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1982 GS550L Igniter and Signal Generator Test

  • Thread starter Thread starter curtie94
  • Start date Start date
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curtie94

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I just picked up a 82' GS550 and it has no spark. The guy that I bought it from said he installed a new ignitor about 4 years ago, but then a year later it stopped sparking again. How can I test it so I know what the problem is before I start throwing parts at it.

I tested the coils and they tested good. I tested t make sure that power was getting to the ignitor by following the directions on this site http://members.dslextreme.com/users/storagecliff/images/electrical_odd-n-ends.html#A16

The only problem I was having was finding the wires for the signal generator, do I have to pull the cover to get to the blue and green wires? or does my bike have different colors?

So I have good coils, all of the grounds where good. It turns over good, just no spark.

Is there anything common?

How do I test the pickup?, could it have corrosion or something?
 
I aslo have a orange with purple tracer wire under the tank right by the coils that goes to nothing. What is it and where does it go?
 
I don't know of any stickies that have the bikecliff link, but if you look in the gs discussion area, find my gs650g thread, there's a link to the free download of the FSM for your bike
 
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The 550's seem to have bad ignitors (see top of this forum).Can you unplug signal coils from igniter and test per that link?
Sometimes a bad charging system fries the igniter. If you have the advance weights (behind signal coil plate), you can see if a dyna ignition upgrade will work - this replaces both the ignitor and signal coils.
How's the overall condition of bike?
 
I could test the igniter by disconnecting the signal coils, but I don't know what wires they are.

And actually the bike its in good shape, 10,000 original miles, it has been in a barn for four years.

So how do I disconnect the signal coils top test the ignitor?

I'm at work now so I'll download the manual after work.
 
On my 650 setup (different ignitor), only two wires leave signal coils and head to ignitor. Blue wire comes off signal coil marked for 1+4,while green wire comes off coil for 2+3 .

Edit: you have removed the signal generator cover and given it a look over ,right?
 
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I have not taken a look at the signal generator yet. Can it corrode?
 
I just checked out the signal generator and it looks good, from what I can tell no corrosion.

There are three wires off of my signal generator, g/w, brown, and bl/w. I assume the bl/w is a ground. The bl/w also goes from one generator the the other.

but when I back track to the connector by the ignitor I have g/w, brown, and bl/blue wires. To test the ignitor what do I do?

Also how do I test the signal generator?

Thanks
 
I just tested the signal pickups and I am getting 130 ohms through them.

From what I was reading on dslextreme, I should be getting 250-360ohms

Does this say that the pickup is junk?

I am going to test the ignitor after work.
 
Basscliff probably has a service manual. My clymer manual has a test for the chain drive 650 signal generator coils - I suspect this is same setup on the 550,but I'm not sure . Disconnect signal coils from ignitor (must be a plug somewhere).measure ohms from one coil to other (from the g/w to br) - what do you get? 150 ohms?
The 250 to 360 ohms is what my 650 ignitor wants,but yours is a different ignitor!

Edit: the signal coils are real simple and likely immune from failure- but the connections to ignitor have to be good. Member kokar ( the sticky at top of this forum) is the guru here,so consider sending him a PM.
 
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There was a manual for it but all it showed was for a points set up. I was looking in a 85' manual and the pickup called flour 250-360.

I wonder if my bike is an 83' not an 82'.

Either was I'll test the ignitor and go from there.
 
I tested the ignitor using a AA battery. And got nothing. No spark at all.

Does that tell me that the cdi box is junk?
 
What dyna ignition would you recommend? I noticed that the dyna s its cheaper but it doesn't seem to come with an igniter.

Also how do I test my charging system? Can I do a ohm test?
 
How does it wire in. It seems like there are just a couple wires off of the plate, from what I see in the pictures.

How do I know who made the stock setup, the sticker on my ignitor feel off.
 
I looked and it doesn't seem like they make a dyna s for an 82' gs550 it seems like they stopped in 81'.

For an 82 could you send me a link to a dyna kit that would work? but I'm not trying to brake the bank.

SO the Dyna S has the igniter built in? My bike does have a mechanical advance.

I just don't want to spend the money and not have it work.

Does anyone have instructions on how to install the dyna s in so I can see if it will work.

The dyna s seems to have 3 wires off of it, when my ignitor plug has 6. Thanks
 
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The part fiches for 81 and 82 550L shown the same part#for the signal generator plate. As long as you have the mechanical advancer gizmo,you should be good. Later 550's had no mechanical advancer- it was built into stock ignitor to add more joy .The dyna needs the mechanical advancer.
The dyna does not use your existing ignitor. The 3 wires on dyna- one goes to 12 volt positive (same orange/white wire that connects to both coils ), one goes to left coil,and other goes to right coil.
Hopefully,someone can confirm all this ,so hang in there!

Edit. Can you take pic of your signal plate and post it- folks on this forum get more stimulated that way.Somebody will have made this upgrade.
 
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Ok so that makes sense now. I would have to run a power wire to it then the other wires go to the coils.

Yes I do have the mechanical advance. I hope someone else can chime in so I know for sure that it will work.

But what about the other wires that go into the igniter, what do I do about them.

What are they, kill switch, battery power in, ground, ignition power, signal from pickup, them the two other wires from the pickup.

If someone had installation instructions please post them.

Thanks
 
The old wires that go to old ignitor just hang there limp and lifeless after disconnect. The kill switch powers an orange /white wire that feeds both ignition coils and travels down to feed the old ignitor,but now must you must extend this wire to feed the dyna- the instructions should explain this better than me!
If you remove tank,you'll see the orange/white wire branched out at coils.
 
I just checked and for some reason I have power at the ground wire for the ignitor. Is it supposed to be like that?

I checked with my meter and I have full battery voltage.

I actually have full battery voltage to every connection at the cdi when it is plugged in, I checked the plug going into the cdi without the cdi plugged in and the only wire s with power are o/w, white, and b/bl
 
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