Engine Kill/Shutoff wouldn't work / How does it function?

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Had the kart on blocks running tuning above 5000rpm, I press the kill button in and it wouldn't turn off, eventually just pulled the plug cable. Was working fine afterwards, seems it doesn't like to work at high RPM's. Is this Normal?

How does the kill switch actually work? Does it open a ignition circuit or ground the circuit?
 
Stupid Question: How long did you hold the button in? You have to hold it long enough for the engine to go to 0 rpms. Otherwise, when you let go it will start sparking again and fire back up to idle. See it all the time in the scale line when guys are getting out of their karts.
 
It grounds the coil -- I suspect as fatboy suggested, that you are not holding the momentary switch in long enough for the engine to slow down in rpm enough to stall the engine. The kinetic energy keeping the flywheel rotating fast enough that it re-fires the engine akin to pulling the rope that speed.


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Thanks and God bless,
Brian Carlson
Carlson Racing Engines
Vector Cutz

www.CarlsonMotorsports.com
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29 years of service to the karting industry
Linden, IN
765-339-4407
bcarlson@CarlsonMotorsports.com
 
It wasn't from not holding it down long enough, I've used the kill switch countless times. It went on from 20-30 seconds of me holding the switch and working the switch .etc
I suspect it has something to do with the kart being off the ground and running at much higher RPM without any load on the wheels, maybe some detonation occurring?, but pulling the spark plug stopped it immediately.

I've experienced this with mowers where even with the key off it would run uncontrollably, seemed to be doing this.
 
Being off the ground or at high rpm has nothing to do with it. It would be virtually impossible for detonation to cause it.
 
My engine was doing that. Turned out that the ground wire came unplugged from the coil. Apparently there were times when the wire laid against the terminal and the kill switch would work, at other times it vibrated away and then it wouldn't. I squeezed the connector down a little tighter with pliers to make it fit tighter and it hasn't bothered since.
 
I unplugged it and plugged it back in, no trouble with it today, did almost 80 laps throughout the day.

Since the switch makes the electricity that runs your coil go to ground you fixed it when you removed and replaced it. There's nothing wrong with your switch, you had a dirty connection with one of the wires on the switch. When you removed them and put them back on you fixed the bad connection.
 
Where is your kill switch mounted? I have seen karts get powder coated and the switch mounted in the steering wheel. Therefore the switch wont ground to the motor because of to good powder coat is insulating the motor mount.
 
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