Chinese ATV wiring diagram builder

Choose what your quad has – electric start, key switch, kill switch, brake switch – and get a diagram drawn for that exact setup, with every wire numbered and a meter check for each one.

Before you start: disconnect the battery (negative terminal first) before unplugging or splicing anything. Wire colors on these machines are not standardized – the same color can do a different job on another brand. Always confirm a wire with a multimeter before you connect it. Never connect the CDI’s black/red wire to battery power: it carries AC from the stator, and 12 V DC can destroy an AC CDI.

Which machines this fits

Most Chinese youth and mid-size ATVs from 50cc to 125cc use the same basic electrical layout: a horizontal single-cylinder engine with a stator under the left engine cover, a 5-wire AC-fired CDI, an ignition coil, and – on electric-start models – a 12 V battery, regulator/rectifier and starter relay. Brands differ in plugs and some colors, but the circuits are the same, which is why one diagram can cover so many quads.

If your CDI has six pins and is powered from the battery (common on GY6 150cc scooter engines and buggies), it is a DC CDI and this diagram does not apply.

How to use the diagram

  1. Tick the options that match your machine. The diagram and checklist redraw instantly, and the page address changes so you can bookmark or share that exact setup.
  2. Work through the checklist in order. Get the ignition section right first: an engine that sparks with only the ignition wires connected tells you the stator, CDI and coil are good.
  3. Hover a step (or tap it on a phone) to highlight that wire on the diagram. Tick it off when it’s connected and tested – ticks are saved on this device.
  4. Print it and take it to the machine. The printout includes the diagram and every check.

No spark? Start with the minimum

When a quad won’t spark, the fastest test is to remove everything that isn’t needed to run: unplug the key switch, kill switch and lights, and connect only stator → CDI → coil plus grounds (switch the builder above to Kick start only with no key and no kill switch). If you now have spark, the fault is in a switch or the harness. If you still don’t, test the stator source and pickup coils, then the grounds, then try a known-good CDI.

Common mistakes

Frequently asked questions

What do the wire colors on a Chinese ATV mean?
On most 50–125cc models: black/red is the stator’s source coil feeding the CDI, blue/white is the pickup (trigger) coil, green is ground, black/yellow runs from the CDI to the ignition coil, black/white is the kill wire, yellow (and sometimes white) is AC for charging and lights, and red is battery positive. Brands vary, so confirm with a meter.
Why does my ATV have no spark?
The usual causes, in order: the kill wire touching ground (key or kill switch, pinched harness), a bad ground, a failed stator source or pickup coil, then the CDI or coil. Test with only the ignition wires connected to narrow it down.
Can I run my ATV without the key switch?
Yes. The key switch only grounds the kill wire when it is off and powers the start circuit when it is on. Without it, leave the black/white kill wire unconnected (taped off, never grounded) and use a kill switch to stop the engine.
Why does the starter only click?
A click means the relay is switching but the motor isn’t getting enough current. Check battery voltage, the battery negative cable and engine ground, then the heavy cable from the relay to the starter.
Is this diagram official?
No. It is a reference built from the common wiring used across many Chinese brands, checked against owner reports and parts suppliers’ documentation. Your machine may differ – always confirm with a meter.

Related tools

Kick start / minimum wiringJust stator, CDI, coil and a kill switch. The quickest way to test for spark.Open calculator →5-wire CDI wiringEach CDI wire explained, with a meter test for every one.Open calculator →

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