not firing on 1 &4 :(

[ddz]

hi guys
Beautiful day here , changed the oil & fired her up . Was running great , then 2 cylenders stopped firing .I believe (from reading on the post) that 1 & 4 run off the same coil & 2 & 3 run off the other ,correct?I switched the wires to the plugs not firing(1&4) & they fired when switched. So i MUST order new coils?Is there any other checks i can do with the volt meter(not that i know how to use it ) to be certain its not anything else(ignighter box, pickups ) or anything else?
thanks guys (im awaiting a responce with credit card in hand :roll: )
Vinny

[DMPLATT]

What bike is it?
If you have an ohm meter (multi meter) you can check the ohms out. With the caps off. If you have the newer electronic ignition, ohms should be ~3 ohms. I you have the older breaker points system, they should be ~5 ohms.

I'd check that first. If that checks out, put the caps back on, maybe trim 1/4" or so off the plug wires, then check thru the caps. Or you can check each cap by itself also.

Since I'm not sure what bike you have, I'll tell ya what I had. My caps are 5K ohm caps. So I checked each cap for that resistance. I actually had a bad cap.

If this all checks out, then the sure fire method is laying a plug on the engine and cranking it over and looking for that nice fat blue spark.

If this all fails, then a new coil is in order. However, again - depends on your bike. If you use the 3 ohm coils, search e-bay for newer Kat or Bandit coils.

Good Luck.

[ddz]

still no good

ok my caps were no good . I bought new ones locally & had the coil checked at the same place & the caps tested no good but the coil is strong . Yet i still have no spark on 1 & 4 ! Whats next pulse generator?Can someone walk me through testing (if you can) the signal generator. I have a digital volt meter but accept for checking batt. &charging i dont know how to use it '
I have a bad feeling this is gonna cost$$$
Thanks
Vinny

[Anonymous]

spark

Before you start freaking out back track the harness from the coil and look for loose or corroded connections and also check for a 12v supply to the coils if all is ok then you can freak out freely

[Mr. Jiggles]

If we knew what bike you have we might be able to suggest a solution that is only $ rather than $$$. That's assuming that this is a freakable situation.

[Hoomgar]

Vinny, find out what it is first. Then if it turns out to be coils
it will cost you nothing. Because if it is the coils I got you covered

That is if it is the GS1000 right?

[ddz]

sorry guys the bike is a 1980gs1000g.im also looking up in the clymers book .Looks like its time to learn how to use this volt meter!what is R1 scale?im guessing the headphone looking sign is ohms. By the headphone sign it goes from 200 ,2000 20k 200k 20m.I need 290-360 ohms to check the signal generator,so i guesss set the meter to 2000?Man i need some help!ITS TOO NICE OUT TO BE BROKE DOWN

ummm i just checked the new plug caps & they say 5k(with the headphone sign) am i supposed to have 3 ohm caps & would it matter?
Also thanks hoomie but the coil tested STRONG . the guy at the shop had a coil testing tool (cool stuff) & we saw the spark it gave ..REAL STRONG! This is ticken me off since i bought a trailer for the bike to tow it to the PA run

[DMPLATT]

Man, I had the same problem. I didn't trim the wires and I don't think I was making good contact.
What I did was trim the wires for a fresh start. I then took a screw of similar diameter and pressed in the middle of the copper wires to make sure the caps had a good start to screw into and that it was making contact.
2nd time was a charm, and I'm happy to say that I almost (inadvertantly) popped a damn wheelie after work. 8O Damn traffic.

Meaning, my bike is still running strong.


I ended up doing the plug on the block check. It took a few tries. Check it out again before spending tons of money. 8)

Check the simple stuff first. If you had bad plug caps, then I doubt you have other problems.

[DMPLATT]

sorry guys the bike is a 1980gs1000g.im also looking up in the clymers book .Looks like its time to learn how to use this volt meter!what is R1 scale?im guessing the headphone looking sign is ohms. By the headphone sign it goes from 200 ,2000 20k 200k 20m.I need 290-360 ohms to check the signal generator,so i guesss set the meter to 2000?Man i need some help!ITS TOO NICE OUT TO BE BROKE DOWN

Yeah, that's the ohm scale. If you need 290 to 360 ohms, and NOT Kohms, then set it to the 2000 range. That's the best option you have.

Check the resistance thru your caps again. Not sure what the cap resistance is. However, from your bike, I'm ASSUMING you have 5 ohm coils. I can't guess what the caps are. But lets assume they are the same 5K ohm as mine.
So, you have 5 OHMS in the coil, AND you have 5K OHMS thru each cap, you should be able to test the ohms thru the 2 caps. Unless my math is wrong, you should have in the vicinity of 10K 5 Ohms (10,005). If you put your meter on the 20K range and check, if it doesn't show ANYTHING, then caps are not making contact.
If you get CLOSE to 10k 5ohms, then check you 12v to the coils and I have to bow out after that.

Good Luck. Don't sweat it. It's NOT going to be a big deal. :roll: 8)

[Hoomgar]

There has to be a break in the feed or the ground then. That shouldn't be to hard to find unless it is buried in the harness. But it is usually an exposed wire that is the culprit. Or a corroded contact.

[ddz]

Thanks dmplatt i'll cut them back tomorrow & HOPE im as lucky as you were!

[SqDancerLynn1]

Lets start From what I have read # 1&4 do not spark
# 2&3 do spark OK DIsconnect the coil wires & measuer them for voltage, with the ign ON you should have 12 vdc on the coil power feed wire the other ign wire will have no voltage it goes back to the ignitor box. swap the two ign wires( white/black? &yel/black?) side to side. IT WIIL NOT RUN Ignitor circuit for 2&3 should fire the 1&4 coil
The 2&3 ign circuit would fire 1&4 . IF the 2&3 circuit is now not firing
the most likley problem is a bad ignitor

[ddz]

looks like the igniter

ok looks like the igniter is no good Can i use a dyna 3 ign? It looks like it comes with the igniter & pulse generator & its only$212.Compared to almost $400 for a stock igniter :roll: The man part# isD351 on the d/k site
Thanks for all the help evryone !!!!!!!
vinny

[DMPLATT]

Check this thread.

Hope it helps.

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/viewtopic.php?t=26716&highlight=dyna+3

[scotty]

watch out guys. Platt is getting sharp with bikes.