Spark Prob Cyl 1 & 4-Diagnosis Pls!

[webrider]

-'82 1100xj running great 10 mi. from home when Cyl 1 & 4 just died.
-No motor noises. Cyl 2-3 got me home.
So far, (w/ input from Crazy Steve & TopCat):

-p/u coils checked out with right ohms. Then switched the PU Coils & no Cyl fired. Then w/ PU Colis switched I then switched the orange & grey wires & back to only Cyl 2-3 fire.
-Ign Coil for 1-4 checked defective so replaced. When no fire switched new coil to Cyl 2-3 & worked. Switched Ign Coil 2-3 to Cyl 1-4 & still no 1-4 fire.
-All wiring from p/u coils to TCI to Ign Coils & Spark Plg wires all check out & connections cleaned.
-Elect. Grounds cleaned: -top of engine, -at Neg Batt., -coming off of p/u coil wires (to bottom of engine. Or maybe a sensor?).
-Replaced TCI with exact number match (off a SECA MAX). Still no 1-4 fire. **1 Thing: even though I've been told there's no way to test the TCI I got desperate & tested volts on it. Put a voltmeter on the TCI's shared 'hot' wire & the Neg wire going to 2-3 & 1-4 Ign Coils. I got voltage when It urned the Ign key from the 2-3, & I THOUGHT from the 1-4. BUT, each time I re-tested I only got voltage on the 2-3 wire. So now I can't swear I ever did get volts on the 1-4 wire!!
OK, so now I look at this otherwise 100% reliable old girl and consider parting her out -sniff! Only fix I can see is replacing the TCI again - but this time from a confirmed running XJ11 in case the one I already bought was also bad for Cyl. 1&4. And if money was no object I would. I just hope you have an idea for me. Thanks for reading & for any help or wisdom you can spare!
-Kevin S. MI. (owned bike 5 yrs. Refurbs: fuse box, carbs, tank, fuel lines, removed & resealed headers @ manifold - just before current problem).

[Rasputin]

I have a 82XJ TCI that I could "Lend" you to see if that is the problem. I would ask Davinci about the testing procedures and follow whatever he has to say before doing anything to the TCI itself. Electrickery and me are not great friends so I can not give any good advice other than that.

[natemoen]

As far as I have ever heard the XJ had its own one off tci and there were no other replacements, if it is true that a seca has a suitable replacement that could open up possibilities!.

Have you checked visually to see if there is a spark at the plugs.

[TopCatGr58]

This is the first time I've heard that he used an XJ650 Seca TCI, not sure what part # he was checking, but they are NOT the same according to the microfiche:

82 XJ550RJ Ignitor: 4U8-82305-10-00
82 XJ 650J Ignitor: 5G2-82305-10-00
82 XJ 759J Ignitor: 5G2-82305-10-00

XJ11: 10M-82305-10-00

[BA80]

I would check the coils and connections first before condeming the TCI. Those 2 cyls run off the same coil and pickup coil. Although, MadMax-im had a similar problem recently and it did turn out to be the TCI.

[webrider]

Thanks all. Hey Topcat, the repacement TCI had 'seca' written on it with a marker. But the part numbers were an exact match so apparently the vendor had it marked wrong. Also, no spark at 1&4 plugs natemoen.

[airborneXS]

i had a si,ilar problem recently, well it sounds like the same exact problem, and it turned out to be the tci

[TopCatGr58]

Thanks all. Hey Topcat, the repacement TCI had 'seca' written on it with a marker. But the part numbers were an exact match so apparently the vendor had it marked wrong. Also, no spark at 1&4 plugs natemoen.

Hey Kevin,

Okay, you said it had the same part number as the XJ11, and NOW I understand how it could when the seller mislabelled it! It's fairly rare to get or have a TCI go bad...they are fairly robust, but they can fail. The more common fail points are the solder connections of the printed circuit board and it's connection to the pinouts for the external connector, and resweating/ resoldering them can help solve a problem.

I hope you'll get ahold of Rasputin to borrow his spare TCI so you can test your bike to rule that aspect in or out.
T.C.

[Rasputin]

It is not really a spare TCI. It is on a running 82XJ and the only one I have so that is why I can only Lend it for a short time. He did get ahold of me and we are working on getting it there for a test. I have Randy's old pages printed out for the TCI repairs etc, but I lent them to Rooster. I will have to get those back as I am not sure if the link still works. I have the link info out in the garage still (I hope) if it still works. Apparently the video test is lost and can not be recovered which is really too bad.

[airborneXS]

hey rasputin i have a bad tci off a 79 xs special, would u like it? i had a member donate to me a good tci so i have the bad one as a spare

[Rasputin]

hey rasputin i have a bad tci off a 79 xs special, would u like it? i had a member donate to me a good tci so i have the bad one as a spare

Not really as I do not have the smarts needed to fix it. Possibly Davinci would want it or could repair it though. Thanks for the offer.

[JeruelB]

i got the same problem w/ my xs11 1980, 1&4 no spark, sometimes it will spark but its so weak you can barely see it...just bought coil, change w/ new spark plug cap, and replace the TCI,,,still the same...

[DGXSER]

Pick up coils is the first place to look if your losing spark to coil linked cylinders. The wires tend to break inside the insulation.

[BA80]

XJs aren't really known for pickup wires since there is no vacuum advance connected to the breaker plate. It is possible though. More likely it's a TCI problem.