No spark on 98 bandit 1200!

[Blackbandit]

Hello fellow riders! Im having trouble with getting spark on my 98 bandit 1200, its a completely stock engine besides pod filters and vance and hines exhaust. I have checked the coils for proper ohms, the pickup coil also checks out. I replaced the cdi. The coils are grounded with power going to them. Checked the kill switch, neutral saftey switch too. The bike ran great before this. Please help!

[Kreylyn]

Hello fellow riders! Im having trouble with getting spark on my 98 bandit 1200, its a completely stock engine besides pod filters and vance and hines exhaust. I have checked the coils for proper ohms, the pickup coil also checks out. I replaced the cdi. The coils are grounded with power going to them. Checked the kill switch, neutral saftey switch too. The bike ran great before this. Please help!

11v+ to the coils at all times including when the starter is turning the motor over?

Kill switch isn't sticking is it?

Accidental ground on the ignition circuit acting like a kill switch?

Is the harness OEM or has it been modified?

Krey

[Blackbandit]

I bypassed the kill switch and its oem wiring harness

[Kreylyn]

I bypassed the kill switch and its oem wiring harness

Bypassed?... What specifically did you do (pics would be great).

Krey

[Blackbandit]

I jumped the switch with a single wire bypassing the switch altogether to confirm its working properly.. sorry im not sure how to upload pics

[Kreylyn]

I jumped the switch with a single wire bypassing the switch altogether to confirm its working properly.. sorry im not sure how to upload pics

um... the kill switch is a ground kill switch. It works by completing a ground that kills the spark to the coils by grounding it through the frame. By jumping the switch as you described, it's permanently grounded... as in kill switch always in the bike off/not running position.

[Blackbandit]

Okay I have trouble explaining things sometimes so here's how it is...... the engine will crank over with the kill switch on and when I turn the kill switch off it does not allow it to crank, so it seems to be working properly . What would be the best way to test the kill switch? I honestly don't think it has to do with my kill switch but I have been wrong more than once lol

I just tested brand new working coils from a Buddies bike and no spark. I checked all my ground wires they seem okay my pickup coil is reading 170 ohms which is in spec my voltage Peak test for the signal generator is measuring two volts which is in Spec with the Haynes manual

[Kreylyn]

Okay I have trouble explaining things sometimes so here's how it is...... the engine will crank over with the kill switch on and when I turn the kill switch off it does not allow it to crank, so it seems to be working properly . What would be the best way to test the kill switch? I honestly don't think it has to do with my kill switch but I have been wrong more than once lol

I just tested brand new working coils from a Buddies bike and no spark. I checked all my ground wires they seem okay my pickup coil is reading 170 ohms which is in spec my voltage Peak test for the signal generator is measuring two volts which is in Spec with the Haynes manual

What voltage do you have at the coils when the starter is turning the motor over?

Krey

[Blackbandit]

11 volts at the coils

[Blackbandit]

Sorry 11.6 to be exact the first test my battery was not fully charged. I also did the power/ground test on the cdi which is supposed to read battery voltage, im only getting 10.5 volts.

[Blackbandit]

Update... i just did every test i could think of and it all points to the cdi...is there any way i can test it before i have to buy a new one? If I do have to buy a new one can I set up a dyna ignition on the bike? Because the price of a new OEM CDI is same price as Dyna ignition would that be a better way to go or should I stick with OEM parts?

[ZookRick]

A good oem ignition could be found on ebay for much less than a new one, a LOT less hassle that trying to wire in a whole new ignition.

[Kreylyn]

Update... i just did every test i could think of and it all points to the cdi...is there any way i can test it before i have to buy a new one? If I do have to buy a new one can I set up a dyna ignition on the bike? Because the price of a new OEM CDI is same price as Dyna ignition would that be a better way to go or should I stick with OEM parts?

Your first post mentioned you already replaced the CDI. Did it not have one, or was it expected to be the issue to start with?

Does the bike have an original OEM ignition switch being used, or has it been modified or tampered with? Many of the newer model bikes require a specific resistor in the switch to trigger the CDI / ICM to trigger firing the coils. Some cheaper china made aftermarket switches for example don't have that, and so you end up with everything appearing to work but the bike won't fire the coils to run. It's a security / anti theft sort of feature.

If that's the case, the aftermarket control module should by pass that feature, or ... put a OEM switch back on it.

No way to test CDI / ICM with out replacing it, not at a reasonably priced option anyways. Most shops no longer have testing equipment, and it's either a lot of $ for one or you need to have a lot of know how with electrical equip to build one. The swap with known good is the most commonly used choice.

Krey

[Blackbandit]

I purchased a second CDI thinking it was the problem. I did change the ignition switch to a aftermarket one and I also tried plugging my old one back in it did not work. I also did a load test while trying to start the bike and the power to the coils was only around 8 volts while trying to start but when the ignition is on there is 11 .6 volts am I supposed to get a voltage drop of that much?

The battery holds a good charge as well

What voltage do you have at the coils when the starter is turning the motor over?

Krey

Sorry kray i misses this question

[Kreylyn]

I purchased a second CDI thinking it was the problem. I did change the ignition switch to a aftermarket one and I also tried plugging my old one back in it did not work. I also did a load test while trying to start the bike and the power to the coils was only around 8 volts while trying to start but when the ignition is on there is 11 .6 volts am I supposed to get a voltage drop of that much?

The battery holds a good charge as well



Sorry kray i misses this question

Hey, now we are making some progress.

So no, not supposed to drop like that. A headlight will generall pull around 1v aprox... but a fully charged battery is 12.3v normally. Even with a 1v drop, you should be getting over 11v to the coils.

If the coils do not have 11v, the bike will not start. So if you bump that starter and it's dropping to 8v... it will crank and crank, but never hit.

Now, you can do a temp bypass of the wiring system as a test. Just run wires straight from the postive battery post to the orange wires on each coil (1 each) then try to start the bike. Check now to see if a voltage drop. If there is one, then your dealing with a battery issue that is failing under load.

If it starts right up, and no drop in voltage... then you need to clean and service the wiring harness.

Krey