Bad Igniter/CDI?

[stephan]

I got a free 82 gs650gl and have been trying to got it started it for the last few days and now I feel like I have narrowed the problem to the igniter/CDI box. I am not getting any spark in any of the cylinders, and the signal generator and the ignition coils are good. What do you all think? Should I get a new igniter? If so, where should I get one from? I found a used one for $66. I do not care about keeping it stock.

[tom203]

I got a free 82 gs650gl and have been trying to got it started it for the last few days and now I feel like I have narrowed the problem to the igniter/CDI box. I am not getting any spark in any of the cylinders, and the signal generator and the ignition coils are good. What do you all think? Should I get a new igniter? If so, where should I get one from? I found a used one for $66. I do not care about keeping it stock.

Free is good! But how did you narrow down the problem to the ignitor? Did you pull tank amd check coil voltage- should be > 11 volts. Are you using a decent battery or have you jumped it with another vehicle?

[spyug]

Yes, how did you determine the igniter?

It could actually be the plug caps or coils themselves. On my 550, I thought I had a bad coil but it turned out to be wonky plug caps. Try taking a plug cap off and cutting a quarter inch off the wire to expose a fresh part of the core and or try a new plug cap.

Good luck with it.

Spyug

[stephan]

I checked the coils ,but I did not do it by checking the voltage. I did it by checking the resistance in the primary and the secondary coils. How do I do it by checking voltage? I also bought a new battery and it is giving me good voltage. To me it does not make sense that it would be the ignition cables because none of then are firing, but I did check one taking the cap off and I still go nothing.

[tom203]

I checked the coils ,but I did not do it by checking the voltage. I did it by checking the resistance in the primary and the secondary coils. How do I do it by checking voltage? I also bought a new battery and it is giving me good voltage. To me it does not make sense that it would be the ignition cables because none of then are firing, but I did check one taking the cap off and I still go nothing.

With tank off and ignition and kill switch ON, measure the voltage at the orange/white wire connected to ignition coil (one multimeter probe on coil tab and other to good ground) - this o/w also feeds positive power to ignitor thru a plug under seat. You want at least 11 volts . The ignitor gets this positive power as long as ignition and kill switch are on. The signal generator coils "tells" the ignitor to ground out the coil and make spark. Have you followed the link to Basscliff's site yet? buckets of info, neatly organized. Yes, it's unlikely that all coils wires would go bad together.

[kokar]

this is the schematic from GS550T '81

[stephan]

thanks for the tip about basscliff's website. It was really helpful, and I am sure that will be really helpful in the future.