Help! Clueless on Total Loss Ignition - No Spark.

dwyatt

I need serious help to get my track bike running. I installed a total loss ignition I picked up from eBay, and as expected it came with no wiring diagram or explaination of how it needed to be hooked up. It has a cut down stock XS rotor and alternator with the coils removed, only the timing pick-up remaining, a cut up wiring harness (probably my trouble spot), and a black box. Assuming the black box and alternator work, I wired it up according to this diagram and no spark.

Can someone tell me if this is incorrect, or suggest a better alternative? I still have the original ignition set-up that was working when I took it off, so I can test parts, or just go back to the original set-up for now, but really need a simplified ignition for track duty.

yamaman

Might help if you can come up with a sketch of what you've got.

You say black box, is it some alternative to the TCI, like a CDI or such?
If it's a CDI, is it some factory type or kinda home made?
If it's the home made variety, what colour is the resin, someone might know the maker. Most sparkies use their own colour resin for ID, they also know the antidote for the resin used so you can get them apart to fix!

What coil are you running?

You know my alternative suggestion already Cool

www.bettabikes.com/

dwyatt

The image of my wiring diagram didn't come through, I'll give it another try. The black box is the original equipment ignitor, all the parts are stock XS, just cut up. I have an Excel Super coil on it for a juicy spark, but of course, I DON'T HAVE ONE.....

Glad you took the bait, I was going to PM you anyway for a detailed description of your PM system, it's the way I need to go I just have the other crap in the garage and was looking for immediate gratification. I've been building this sucker for 2 years and haven't heard it sing yet. I can come by the PM ignition parts easy enough, but tell me how you wired it in and what you had to do for the backing plate and timing marks. Anything else that sneeks in there too, if you will.

yamaman

I'll have to get back to you tonight, knocking off & heading home now, cheers

dwyatt

No worries, take your time. I guess it's time to buck up and make the switch, so any detail/pictures you can send my way will be greatly appreciated. At work I'm a nuclear physicist, but electricity is all sparks and magic to me.........

xsjohn

When the nuclear plan sparks we will all run like hell.... the ones that don't can't....... sorry just having fun...... xsjohn

dwyatt

no point running, just enjoy the breeze and pretty lights..........

xsjohn

And to think it may all be coming to the theater nearest us soon.... via the idiots that think that fire is cool.....don't fly to close to the sun...
it's just legend you know..... Shocked

xsjohn

dwyatt

I fly too close every month to/from Africa! I hate airplanes, should only ride my bikes.......

nudude53

I like to play with matches, are they hiring?

yamaman

Is there an earth from the TCI box? Supposed to be, I hope it's that easy!

dwyatt · Last edited by dwyatt on June 14, 2009, 11:00 am; edited 1 time in total

There is a black wire dangling off the igniter box that had been cut. If that is a ground that needs to be connected, then that would explain it.

It could be that simple, this is about as barebones as it gets and on paper I couldn't see anything wrong (except for a missing ground?).

yamaman

That'd be it, could be a cheap fix, fingers crossed!

dwyatt

I MADE FIRE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hooked-up that dangling ground wire that the PO must have clipped off and stil no luck - had a bad coil from eBay. I put the stock coil back on and it fires!!!! I'll put a new high output coil on this next week and should be good to go. Thanks for the help!

yamaman

Cool, very cool! Now we just need the report on how well it goes, look forward to that one! Wink

borjawil

do the coils need to be grounded to work?

xsleo

With a dual output coil , no ground. The pimary side gets power on the r/w and orange wires, the TCI box controls the power. The secondary, the spark generated by the coil flows from coil to one plug, thru engine, to other plug , back to coil.

dwyatt

It lives! Started today for the first time in 2 years, shocked Hell out of me when it cranked on the second kick.

81XSChopper

Congratulations!

greg

dwyatt

Can't tell you how relieved I am, stress was building up.

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