Dyna S trouble shooting

[flyanimator]

I am having a non firing issue on the 1/4 coil. I have a Dyna S ignition installed and have done the coil relay mod. I tested the coil primaries and secondaries and they check out good. I also tested the cables and plug caps and plugs and they tested out good as well. To further test the 1/4 coil i switched the leads feeding the coils and the no spark issue changed to the 2/3 coil. I looked at all the wiring connections again and there are no loose connections or shorts. After that I checked out the Dyna S modules and all tests checked out except the diode test on the 1/4 module. There was no voltage reading and when i did voltage tests from the coil (-) to ground they both read .6 volts with the magnet on the rotor point away from the modules but the voltage did not increase when the magnet pointed directly at the module. I have emailed Dynatek Tech help but also wanted to ask everyone on the forum for any help or insight they can offer.

It has been more than a year since I purchased the unit so i know it's out of warranty, but have only put about 3-5 miles on it. I bought it when i began the mechanical restoration of my 1980 GS1100L and have just completed it. When I first installed it it worked great but now i have this issue. Due to that I doubt that it could be wear and tear and the bike has always been stored inside so it can't be weather or moisture damage. I'm just kind of at a loss at what would cause the unit to go bad out of nowhere.

Thank you all in advance for all of your help and any pointers you can give me.

[GregT]

I note you "switched the leads feeding the coils" Did you switch power leads as well as the signal lead from the Dyna pickup ?
Have you got 12V to both coils ?

It's not unknown for transistors to latch in one position if a circuit isn't used for a period of time.

[flyanimator]

Yes, both the power lead and the signal lead were switched and I do have 12 volts at the coils.

When I started it up a few days ago for carb tuning all four plugs were firing. Then the following day coil 1/4 started cutting out intermittently at idle but would start working again if I refer the engine a bit (3.5-4k rpm). And now it just doesn't fire at all on that coil.

Anyone know if the guys over at dynatek might be able to help me out even though its past the warranty period? I know some companies are helpful and usually sympathetic in this type of case where their product hasn't seen much, if any, use even after warranty period expires. I'd just hate to have to dish out another $180 or so to replace something that has not really seen any use.

[2BRacing]

Are you sure the relay you used for the coil relay mod is the type that sends output to both the output terminals? You need to look closely at the switching diagram for the relay (sometimes inscribed on the relay itself). Some relays do not provide the correct switch latching.

[flyanimator]

Thank you for that suggestion 2B. I did not use a dual output relay but i am running the (+) power feed to the coils from the same output terminal of the relay. Like I said before, the 2/3 coil is firing as it should but the 1/4 coil does not spark at all. I have tested both coils and they are good and both produce spark when connected to the 2/3 coil leads. It's just the signal (i guess) on the 1/4 coil that is not functioning properly. I did test everything from the coils, cables, plug caps, spark plugs, relay and electrical wiring for continuity, resistance, voltage drops, and shorting out which is what leads me to believe that it is, in fact, the 1/4 module on the Dyna S that is faulty.

I appreciate your ideas and welcome any other ones that may come up. I don't suppose we have a member here on the forum that works for Dynatek by any chance?

[koolaid_kid]

I have read where Dynatek was very generous with their support of their products. No personal experience, as mine worked perfectly, but I would not be afraid to give them a call.

[Killer2600]

There was no voltage reading and when i did voltage tests from the coil (-) to ground they both read .6 volts with the magnet on the rotor point away from the modules but the voltage did not increase when the magnet pointed directly at the module.

This is either a bad wire/connection further upstream from your test point or a shorted module. This assumes that all tests were done with power applied, everything connected, and a meter reading volts (not diode test).

[flyanimator]

I tested for continuity along all of the length of the wiring and yes I did test voltage with the ignition turned on as well. I did voltage tests as well as the diode test as outlined on the dynatek fault finding PDF on their website.

[flyanimator]

Thanks Look. I will be calling them today to see if they can help me out. I will make sure to report back on the outcome of my phone call for everyone's reference.

[chef1366]

Call Raymond at ext 4172.

[flyanimator]

OK, I called Dynatek Tech support today and explained the situation and the testing I had done and they are gonna help me out. I spoke to Larry and he even said he would help me out even though the warranty period has passed. Over all he was very friendly and understanding. He did confirm that I tested the ignition correctly and that it is the module that went bad. He gave the a return authorization number and I'll be sending it off to them tomorrow for testing and what not. Thank you all for your help and suggestions.
Just wanted to let the forum know of my pleasant experience with the company and Larry. I dont know if we have this on the forum but I have seen a seller/manufacturer rating page where forum members give feedback of a business' customer service and product ratings and the like. Dynatek would have a huge positive from me.

Thank you all.

-Rudy

[bellucci]

They will help... I had several pickups that went bad, some from my mistakes. They will usually send a new 'S' for 50% off. I had a set of green coils that went bad after only 20 years... New set 50% off... Good people...
Curt

[SqDancerLynn1]

They will do good by you.. As to the failure ?? Could you have left the ign on and forgot about it for hours ??

[flyanimator]

No, i always flip the kill switch to off and remove the key whenever i'm not testing or running the bike. I'm really meticulous about that and i don't like for the battery to drain unnecessarily.

[jeff.saunders]

A few comments.

Many of the ignition are killed rather than just fail. They are susceptible to both high and low voltage spikes.
If your regulator is not working properly, you can push too much voltage through the ignitions and fry them. SImilarly, running a bike with a bad battery can have a similar effect depending on how the charging system shunts any excess voltage. According to Dynatek, low voltage overheats the modules too...

Once you get the dyna-s back and get the bike running, check the voltage and make sure the voltage is capped at around 14v when you bring the rpm up to 4,000rpm or more.