C. ignition which is just the opposite.

All of the snowmobile dynos at A Cat have a switch for choosing which type of ignition is being used.