# Kill switch help, Matercraft Snow King Tecumseh 10HP engine



## Ballroomblitz (Nov 20, 2015)

Hi everyone....am needing some assistance on connecting the kill switch wire on a Mastercraft Snow King Tecumseh 10HP snow blower.

The beast is running awesome and I can turn off by turning off the throttle, effectively shutting off the snowblower.

The kill switch (cover with key...) on the other hand I am unable to figure out. I tested the switch with an ohm meter and it seems to be working, the lead i believe should be connected to a live wire from the magneto and when the key is removed it will ground it out and the motor should shut off. 

Problem is i cannot get it working, i tried connecting to where the two green wires are connected (insulated black piece where two green wires are connected) but it does not kill the engine with key removed. The second green wire off that terminal goes to the throttle body kill switch so i thought i was on the right track.

I have attached a few pictures, can anyone help me out?

I can run another year without the second kill switch but it is really bugging me, i want to get this right after all it is there for a reason.

Any help i will be in your debt...


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## Motor City (Jan 6, 2014)

With the throttle all the way down, it should make contact with that wire that has the curl on the white plastic. That grounds out the ignition and shuts it down. To me, it looks like the curl is bent to far outward and not making contact. You could always run a wire to the coil and to a switch, and ground the one side of the switch, to stop iyt. The coils usually have an extra spade connector, to attach the wire.


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## dbert (Aug 25, 2013)

The plastic key just prys contacts open when it's inserted (creates open circuit). Is there a wire connected to the key slot? The ignition is killed by applying a ground to the insulated terminal that the green wire from the throttle is connected to. When the throttle is retarded all the way you can see the bare wire that the throttle makes a connection with. The key slot would do the same if the wire was connected from it to the same screw terminal.


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## dbert (Aug 25, 2013)

Ballroomblitz
I was looking at your photos when Motor City replied and didn't see his post when I replied. I just reread your post and believe you are on the right track. Don't forget that in order for the key to apply a ground the heater box it is mounted to has to be touching the engine/chassis. In other words, it won't work resting on the tire like it is in the photo. I can't see a wire in the photos though.


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## Ballroomblitz (Nov 20, 2015)

I connected the one wire off the kill switch to the two wires, see attached picture.

I put the cover back on started the snow blower, when i removed the key it kept on running.

I am only using two screws to connect the box to the motor it should be making a good ground at the switch/box. 

It might just be a bad switch but with my meter it tested fine (box off machine)....zero ohms or infinite depending on key in or out. So perhaps it is i need to put more screws on the box housing (where kill switch is located) to the motor, as it seems the other connection spot with the two greens wires is the correct one. 

I'll have to connect the wire once more and replace the end connector as half is missing so perhaps not making a solid enough connection, but half a connector is solidly connected. I'll replace the connector anyway to be safe.

At the box side i will put a few more screws in....I tested the switch with the box off so perhaps another couple screws holding it on will make a stronger connection to ground there.


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## dbert (Aug 25, 2013)

Ah, there is the key wire. It should work based on your testing of the switch. The key circuit is doing the exact same thing as the parallel throttle circuit.
Ground-------->|<----------Ign terminal. The "|" being the key spreading the contacts apart when inserted. Use your meter and check ohms from the wire terminal to ground. Key in = OL, Key out=0 ohms. Throttle should do the same.


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## jtclays (Sep 24, 2010)

It should connect to the extra spade at the red throttle.
Here's one from an 11hp Tec when I got it. Same issue, the throttle lever would shut it down when placed at far low position. Key did nothing. I wire brushed the switch mounting bracket AND the inside of the heater box. If you look close, you can see Tecumseh puts the switch in before painting. Once cleaned up, it all worked as it should.


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## Ballroomblitz (Nov 20, 2015)

Thank you very much dbert.

Seeing everything seems to be correct i will check the circuit with the green wire off, from green wire terminal to ground. As you mentioned i should get zero ohms or infinite ohms depending on key in or out. 

It has to be a connection issue, i cleaned the terminals with sand paper but i'll double check them once more.

Switch off the machine it tested fine, so i was at a loss figured i would double check save my sanity. 

Now that everything seems to be correct i know it is a connection issue, so will double check the connection and double check the circuit end to end with wire off but box on machine for continuity. Once that is done, connect the green wire and should work. Will post once i give her another go.


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## Ballroomblitz (Nov 20, 2015)

JTClays....

Thank you so much for the pictures, i tested the switch from mounting bracket to end of green wire when off the machine. 

Now i am believing like you it is the "continuity from the switch mounting bracket to the inside of the heater box". Since i tested off the machine the connection from switch to heater box was not tested in my test.

First thing i will tackle is taking the switch off and wire brushing that connection, i feel you have put me in the right direction.

i don't have that extra stub on the red throttle body, so will use where the green wire from that area connects with the other green wire. Effectively they are the same place voltage wise as they both connect to the same terminal.

Thank you gentlemen, excited to give it a try.


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## Ballroomblitz (Nov 20, 2015)

JTClays and DBert,

Thank both you gentlemen, am fantastically grateful to both of you for jumping in and helping me out. 

I went out after reading the last post by JTClays and that narrowed me down to the ground on the key switch heater box to engine ground. I tested the switch to heater box and continuity was good, then the next part was to test from the heater box to the engine body. I sand papered the connection point and used a new screw, seems it is the screw on the top right of the heater box which it grounded through.

i put back together and the beast is working perfectly, key in it starts and key off it kills the engine.

Fantastic to finally get that bug behind me. JTClays, DBert & Motorcity really helped me out on this one, well done gentlemen.

Thank you to everyone, if you lived close i would be buying the cold drinks for each of you!

Cheers,
Ballroomblitz.


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## jtclays (Sep 24, 2010)

Ballroom, Cool you got it figured out and have everything as it should. I'm the same way, have to have it correctly set up or I feel I've not done my job.
CHANGE THAT OIL, best advice my old timer friend gave me for keeping things running well.:biggrin:


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## stromr (Jul 20, 2016)

Yep! Change your oil and filter if you got one! Been telling my friends for years, it's just like the man says,


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