spark gs450a suzukimatic

[remi]

Hi, new here. I have a GS450a I got for free with only 500 miles on it. Been sitting in a barn for years. I have been trying to figure out why I cant get spark for months now. Well, today I had a breakthrough (I think). I noticed today that their is constant power to the ignition coils positive side. Every time I would pull the pos. wire off the coil and put it back on the plug would spark. Can anyone tell me what would cause this? Thanks for any info.


Bill

[BassCliff]

Greetings and Salutations!!

Hi Mr. remi,

Have a look at THIS PAGE, particularly this section:

Testing The Ignition System

I just stopped by to welcome you to the forum in my own, special way.

If there's anything you'd like to know about the Suzuki GS model bikes, and most others actually, you've come to the right place. There's a lot of knowledge and experience here in the community. Come on in and let me say "HOoooowwwDY!"....

Here is your very own magical, mystical, mythical, mind-expanding "mega-welcome". Please take notice of the "Top 10 Common Issues", the Carb Rebuild Series, and the Stator Papers. Now let me roll out the welcome mat for you...

Please click here for your mega-welcome, chock full of tips, suggestions, links to vendors, and other information. Then feel free to visit my little BikeCliff website where I've been collecting the wisdom of this generous community. Don't forget, we like pictures! Not you, your bike!

Thanks for joining us. Keep us informed.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[tom203]

Hi, new here. I have a GS450a I got for free with only 500 miles on it. Been sitting in a barn for years. I have been trying to figure out why I cant get spark for months now. Well, today I had a breakthrough (I think). I noticed today that their is constant power to the ignition coils positive side. Every time I would pull the pos. wire off the coil and put it back on the plug would spark. Can anyone tell me what would cause this? Thanks for any info.


Bill

These ignition systems work by constantly powering plus side of coils and letting ignitor/ or points make the connection to the negative side at the right time to make spark. However, if the negative side was always grounded ( bad wiring or ignitor), you'd get a spark by pulling off the positive side ,since this is breaking the circuit.

[remi]

Thanks for the great info guys. Im going to go through and inspect the whole wiring harness next time I start up the wood burner in the garage.

Have a look at THIS PAGE, particularly this section:

Testing The Ignition System

I just stopped by to welcome you to the forum in my own, special way.

If there's anything you'd like to know about the Suzuki GS model bikes, and most others actually, you've come to the right place. There's a lot of knowledge and experience here in the community. Come on in and let me say "HOoooowwwDY!"....

Here is your very own magical, mystical, mythical, mind-expanding "mega-welcome". Please take notice of the "Top 10 Common Issues", the Carb Rebuild Series, and the Stator Papers. Now let me roll out the welcome mat for you...

Please click here for your mega-welcome, chock full of tips, suggestions, links to vendors, and other information. Then feel free to visit my little BikeCliff website where I've been collecting the wisdom of this generous community. Don't forget, we like pictures! Not you, your bike!

Thanks for joining us. Keep us informed.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

Thanks for the welcome and links. Im really liking this site so far. I will post pics of my bikes later. Besides the GS I also have a 75 xs650 and a 81 xs11.

[duaneage]

Luckily these bikes essentially are the same as the regular models for the ignition system. I would start with a peak inside the point cover on the right side of the crank (as you are sitting on the bike) and see if there is water damage, broken wires, etc. These are the pickup coils that trigger the ignitor and usually they are good unless physically damaged,

Measure the resistance of the triggers by removing the blue and green wire connector from the ignitor and measure between each wire and the engine block They should be around 130 ohms, or at least not shorted/ or infinite resistance. Shorts or no indication are indicative of badness.

The ignitor is a solid state device. If all the connections are in good shape, it is probably bad. I would start with all the connectors going to it, check for corroded connectors and spray with contact cleaner( available from Radio Shack ) and try, try again.

Put a battery charger with at least 10 Amp output on the battery terminals so when you are testing it can power the bike for you.

The fact you have power on the coils and a spark when reconnecting tells me the kill switch, ignition, and fuse are OK. The ignitor may very well be bad, fortunately everyone on this site has a pile of old parts lying around.

Get the part number from the ignitor and let us know what you have. I think I have 5 or 6 differnt models. They are a little different for most years and models, your's should be the same as a regular 450/

[remi]

Yeah I think its the ignitor/computer box thingy. I have worked on mostly older bikes like my 75 xs650. no computer parts. the points look brand new. the #'s on the ignitor box are 32900-44510, BBI207, and 16525450.


Bill

[duaneage]

That's different than the fours I have worked on, which doesn't surprise. Post for one in Parts Wanted on this forum, someone should be able to help you out

[tom203]

Yeah I think its the ignitor/computer box thingy. I have worked on mostly older bikes like my 75 xs650. no computer parts. the points look brand new. the #'s on the ignitor box are 32900-44510, BBI207, and 16525450.


Bill

Hopefully, if you have that ignitor box, you don't have any points to "look brand new" ! Head to Basscliff's site for some simple tests to maybe pinpoint problem. Member blowerbike might also have that box.

[Redman]

remi,

Welcome to GSR.

I dont have any experince with 450 (nor 400 nor 300 nor any 2 cylinder GS) to even know if a 450a has points or is solid state.

But can say about same as others have said. WHen you take power lead off the coil, you are doing almost the same thing as the points/ignitor would be doing, and that is breaking the power to the coil, which is what makes the coil make the spark. So you know the coil has the ability to make a spark if the rest of the circuit were to operate properly.

You mentioned points, and I would think would be one set of points.
Maybe the points were closed, and then when you pulled power lead that interupted the power.
Maybe you can get it to spark by opening the points.

If it has points, .... then does it have a condenser?
Try disconnecting the condensor.
Dont really need the condensor for the points & coil to operate. Will operate without the condenser (but points will not last long). If it works with the condenser disconnected then the condeser is bad (shorted so that the points opening doesnt break the power) and should be replaced.

Tell us more what you find.

(suppose to be warmer later in the week, yah, maybe 40 degrees)

.

.

[duaneage]

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=169481

Ask him if he has the ignitor, if the part number is the same it works.

[remi]

It is not points. On the Charrging system it has 2 contact points with a rotor that engages them. Not sure if you guys know what I mean or not. I am pretty mechanically inclined. But am technologically and verbakky challenged.

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum...d.php?t=169481

Ask him if he has the ignitor, if the part number is the same it works.

Will do, thanks.