dropped cylinders 2 & 3...????

[MadHatter4119]

In other words...just as long as I agree with what you tell me...but if I have a different opinion...its worthless...its your way or no way...Right...

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Harry,

IIRC, on the XS11 coils, I think they are marked + and -? But on my new Dyna Tek coils, they said that they were NOT polarity sensitive, so it didn't matter which connector went to which spade. So...if the Vulcan coils are not labelled/marked with +/-, then they also may be non-polarity sensitive.

It's just an electro magnet, creates a field when energized, and then when de-energized/collapes, it releases the secondary coil to generate the Kvolts for the spark. With a dual plug dual discharge coil....I know that there is a direction that the Kvolts travel when leaving the coil...goes out 1 wire, thru plug, then thru engine, then back up thru other plug and back up the wire to the coil to complete the circuit. I don't know how to determine which plug wire is the 1st/outgoing wire and which is the returning wire? And so I also don't know IF reversing the Primary polarity would cause the secondary polarity to reverse, but I don't think so...think it's dependent on how it's wound and wired.

Greg is just concerned that if you don't figure out why the coil isn't firing first, you could be causing yourself more difficulty in troubleshooting it later IF the new coils also don't work on the same cylinders?? Good luck with the troubleshooting. PS, I posted a reply that showed up after your earlier reply Greg/BA80, has some diagnostic steps to try.

T.C.

[BA80]

Damn! You ARE touchy..........

[DiverRay]

Hey Greg, he may be used to some of the other boards out there!
MadHatter4119, Greg is just trying to make sure you don't cause more problems. These coils are old, but they usually don't work at one time, turn off the ignition and then NOT work again. The connections BEHIND the mount for the fuse block is the location of the connector for the pickup coil wires. The 36 year old connection or crimp may have failed when you slightly pulled another wire to crimp the connector for the fuse block. I've had one do that to me, and it was a b1tch to find.....
I would use a VOM, and check the connection at the TCI box for the pickup coils. They should BOTH be about the same reading.

[MadHatter4119]

I'm not touchy...it makes no sense to put those stock 36 yr old coils back in to test...when I have a good/better 3 ohm set to put in...you might be right and its not the stock coil...but you can be wrong and the coil gave up...At best
its 50 / 50 shot...Its possible the TCI is the cause...Regardless what coils are in the bike...My original post I asked for advise/assistance in wiring the new coils in as well...but TC confirmed what I thought...it doesn't matter...whatever way I hook the first one up...I'll wire the second coil the same...plus put a jumper on that other piece/thingy...just had the name of that piece...now for the life of me i can not think of its name...I hate this getting old ****...things I knew I don't know any more...that sucks...and it will only get worse...Greg, I'm cool
if you want to help...fine...if nothing more...I'll learn from my mistake...In this case...I don't see how it matters what coils are feeding the TCI info...3 ohms is 3 ohms...Putting that tank back on to check it is a pain where a pill can't reach so having the new coils in will save a lot of repeat work...I hope the way I see this matter doesn't put me in bad terms with you...I'm trying
to save some work...I'm old damn it...lol

[BA80]

I'm not upset, just don't want to upset you either.

I still stick with what I said.........it worked until.........

Something got disturbed. Coils and TCI's don't just quit because you changed the fuse panel.

That's all any of us are trying to say. No one is trying to say you're wrong, just that what you are thinking is highly unlikely.

[Bonz]

I see 25,700+ posts worth of experience between TopCat, DiverRay and Ba80... Swap the coils, see if 1 and 4 fail to fire... And you have plenty of fuel in the bowls to see if the bike starts w/o putting the tank on, just some thoughts.

[MadHatter4119]

Thanks Ray for your kind words...I totally understand Greg's position...but I have one stock coils out and the left one is just laying in there...putting them back in don't make sense...regardless the newer coils are going in...Greg , you might be 100% right...it might be something I moved when I installed the new
fuse panel...that issue will still be present...my point is...regardless what coils are in there...at this point...going through all the work putting those stock coils in...is for what...it's only possible the coil crapped out...if it did...the new coils fixes that problem...if it doesn't fix it...I back track and see what happened when I put the new fuse panel in...Hopefully its a easy fix...than I got to take it
all apart again to put the new/better coils in...How does that make sense to do it than and not now...this is my thinking...not that the new/better coils are a
100% fix or cure all...

[MadHatter4119]

Bonz...Trust me...I have read many many post/threads of those gentlemen
...their ability is beyond question...They know what they are doing when it comes to helping others...

[motoman]

Thanks Ray for your kind words...I totally understand Greg's position...but I have one stock coils out and the left one is just laying in there...putting them back in don't make sense...regardless the newer coils are going in...Greg , you might be 100% right...it might be something I moved when I installed the new
fuse panel...that issue will still be present...my point is...regardless what coils are in there...at this point...going through all the work putting those stock coils in...is for what...it's only possible the coil crapped out...if it did...the new coils fixes that problem...if it doesn't fix it...I back track and see what happened when I put the new fuse panel in...Hopefully its a easy fix...than I got to take it
all apart again to put the new/better coils in...How does that make sense to do it than and not now...this is my thinking...not that the new/better coils are a
100% fix or cure all...

An easy check minus the attitude.......an OHM meter across coil feed posts. If 1.5ohm, good. If any less than that, bad. Same process for 3ohm coils.

[BA80]

Or just swap the coil wires and see if the problem moves........but WTF

[MadHatter4119]

Can't...the right coil for 2&3 cylinder is out...the other is just hanging there...I doubt its the coil...than again it might be...tomorrow is another day...providing it don't rain...I'll read up on doing some test on both sets
of coils...its been a long time since I used my volt meter...if I can find it
...I put it up so it wouldn't get broken...now if I could only remember where
I put it...lol

[DiverRay]

an OHM meter across coil feed posts. If 1.5ohm, good. If any less than that, bad

Yeah, but make sure the battery in the VOM is good BEFORE you do! I "failed" a coil that was good because the 9V battery in the VOM was going south, and I didn't think about it.. Well, I know about getting older, motoman has a couple of years on me, but BA80 is still young.
As you have the coils out, DO change them! The ballast resistor is easy, but TAPE UP THE CONNECTOR! I had one bike die on me, 20 miles WAY up the mountain because I didn't put tape on the connector. It touched the tank on the bumpy road, and took out the fuse for the ignition. End of ride....

[MadHatter4119]

OK...Clean all connections behind fuse panel...tight and bright...Put stock
(BA80) coils back in after checking primary readings...good...check the orange/gray wires at the TCI...with the key on...12.25volts on the orange
wire...zeros across the board on the gray wire...0.00...dead and stinking...
the gray wire feeds the coil to cylinders 2&3...which aren't firing...yet when
I put a test light on the gray wire yesterday at the coil area...it showed 12v
...I assume that was from the ignition fuse panel with the key on...Bad TCI?
Can it be repaired or am I up -- creek without a paddle ??? I guess I'll get a
PM saying they have one for sale for some absurd ebay prices...I'm assuming
it a TCI issue...Why would the orange wire show voltage and the gray 0.00...
they both are coil wires...this $300.00 bike is turning into a money pit from
crapville...

[BA80]

No, the red/white stripe wire is + for both coils. There should be about 10.5 volts at each the orange and the gray at the TCI.

What are the orange and grey voltages at the coils? If you're losing voltage on the grey wire between the coil and the TCI it'll be in that wire or you're not connected to the positive (red/white stripe) at the coil. Check the connection on both wires at the coil. Either that or the coil is bad.