Sovereign won't turn off

[littleram8]

I have a sovereign with a kohler command, and it won't turn off when I turn the switch off. Where should I start looking?

[PhanDad]

The darkened wiring is the shutdown (mag kill) ciruit:

As shown in the "Ignition Switch" function table, when the ignition switch is "off", ground and the white kill wire are connected which grounds the magneto and kills the spark. 

First I'd disconnect the engine plug, spray it with CRC 2-26 (or WD40) and plug/unplug it a few times to ensure good connections. 

I'd then check the engine connector plug to see if the white wire shows ground when the ignition switch is "off".  If it shows ground, then wire on the engine side of the plug has failed (unlikely).  Assuming it doesn't, then check the white wire from the engine plug back to the ignition switch.  If the wire is OK, I'd remove the ignition switch connector and give that connector the same treatment as the engine plug.  

With the ignition switch "off", check for ground on the "M" terminal.  If not, check for ground on the "G" terminal.  If the "G" terminal has ground and the "M" terminal doesn't (switch "off") then the switch is bad.  If the "G" terminal doesn't show ground, then something is wrong with the black ground wire (broken, not connected at engine base).

The back of your ignition switch probably looks like this:

  

 

[littleram8]

Thank you PhanDad. 

[littleram8]

I found that the kill wire was broken and repaired it. When I turn the switch off it seems to only kill 1 coil not both. It just starts missing. I assume something happened under the shroud. I'll have to take the engine out to check it out. 

  Also the wire connector is melted at the key switch, at the headlight wire. If anyone has a good connector, or wire harness for a Sovereign with a command please let me know.

Thanks. 

Gene

[Brettw]

I also have to wonder, doesn't the command have a fuel shutoff solenoid?  Wouldn't the engine shut down for lack of fuel as much as a grounded spark?  It almost sounds like a bad key switch?

[PhanDad]

35 minutes ago, Brettw said:

I also have to wonder, doesn't the command have a fuel shutoff solenoid?  Wouldn't the engine shut down for lack of fuel as much as a grounded spark?  It almost sounds like a bad key switch?

Yes the Command has a fuel shutoff solenoid.  But the internal engine wiring provides +12V to the fuel solenoid once the engine is running.  In the above wiring schematic, it's the violet wire from the engine wiring harness connector.  

This wiring feature allows the engine to run once it's started without a battery.  And I imagine if there's enough gas left in the carb, you could pull start it.  

 PS - For those "details, details, details" folks, the wire that actually runs to the fuel solenoid is red and connects to a red w/white tracer wire:  

There's a lot of "internal" wiring that occurs at a Command engine plug: