"Instructions are just the manufacturers opinion on how to install it" Tim Taylor of "Tool Time"
“Saying what we think gives us a wider conversational range than saying what we know.” - Cullen Hightower
Yes we have, and our rejoinders are clever too.........![]()
If you find yourself trying to figure out why your CDI is not sparking, you need to check for a pulsed output from the trigger and CDI generator coils.
To do this, you can use one of those old style analog meters with a moving needle, for a pulsed output, a digital is to slow to register anything.
Kicking the motor over, you won't get to measure the real voltage output, but an analog's needle will flick whenever there is a pulse, telling you the stator is still alive. You can use it to check the CDI is discharging to the coil too.
The CDI generator and discharge voltage is about 2-300V.
But don't try to test the Plug side of the coil as that's 15-20kV and will fry the meter.
Set the meter on the 200V AC range for the trigger coil, and 700V AC for the CDI generator coil and CDI discharge.
You can find really cheep analog meters at Dick Smiths or JayCar.
Analog Meter Pic-01
are you having trouble with the flash ignition?
I just did one worked 2nd pop, had to turn on the petrol !
My neighbours diary says I have boundary issues
That's a great bit of advice,
another little addon to that is checking the internal resistance of the coils (more so checking that there is resistance).
If there isn't, then you know you are going to have issues (something grounding in the coils)...
many CDIs also have published checks as well (but you would have to find a workshop manual)
Internal resistance of the coils will be seriously low I would have thought. Impedance may be another thing but since multimeters measure DC resistance would expect somewhere between 10 Ohms and so close to nothing you can't tell depending on how the coil is configured and which taps you are measuring.
Last edited by Henk; 14th May 2010 at 18:36. Reason: can't spill to save myself
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