Another simple way of testing if its the coil or the spark plug is by swapping parts. If this happens to be the case, you may notice some of the following symptoms: Lack of acceleration when starting from a stop. can move on to the next steps.) By learning to recognize these symptoms, one can often find themselves on the fast path to viable repair. Among the first signs of a bad ignition coil is black smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The spark could ark through you since youre grounded and can cause severe burns. First, check to make sure that the battery has a full charge. Symptoms of bad spark plugs: When a spark plug is about to give out, the motorcycle is running poorly, sounds louder than normal, and almost seems gutless. Eventually when a spark plug has gone completely out, your motorcycle will attempt to turn over but simply wont fire up. 80XS11, XJ11,83XVZ12 mlew, May 7, 2012 #2 Symptoms of a dead battery: this is the easiest problem to diagnose and is probably the most common reason why a motorcycle doesnt start. negative diode, the meter should not read anything while connecting the positive lead to the stator inputs. If the battery drops below 10.8 volts, it For more information about how to start a motorcycle in cold temperatures, see my article here. If you notice your battery loses its charge quickly, it is probably due to parasitic drain. car may completely stop working or fail to restart after shutting up. Symptoms of no air flow: again, you may not have any issues turning it over but may have issues getting it started. First, its possible for the ceramic coating to get cracked. When a cracked spark plug is installed, the spark will find the least path of resistance through the crack and ground out to your engine block instead of going all the way down to the end of the spark plug and jumping across the gap like its supposed to. I am 100% positive, 2 Coils. But before then, it is important to know that ignition coils serve as compact electrical transformers which help to convert the low voltage into a much higher voltage. Opening the coil's circuit causes that field to collapse, resulting in tens of thousands of volts being induced in the coil's secondary windings. Hence, technically, when we say If it did not, the issue is more than likely faulty contact points or incorrect timing. In this article, youll learn about bad ignition coils in motorcycles and how to test them. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 6 Reasons Why Your Motorcycle Accelerates By Itself. Its rich when theres more fuel than air present in the engine, and lean when theres more air than fuel present. battery may fully charge, but then drop significantly when under load. Fortunately, they are not that difficult to test. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Thats why its a must to understand motorcycle ignition coil failure symptoms. Inside motorcycles, the ignition coil consists of an Iron core. Now, let's move to the next symptom. No jumping current, no spark. There are so many different signs pointing towards a failing stator. Plug caps may be cracked, which can cause corrosion or an open circuit. When used with the right solution, the ultrasonic cleaner emits an ultrasound that agitates the solution. Check your ignition coil as it may have a fault. How an ignition coil stops working: over time, vibration and heat can damage the winding in the coil. Luckily through my own trial and error, my education in mechanics, and a little bit of luck, Ive been able to troubleshoot several areas of the motorcycle. It's also important to make sure that the battery that Youll also hear noises as an expression for rough idling. For troubleshooting, the stator connector that runs to the engine m ust be If your plug wires and caps check out, you can now test your ignition coil. to test for the CDI is to swap it with a CDI that is known to work. the regulator to get rid of it. Finally, never underestimate the implication of that popular saying: procrastination is the thief of time. Delay is dangerous. How to diagnose motorcycle ignition problems. faulty grounds early in the troubleshooting process. Your accessories are the optional components that add to the amount of amperage needed. The more you understand how a motorcycle works, the better you can understand how a car works. By the end of this article you will understand the purpose of the stator, how it works, and how to diagnose a bad stator. Overall, failed or weak If you have an electric starter, take your air intake off, push the starter and squirt starter fluid straight into your carburetor. For example, you may notice that your motorcycle runs fine at lower rpms but when you get to the higher rpms, it starts to run really rough. Misfiring of engine If it does, the stator is faulty. Motorcycle Ignition Coil Failure Symptoms are-. For some riders, they find their motorcycle is accelerating unintentionally. Any auto parts store will be able to identify the right fuse you need. The opposite can also happen with the low-speed coil. Besides, itll give you poor fuel economy, which can cost you more. To understand that its a bad ignition which is creating problems in your bike, you need to recognize the symptoms of a bad ignition coil. While testing the ignition coil, if the multimeter shows OL, it indicates an open line or break in the wire. Copyright 2023 Dennis Kirk, Inc. - All Rights Reserved. Make sure that it is gapped to the Eventually, your stator can prevent your motorcycle from starting at all. Click herefor more information if youre interested in viewing multiple videos that will help fix up your bike or if youre interested in completely building your dream motorcycle! When you slow down your car to stop at the traffic signal, you will experience vibrations, jerking motions, and weird noises like your car got a sore throat. You will need a multimeter and the shop manual for your specific motorcycle to troubleshoot the electrical When the sequence gets interrupted by a damaged ignition coil, your bike starts to misfire. That distance is set by the manufacturer and it has to be a certain distance for it to spark correctly. Reduced engine power. All of these signs show that theres a problem with the Harley ignition coil. To check for voltage, the motorcycle must be running and should Over time this can wear out your stator. To test the cap, you will need to remove engine. To do this, youll have to take off the air intake then detach the carburetor from your motorcycle engine. In contrast, Secondary windings are thinner wires connected to your vehicles output, producing the high voltage to create a spark. Not necessarily; it is always because of big problems created in your vehicle. Generally, if you burn the stator you will end up shorting together your three separate phase windings. If you are having a no-spark problem, a good place to start after ruling out shorts, grounds, switches and What are the symptoms you should look out for in your Harley Davidson ignition coil? --Pick-up coils- engine heat causes the coil to open, The bike runs fine when cold then stops after enging warms up. In most cases, it is seen a worn-out ignition coil is creating issues like engine misfiring. The only way for a home mechanic As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. signs you see on your motorcycle. Cannon Entities LLC is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. link to 6 Reasons Why Your Motorcycle Accelerates By Itself. On average, prepare something in the region of $150. power from the alternator into DC power so that it can charge the battery. Sometimes, a spark plug problem is actually an ignition coil problem. Japanese motorcycles are the easiest type of motorcycle to restore whereas European motorcycles are a bit more difficult. Mountain Bike vs. Road Bike: What Is the Difference? I have been riding a dirt bike since I was 15 years old. An ignition coil is essentially a wire-based transformer, Haynes explains. Lets assume that your stator has just burned itself up. The stator has the responsibility of generating power to run various electronics on the bike. The most obvious symptoms of a bad motorcycle stator include no spark, weak spark, or intermittent spark (also known as misfiring). If you don't, your service Next, check to make sure nothing is going to ground by connecting the red lead to the connector and the black The plug wire runs from the ignition coil to the If youre unsure whether or not you should have an air box or use pod filters, see my helpful guide here about the subject. Copyright 2023. But those signs could also point to a faulty ignition coil. Hope that you got a clear idea about motorcycle ignition coil failure symptoms. Another common way to diagnose the problem is by hooking up a multi-meter and testing the inner and outer coils resistances. The other main cause for your stator failing on you is a power overload. often cause an instant phone call to schedule an appointment at the bike shop. The check engine light tells you that something is wrong with the ignition coil indicating a fault code. Engine misfiring and a dashboard check engine light are the two most common symptoms of a bad ignition coil. Youll still get the correct reading. This site is owned and operated by Cannon Entities LLC, a limited liability company headquartered in Utah, USA. that checks out, connect the negative lead to the positive diode and connect the positive lead to each of the Let it cool down. Newer vehicles use either coil-on-plug (COP) ignition coils or coil packs. That is when you feel excessive vibrations and unwanted noises coming from inside of your bike. This should be an open circuit and the meter should not read anything. Used car guide. This bumps the 12 volts from the battery into 50,000 volts or even more. If using an ultrasonic cleaner isnt an option, it is possible to clean it by hand though it wont be as thorough as using an ultrasonic cleaner. With the connector unplugged, you can test the stator for both resistance and voltage. I was reading about the diagnostic mode in the service manual. You might also be able to simulate the heat by using Once you have all three poles wired correctly, you are then ready to cover the entire thing in insulating paint. There are certain functions on your motorcycle that your stator must run, like your spark plugs. How a starter stops working: The most common cause for a starter to go bad is age. What you are looking for is that all three of the numbers are similar. Since youll likely need to replace the spark plugs anyway, connect the suspected ignition coil to a new plug with new wiring. Hello, my name is Henry. Then check the secondary winding of the ignition coil accordingly. The charging system of the motorcycle should bring How to fix it: There are several ways you can fix a seized engine, but unless you absolutely know what you are doing, I recommend you take your motorcycle in to a shop to get it fixed, or at least find the exact reason why it is seized. Not using a fuel filter will quickly cause a dirty carburetor. Best 3 Wheel Chopper Trike Motorcycle For Toddler, 10 best removable motorcycle wheel chock for trailer, Best Heavy Duty Motorcycle And Dirt Bike Chain, 10 battery operated dirt bike For 100 Dollars With Training Wheels. The first and generally most overlooked cause is time. Why such a high voltage? Try to disconnect the cable that leads to the bad coil. it. Using a fuel filter will quickly cause a dirty carburetor for the next time I comment 6... Stops after enging warms up but simply wont fire up motorcycle must be running should! 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