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I have rewired the whole machine. It cranks both directions, and with a spark tester, there are one or two sparks when you press the pedal. Nothing after that. I have good readings coming from pulser coil to ignitor, but nothing coming out of the orange wire headed to the coil. Would a bad ground cause no power at orange wire, or is the ignitor pooched? Thanks
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Greetings, there are several potential issues that could be causing the lack of power to the coil. First and foremost, checking for a clean and tight ground connection to the frame is #1. I recommend removing the ground bolt and thoroughly cleaning the frame down to bare metal, as well as cleaning the cable lugs for optimal conductivity. Additionally, check for the presence of the ground strap from the common ground point to the engine, its absence can lead to the engine seeking alternative grounding paths potentially causing issues. Another common culprit is corrosion or breakage in the ignition wires, particularly where they are crimped. I suggest gently inspecting and pulling off each connector one at a time to check for rust and assess the integrity of the wires and connectors.
To further diagnose the issue with the pulsar coil, I recommend using a multimeter. Across the two wires of the pulsar coil, you should ideally measure between 75 and 150 ohms. Cranking the engine while the meter is set to the lowest AC range should yield a reading of approximately a half volt.
For a more comprehensive test, jack up the rear wheels, then connect the negative lead of your meter to the negative terminal of the battery and the positive lead to the 12 volt connector on the coil (the wire connected to the solenoid). With the key turned on and the accelerator depressed, the engine should crank, and you should observe a voltage reading between 11 and 12 volts.
Next, locate the pair of red and blue wires exiting the bottom front of the engine, which serve as trigger signals to the ignitor. Disconnect the connector and measure the resistance across these wires with the meter set to 200 ohms, ideally reading between 75 and 150 ohms. Make sure that neither wire is grounded to the engine by testing for infinite resistance between each wire and the engine body. Lastly, reconnect the meter across the pulsar coil and observe the voltage while cranking the engine, aiming for a reading of approximately half volt.
Just in case, here is an earlier post on how to set up a multimeter:
Setting a multimeter to measure resistance (ohms) and voltage is straightforward:- Setting to Ohms (Resistance):
- Turn the dial on your multimeter to the resistance (ohms) setting. This setting is usually marked by the omega symbol (Ω).
- Select the appropriate range based on the expected resistance you'll be measuring. Many multimeters have multiple ranges, such as 200 ohms, 2k ohms, 20k ohms, etc. Start with the range closest to your expected resistance value.
- Setting to Volts (Voltage):
- Turn the dial on your multimeter to the voltage setting. This setting is typically denoted by the letters "V" or "DCV" for direct current voltage.
- Again, select the appropriate range based on the voltage you expect to measure. Common voltage ranges include 200mV (millivolts), 2V, 20V, 200V, and sometimes higher ranges like 600V or 1000V.
- If you're measuring alternating current (AC) voltage, make sure to select the "ACV" setting instead of "DCV."
- Probes:
- Make sure the multimeter leads are connected correctly: the black lead (COM) to the common terminal and the red lead to the terminal marked for the specific measurement (Ω for resistance, V for voltage).
- Setting to Ohms (Resistance):
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Thanks for the info, leads from pulser coil are good, aren't grounding to the motor at all. Ohms between red and blue wire are 138.7. Have 11.72 volts on solenoid when the pedal is pressed and motor is cranking. I get .52 volts when it's cranking from the red and blue pulser wires. I tested the ignition coil and im only getting 3.3. Google says it should be between 3.5 and 7. I ordered a new coil and ignitor they should be in this week. Hopefully those are just bad.
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