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Weak Spark- Causes?

  • Thread starter Thread starter viriditas
  • Start date Start date
V

viriditas

Guest
Hello all, I am new to the forum, but I've been lurking for a while now.

So, I have a 1978 GS550E, and I had it sitting all summer, with no real time to mess around with it, as I was taking a calc this summer and it robbed me of anything resembling a life. Anyhow, I had been power spraying it back in May or June when all of the sudden it died. My class started and I didn't really do anything with it up until this weekend.

I bought a new battery, as mine had a couple ruined cells, and was pretty much toast. I charged it, threw it on, however no start. Pull plugs, no spark. So I proceeded to jump down the rabbit hole at this point with ignition systems (studying biochem Engineering, but can't stand Electrical for reasons like today) I tested voltage on the battery, sitting around 12.9 V, or something. Tested the voltage from my negative battery terminal to the coil input wire (orange/white) at 10.5 V, so I scrubbed a bunch of contacts down the line, and got that voltage up to about 11.2-3 V. However, my coils are reading ohms ratings between 3 and 6 on the primary resistance, and 15k ohms on the secondary of coil (2,3) which is to spec. But coil (1,4) is reading an "Out of Limit" on the secondary resistance. So I spaced my points, and my condensers look good, I cleaned up a small amount of corrosion on my points, but nothing crazy, and now I have a weak weak weak spark.

So, my question is this; am I to be certain at this point that it is indeed my coil? Or should I start by replacing my points and condenser, cleaning my harness, and trying new plugs (which were pretty carbon fouled, but figured it could be a product of low spark)?

Excited to try and tackle this with y'all.

Simon
 
Last edited:
Swap the primary wires on the coils; if nothing changes on spark the if is the voil or wires. Hi secondary impedance sounds like thf issue. Seems like many of the older coils come apart. Likely dirty.
 
viriditas said:
Do you mean like it is possible to dismantle the coil and clean it?
Click to expand...

dismantle the wire going into the coil. Check it could be. There is a spring and resistor on some but none that I have ever had, just seen pictures people post.
 
posplayr said:
dismantle the wire going into the coil.
Click to expand...

Ahh, okay, I see what you are suggesting, I'll have to try that out tomorrow, if at that point I find that the wires are intact and good condition, but my ohms are still off the charts, you think it has to be my coil?
 
viriditas said:
Ahh, okay, I see what you are suggesting, I'll have to try that out tomorrow, if at that point I find that the wires are intact and good condition, but my ohms are still off the charts, you think it has to be my coil?
Click to expand...

If you swap the wires as mentioned you can fault isolate between the primary and secondary. If it looks like secondary, you have to see if it is wires, coil or the junction.
 
posplayr said:
If you swap the wires as mentioned you can fault isolate between the primary and secondary. If it looks like secondary, you have to see if it is wires, coil or the junction.
Click to expand...

What do you mean by junction?
 
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