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

[MadHatter4119]

OK...after I installed a TC fuse panel...The bike didn't sound the same when
I started it...After getting the air box in today...I decided to check spark at
the plugs...no spark on cylinders 2 & 3...I got 12V power going to both coils
...I checked the pickup coil wires...everything looked good...but I never had
XS11 bike before...this is my first for this kind of ignition system...Even the
spark on cylinders 1 & 4 look weak , yet its running on just these two plugs.
Bad coil or what..? I have a good set of coils from a 94 Vulcan VN1500(A6)
that are 3ohms...Not 100% sure how to hook the wires up yet...the stock
wire are...Right coil...Red/White and Gray wires...Left coil...Red/White and
Orange wire...The Vulcan coils have two flat spade connections...one on each
side of the mounting post...I believe The Vulcan coils will mount in the stock
coil location without any issue...Both sets of coils are the same length...The
stock coils...right coil cylinders 2&3...left coil cylinders1&4 on my bike...If
more info is needed...just ask...Thanks All

[BA80]

Check your wiring to that coil. You must have irritated something while you were doing the install. There is a plug for the pick ups behind the fuse panel mounting plate. That's where I would start.

A fuse won't affect ONE coil. Something got disturbed there.

[MadHatter4119]

I really didn't remove the mounting panel when I removed the stock glass
fuse panel or when I installed TC's spade fuse panel...I had 12volts going to
all 4 stock coil wires...with the key on...Do all 4 wire suppose to have 12volts
with the key on...? I'm thinking the coil went bad at the same time and really
isn't related to the install of the new fuse panel...??? just a thought...because
all lights , blinkers and crap are working good...

[BA80]

The pick ups send a signal to the TCI and the TCI grounds the coils to creat a spark. That's why there's power to the coils all the time when the ignition is on.

If the plug behind the panel is dirty, a wire got pulled loos or broken, or it's just corroded and disturbing the wires around it made it loose connection, the TCI isn't getting the signal (very weak signal to boot) the coil doesn't know to fire.

Clear as mud?

[MadHatter4119]

I pulled the right coil out...but it started to get cold and dark out...so I wrapped it up for today...but my thinking is...these stock coils have some
age on them...regardless, wouldn't I be better off with the 3 ohm coils in
the bike...??? If the new right coil is dead as well...than its another issue
that is effecting the firing...The first time I got it running...all four cylinders
was running...

[BA80]

The theory here is, it was working before you did what you did so the issue is most likely somehow caused by what you did.

If you go off in 10 other different directions you might end up with 10 other issues and never figure out the ORIGINAL problem.

Those are the bikes I buy on craigslist or ebay.


CHEAP!!!!

[skids]

If you go off in 10 other different directions you might end up with 10 other issues and never figure out the ORIGINAL problem.

very true!

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Harry,

Like has been said, most likely a connection has been disturbed during the install. Have you taken apart the connectors for the circuit, inspect and clean the plugs/contacts. That is like 90% of the electrical gremlins on these old bikes.

Now, yes, the OEM coils are old and also fairly weak at only around 15K volts. I don't know how strong the Vulcan coils are, but as long as they are dual output, 12V, and you're sure about the 3 ohms, then they should work just fine....PROVIDED you remove and bypass the ballast resistor by plugging the harness ends of the plug into each other at the B.R.. This will send the 12volts to the coils all the time, and will still show the TCI the 3 ohms it needs to see so that it doesn't get damaged. The TCI doesn't care whether it sees 1.5 ohms coils and 1.5ohms BR, or just 3 ohm coils and NO B.R..

There are some tests with a multimeter you can do to the OEM coils to determine if they are/got damaged. The Primary coil wires should show 1.5 ohms. The plug wires WITHOUT the plug caps should show ~15kohms +/-10%. Removing the plug caps also allows you to check for corrosion between the wires and the caps....if GREEN, trim back 1/4" at a time till you get to clean copper, as well as cleaning the screw of the cap. Also...Ohm the cap...should be ~5kohm....but if a lot more...can be corrosion in the cap with the internal resistor and contacts. Can be taken apart, cleaned, re-measure the resistor alone after cleaning...if still high....then can either replace whole cap, or get a heavy duty compression spring of same diameter and slightly longer to put in place of resistor. With these old coils....and with resistor plugs, you don't really need resistor caps as well...and will allow more Kvolts to get to the plugs!

IF you tested for voltage with the coils still plugged in, that's why you saw 12 volts on both primary connectors...12 volts on the red/white and should really see about 10 volts on the grey/orange terminal due to the 1.5 ohms resistance....but the voltage is going thru the coil to the TCI which is the switching device that makes the coil fire.

So.....as you stated, it ran on 4 cylinders before the fuseblock work, theoretically it should again....but a plug coil could have died? Check out the OEM ones first to see if you can find a reason why it could have lost fire before throwing the newer coils at it.

T.C.

[MadHatter4119]

I don't think I'm going off in 10 directions...I have a bike with 36 yr old coils in it...For some reason number 2&3 cylinders aren't firing...I got 12 volts going
to the coils...No broken wires in the pickup area...While I have the tank off...regardless of the lack of spark...wouldn't it be prudent while its apart to put in better 3 ohm coils that you change the wires on anytime you want...I will
look behind the new fuse panel for a bad wire or connections if the right coil
doesn't produce any spark to cylinder 2&3...the same issue will still be present regardless of the coils installed...once I figure out why it isn't getting spark to
cylinders 2&3 and the issue is fixed...I will have a far better coils already installed...I haven't rule out it being a bad stock coil issue...they do go bad...It could be a TCI problem...Right

[BA80]

[MadHatter4119]

Whats that mean ???????????

[BA80]

[MadHatter4119]

One last question for tonight...Am I correct that I can connect the red/white wire to either spade connection on the new coil...just as long as I do the other coil the same way...Let say the red/white wire on the left spade connector and the gray wire on the right spade connector...the other coil has the red/white wire on the left spade connector and the orange on the right one...Right ????

[MadHatter4119]

Fine......WTF Lol

[BA80]

Don't be so thin skinned......

If you don't want to listen to what we tell you, we'll STFU.....