Checking coils, got a shock!

[UncleMike]

I've got 11.7v now. I haven't gone into the kill switch because I didn't have time to undo the instrument cluster today.

Now to test the coils again to make sure they're okay.

[Billy Ricks]

Headlight bucket has two terminations with no connection.

There is one with two brown wires connected to the female end of a bullet connector, and it's not attached to anything.

Second is two black wires with white stripes, also connected to the female end of a bullet connector and not attached to anything.

What the hell?

The brown wires are lighting related and my bike has them too. Just there for some auxiliary lighting or something. The black/white wires are extra grounds. Nothing to worry about.

[UncleMike]

The brown wires are lighting related and my bike has them too. Just there for some auxiliary lighting or something. The black/white wires are extra grounds. Nothing to worry about.

Thanks brother. You have no idea how many compliments you've gotten throughout this whole process. People really think highly of you on this board.

[Billy Ricks]

Thanks brother. You have no idea how many compliments you've gotten throughout this whole process. People really think highly of you on this board.

What are they stoned?

[UncleMike]

What are they stoned?

From what I can tell lately, there's a good chance!

[UncleMike]

I've got 11.7v at the coils, but I still can't manage to get a resistance reading through the caps. I've got the ignition on and the kill switch set to run and I'm sticking the ends of the multimeter in the #1 and #4 plug caps. Multimeter set to 20K ohms. It gets no reading, but will intermittently flash all kinds of weird numbers for a second, everything from 4.6v to 18.3v. But only for a second.

There's still something making the rear running light blink out when I rev the engine, and I'm getting really, really tired. I just want to ride. It's not fun anymore. It's not fun knowing that anytime I come to a stop or slow down or even shift ffs, I have to worry about whether the bike is gonna stall out on me. It's not fun and it's not safe and it's frustrating as all hell.

I got the new r/r installed and it's charging fine, but it's gonna short out again because I can't find the damned short making the rear running light blink out occassionally when revving.

This can't be carbs, it can't be valves, it can't be compression, because it's not consistent, right? It's gotta be electrical. If I'm getting 11.7v at the coils, then the coils must be bad, no? I just want a reliable ride and I'm about ready to put a freakin' bullet in her.

Actually I'm ready to buy a running bike, but then I go down there and look at her and she's just everything I want right there already,...SHE JUST WON'T RUN RIGHT!

Thanks for letting me spout off.

Mike

[Billy Ricks]

You don't need the ignition on for resistance readings. Just make sure you get contact inside the plug caps. If you need to screw the caps off the wires and measure at the wire core. Measurements can be adjusted for the lack of caps.

[UncleMike]

You don't need the ignition on for resistance readings. Just make sure you get contact inside the plug caps. If you need to screw the caps off the wires and measure at the wire core. Measurements can be adjusted for the lack of caps.

I'm definitely getting contact, but no reading. Isn't it bad to keep unscrewing the caps from the wires?

[t3rmin]

You probably need to switch your multimeter to the next highest resistance setting. 20k ohm may be too low. Switch it to 200k or whatever your next highest setting is. The correct reading for stock coils with caps is 30-35k ohm according to my Suzuki shop manual, so that's too high for the 20k setting.

By the way 11.7v at the coils will probably be OK.

[Billy Ricks]

Not sure what type of meter you're using. Do you need to switch the probes to another set of jacks on the meter to test resistance?

[UncleMike]

Not sure what type of meter you're using. Do you need to switch the probes to another set of jacks on the meter to test resistance?

No idea. There are a bunch of esoteric dials and knobs and symbols that I will NEVER understand.

I'll play around.

[Billy Ricks]

No idea. There are a bunch of esoteric dials and knobs and symbols that I will NEVER understand.

I'll play around.

You may need to move the positive probe to another jack. If it has multiple jacks look for one with the ohm symbol.

[UncleMike]

You may need to move the positive probe to another jack. If it has multiple jacks look for one with the ohm symbol.

Okay. Thanks, and sorry for being an electrical moron.

[UncleMike]

Moved it up to 200K and I'm getting a reading. I did 1 & 4 first and it was wandering all over. Started showing 22.5 and then fluctuated between 21 and 24.

I moved to 2 & 3 and got a steady reading of 21.6. Moved back to 1 & 4 and got the same. Very steady 21.6.

How do those numbers look? They are with the plug caps on, and they're brand new.

Also, I was talking with an electrically inclined friend of mine, and he was thinking that since my rear running light is only blinking out when I'm revving the engine, something else might be stealing enough current to cut it out temporarily. Perhaps these faulty coils?

Thanks,
Mike

[t3rmin]

Yeah your resistance is about 10k too low I think. As I understand it, sometimes when the coils fail they short out in their windings somewhere and the resistance is reduced (less windings for the current to go through). The coils might be drawing more current like that, but I doubt it'd make your tail light go out -- dim maybe, but not go out.

If your tail light goes out when you rev the motor, something else is amiss. Don't have a clue as to what it could be, though...