if I put a piece of wire in where the chip goes will that turn it on. I want to check my nitrous circuit without starting it.

It should.. the chip is basically just a switch based
on a resistance to turn it on
EDIT
with a VOM see if there is a small voltage on one
of the pins where the chip goes in... the other will
be going to what ever it turns on and should be
going to ground through the item being turned on

thks I'll try it