does it sound like my TCI is bad?

[mikubuilder]

hey, BTW did you find any replacement plastic plugs that would plug into that TCI(both 8 and 4 wire)....

[mikubuilder]

so, I swapped orange and gray wires and the problem moved to #1 and #4, meaning the ignition coils are OK (just like the other tests indicated), but I still don't know a proven test for TCI, or for pick up coils, besides of checking for resistance of the coils...

[Rasputin]

Good one, rasputin!

BTW, if you don't have an analog meter, you can use an incandescent test light instead.

Yup, sounds to me like you need to re-sweat those solder joints for the 2-3 coils, INSIDE the TCI.

BTW, this is RANDY, under a different name. Long story. Here are the pins to re-solder:

pay particular attention to the two pins on the left, bottom one is for coil 2-3 (GRAY), the top one is for coil 1-4 (ORANGE).

Hey Randy. I just did not want anyone to think I was electrickery smart and of course credit is due to the original poster of any fix such as this.
I have everything saved from your page except the video. If I looked hard enough I may find squirreled away on my computer in regions unvisited by man since the day I saved it.
Maybe someone such as yourself or another curious member has that video and would be willing to repost it. I found it to be an awesome help with my diagnostics.

[mikubuilder]

so, Randy or Rasputin, how do you get that board out of the box? are there some strategic spots that you have to drill out, or maybe pry???

[lee_dutcher]

have to cut it out with a dremel just be carful

[natemoen]

so, Randy or Rasputin, how do you get that board out of the box? are there some strategic spots that you have to drill out, or maybe pry???

Don't take it out of the box. When you remove the cover you have access to all the solder joints.

To remove the board you have to desolder a whole bunch of joints, so dont even try.

[CaptonZap]

The spades are soldered into the board, so the easiest way to get the board out is to get an air hose with a spritzer nozzle on it, and get the solder joint hot and then blow the solder away. The pros use a vacuum device, which doesn't blow solder all over like the blow gun does, but po boys have po ways. CZ

[madmax-im]

if you dont completely desolder all those pins dont even try to remove the PCB from the box...DAMHIK

[Rasputin]

As best I know you just take the lid off and the joints that need to be resolderd are in your face. Please do not take anything else apart unless Randy or someone more knowledgable answers.
When I get home I will check my paperwork and see if I can answer but do not take anything apart before that unless Davinci chimes in.
Everything I know of this is due to his expertise.

[mikubuilder]

so is it just the spades, or the transistors, too? my solders look perfectly fine, but I guess I can reheat them .... Still waiting on Randy to chime in on possible test for TCI, and I hope Lee will come through for me with a working TCI...

[ViperRon]

De-soldering all the spades is not an easy task unless you have the right equipment. Originally when the board was made there were copper runs and little eyelets for the spades glued to the board this is the artwork connecting the components together. There are runs on the front and the back of the board. You may find unless you get the solder just the right temp it will not release the pin. You may also find that what happens is the copper eyelet releases from the board on the back side but is still soldered to the pin and when you pull the board you rip the eyelet and the run. You really need a solder station with built in vacuum to do this.

It is near impossible to get some of the components on the other side of the board so if it’s not a bad connection at those spades your chances of repair are slim. I have as of yet myself to find a complete schematic of the board and a component list.

If you are an old school electronics technician like me you may have an oscilloscope, octopus, good iron, solder sucker and cook books on components so you can check them in circuit and identify the fault but as I said getting the parts when the labeling has faded away is a challenge.

If you are sure TCI is bad get a working one tearing it apart may not be as easy as you hope because luck has nothing to do with it.

[mikubuilder]

thanks Ron, that's just the info that I wanted...I got all those gizmos here at work, so I can tinker with that all I want....I just want a general direction you guys would go, and maybe to avoid some pitfalls that you have already fell into
at this point I'm stuck until I get another TCI to try, I won't mess with the one I got until I'm certain it's bad...

[ViperRon]

If you have an O scope you should be able to look at the inputs and outputs cranking the bike by starter. The two circuits are identical so you compare one to the other.

If you have the octopus it generates its own output from the X Y and you should be able to bench compare the output of TCI with the same input from Octopus to verify if the TCI is bad.

[mikubuilder]

alright, so by outputs you mean orange and gray...right? which ones are X and Y?
today a TCI arrived from Lee, and looks like it was a repaired unit, but I'm getting spark on all four, so that's a good news

[TopCatGr58]

Hey there Ron and Nick,

Davinci is an electronics guy, and HAS the components info of the TCI, he repairs them for members, or used to? IF he's still doing this...at modest prices/costs then he may not want to share the component info...I don't know? But I would hope that he wouldn't think that either one of you would run with the info and take over his repair business, that you would only use it for your own individual purposes since you are much more experienced and knowlegdable than the average Xsive. The average Xsive would still need to send their TCI to Davinci for diagnostic/repair.

Nick, glad you had a loaner unit to verify that your other components are working otherwise, but have you seen the tech tip where you can make your own TCI for the 78-80 series 2H7 style TCI's by using GM ignition components?

Good luck with your diagnostics and hopefully Davinci will chime in and offer to at least send to you in PM the components info you may need!

T.C.