Need help... Spark

[foxxx85]

OK... I was getting no spark from the plugs.. Coils checked ok so i removed the plug cap from the wire and put just the wire need the head. cranked it over and i have spark there. Does this mean that the problem lies either in the cap or plugs?? and would all 4 be bad at once??

[SqDancerLynn1]

Take the plug cap off & cut the wire back 3/8' so you have a good connection.. WHat year is your bike ? CHeck the connections on the ignitor & the signal gen-under the right cover.

[foxxx85]

Im sorry, My bike is 1981 Suzuki gs1000gl. I don know what the signal gen looks like or how to check voltage. Also, i get no spark from any of the plugs. Is it plausible that all 4 caps or wires are faulty at the same time?

[Thomas Kenny]

remove a spark plug and leave the lead attached, ground it against the enging head and turn it over. Do you see a blue spark in the spark plug gap? If not, remove the boot and then use a jumper to the plug. If it sparks, then remove the boot and replace it. It is highly unlikely that all four would give up on you unless your coils are going south. You said you checked the coils. What do you mean? Check the coil leads with the key in the on position. Your should get a strong 12 volts at the coil. If this is what you did, what was the voltage you observed?

[foxxx85]

I had 12.2 volts at the coils with the key on.

[Thomas Kenny]

Thats good voltage, so you can eliminate that as a possible problem. Do you get a blue spark on a plug removed from the engine and grounded against the cylinder head? I hope you get this sorted out.......

[foxxx85]

i get no spark if i ground the plug to the head. If i take the plug cap(boot) off and touch the wire to the head i get a spark. If i put the boot back on the wire and put a jumper to the contact in the boot i get a little spark. Put the plug in the boot and i get no spark. Spark plugs have been tested in another bike and they fire fine. I am doing this all by using jumper cables to a good battery. Would the jumpers cause the weakness??? Is it the plug wire/boot?? Also, The way i checked voltage going to the coil was to disconnect the clip that has and orang and black wire going to each coil and put my meter inside that clip and got 12.2 volts. is this correct or should i be checking somehow what comes out of the coil.

[Thomas Kenny]

You know I a thinking that your boot may be bad. One last check, jumper from the end of your plug wire (no boot) directly to the plug. Do you get a good spark with the plug grounded?? If yes, your boot is the culprit. If you have 12.2 volts to the connector to the coils you should be good for voltage. What is #,s 2-3-and4 cylinders doing, ANYTHING??? if nothing there then you might be looking at a new set of coil wires and caps.
I had to replace my coils on my 1984 GS550ES as they were not performing properly and I had intermintent performance. I bought Dyna coils and they work great. Sorry you are having so much trouble, let me know what is happening. :-) Tom

[foxxx85]

I bought a new battery because the old one was suspect. I am charging it now. I am going to do the jumper-to-plug test when i get out of bed. Would the bad battery from before be the cause. I was jumping the battery and the engine was turning over.

[foxxx85]

OK, charged and installed new battery. Trimmed plug wires and reinstalled caps. Beautiful blue spark now. Put the tank back on. Key...Choke...hit the start button..crank crank crank. No Fire! I pulled a plug back out checked spark again and it was still great. plug was a little wet so fuel is getting there. Should i try to get it fire with starting fluid. If so, which cylinder should i use?

[tkent02]

Should i try to get it fire with starting fluid.

No, find out what's wrong, if it has spark and fuel, there must be something basically wrong.
Most likely something simple like spark plug wires swapped?

[foxxx85]

1 and 4 are connected to the right side coil 2 and 3 are left side coil. I connected the same way they were connected before. is there a way to verify that they are correct?