Help if you can, or trip is cancelled...

[psycoreefer]

Does your starter work or not? I'm not sure where we are at this point, I though you said you only had 5v at the coils, not 10.9? Can you post the current status?
This is where I think we are, correct me if I'm wrong...

1. The bike starts and runs with a jumper from battery + to coils.
2. (before or after ^?)The trace on the TCI was completely broken.
3. Currently the starter does not turn when you push the button (but it does with the jumper wire installed?).
4. You don't know if the bike will start now because you can't get it to turn over.
5. Ignition on, not cranking Coils have 10.9v
6. Ignition on, cranking the coils have 5v

[CA]

well most of that was correct until we totally played with the broken trace. Let me tool with it tonight and I will give a firm update where I am at with it.

Thanks

[CA]

ok.

I know this is confusing tracing a problem through a thread. Here is what I found last night (Is it f'ing hot everywhere else?? 8 o clock at night sweating my sack off...)


1. Starter did turn everything over.
2. When I started battery was at 11.9
3. When I stopped about 25 minutes later batter was at 11.0 with only being "on" and not cranking.
4. With my TCI all plugged in (normal) I was missing about 2 volts at the coils.
5. With TCI unplugged (at least the big plug) I gained most of those 2 volts back.
6. I did notice Number 7 wire on main plug to the TCI was a little loose.
7. I did not check volts at coils during cranking.

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...Photos/tci.jpg

As many times I post my hypothesis' they are debunked, perhaps there is a reasonable explanation for why it drops 2 volts with the tci plugged in, but perhaps it can point towards a solution.

Any way to re-secure and clean the wires and their attachments to the plug?

Oh and we did solder a new wire to try and fix that broken runner.

[XS1100 Newbie]

With that battery at 11.9 volts, you are not going to do much. Charge it up. It should be about 13.6 volts charged.

[CA]

Haha I knew I was going to get that. I realize nothing will be cranking with that voltage and I was not trying to do so. WIth a brand new battery on the bike it did not help matters so the real issue is finding a voltage drop/weak point. I can still find that with 11.9 volts and 13.4 volts.

Yet it seems I will need a new battery soon. I would like to get it running first.

[psycoreefer]

Can you check your cranking voltage at the coils again, before it was significantly less then the "resting" voltage at the coils. The cranking circuit is partially separate from the running circuit so it could be a clue...and while your at it check the battery voltage while cranking.

I'm guessing here but I think that if you were to start it with the jumper wire from battery to coils in place, and then remove the jumper it would continue to run, battery - 2volts, while not great would still provide enough to fire the coils I think.

I'll get back to you on where to look for that drop, although you ought to be able to find it with ivan's method.

[FJ111200]

If it was running and then started acting up, then the carbs should be fine, also, run in to a similar problem a couple times, one time found out the ignition switch had a loose wire, the other time had to fix the pick-ups a second time, the wire had come loose again on the inside of the rubber cover, also check the wire and fuse under the left side cover, that wire had gotten loose, made contact some times, and then not sometimes. also wires under the right side, behind the fuse box, sometimes starts getting lose, makes contact sometimes, and sometimes not. Wish you the best. Later 'Dog

I'm with scalded dog on this one. Ignition switch.

[jwhughes3]

did you cancel your trip?

I just wondered if you got it going enough to go...

John

[CA]

Oh ya I canceled the trip a while ago.
The bike is just sitting in the garage, its been hella hot and I haven't had the time to try Ivan's method.

But i still get confused chasing it down especially when it involves the tci. Electrical has always been somewhat of a mystery. too many wires to check. Some should be carrying voltage...some shouldn't.

I will hopefully give it a shot this weekend.

The funny thing is is my brothers bike is begining to be hard to start. Am I running the wrong plugs with the NGK caps? could that be hurting it?

[CA]

Finally..

After a long apathetic pause my worst fear has been realize. I feared I was not only plagued by one problem but a series of problems. Yet I believe I have foun the source of one.

While trying to trace the electrical weakness I dismantled my kill switch because it iteself was not passing a current, and when it came off the plastic inside the switch was broken in half and a post fell off. So we simply joined the two wires and it fired up. SO there was the electrical weakness which did not allow it to run.

In earlier tests I had commented how it was hard to see a spark on number 1. Well after a ride which I thought would clear it out, i realized my number 1 cylinder was not firing most of the time. There were certain times I could tell it began firing correctly but most of the time it felt like I was running on 3 cylinders. On the interstate I couldn't get over 85mph and anything over 6k rpm...nothing. I switched to a NGK plug just in number 1 (they seem to do much better than the autolites) and I could distinctvley hear it firing at the wrong time and shooting the pressure out through the carb. So I guess it must be igniting but maybe just a timing issue??

But I checked the timing in the tests and its looked fine, and how could just the number 1 cylinder be out of time that poorly??

So I now once again feel like I am close and this is doable, just looking for some advice.

Also what should I do about a kill switch, anybody got an extra?
Thanks.

[WMarshy]

Have you checked your valve clearances? Maybe the #1 intake valve isnt seating all the way prior to ignition... Any delay in timing for #1 cylinder would be experienced on #4 as well since they are controlled by the same coil (my logic)... Did you check the #1 carb diaphragm? Maybe it has a hole in it and the slide isnt rising to allow fuel in..? Let us know how you make out.

[CA]

hmm so I suppose the verdict is to check the valve clearances. I do not hear the same misfire coming from number 4. I changed my shims not too long ago, and may have goofed on installing them..it was my first time...

[skids]

Crapped-out exhaust systems can do the reverse that exhaust scavenging does. At certain rpms a reflecting pressure pulse can arrive at the same time that the exhaust is trying to exit the head. When that happens, the spark plug can look pretty strange with the insulator looking glazed. It can darken your carb also.

[CA]

That exhaust thing sounds pretty rare...i just had my headers ceramic coated...i mean they were pretty dinged up...but that just sounds rare to me...

I would check on these thing but i won't get back from vaca till next week...