Brett
XS650 Enthusiast
Ok. I've spent a few more hours trying to understand what the problem is. I've checked everything I can think of. I've checked the old loom and all the common connections/colours are the same. I keep going through it, expecting to find some stupid mistake, but can't find anything.
I had made a mistake in my explantion above (which I've corrected - it was late and I was getting more and more confused!). With either of the wires (red or orange) to the coil unclipped, I get at least 12volts at the red wire to the coil (good - almost the same as the battery), but if both wires are attached to the coil, I get a one volt drop at the coil between the red and ground. Should that be happening??
Because of the readings I was getting from the transistor in the TCI box, I removed it to test it off the pcb. I got the same results with it off the pcb, with current flowing from E to C and B (supposedly meaning it was broken according to the transistor test on xs650rider). So I bought some new transistors (a couple of MJE5742 just to make sure). Even the new ones conduct both ways between B and E, so I don't think it's possible to rely on that test. (I did all this with a friend who is an electronics engineer.) Anyway, we fitted the new MJE5742 transistor and it makes no difference. So unless something else is wrong with the Ignitor, I admit that's probably ok.
There is still no spark when I kick it over, and as I said above, when I switch it off at the key or kill switch there is a single spark at both plugs. The standard tests (checking the resistance at each end) seem to show the coil is ok.
I'm now totally lost and have no idea what's wrong. Any more ideas?
I had made a mistake in my explantion above (which I've corrected - it was late and I was getting more and more confused!). With either of the wires (red or orange) to the coil unclipped, I get at least 12volts at the red wire to the coil (good - almost the same as the battery), but if both wires are attached to the coil, I get a one volt drop at the coil between the red and ground. Should that be happening??
Because of the readings I was getting from the transistor in the TCI box, I removed it to test it off the pcb. I got the same results with it off the pcb, with current flowing from E to C and B (supposedly meaning it was broken according to the transistor test on xs650rider). So I bought some new transistors (a couple of MJE5742 just to make sure). Even the new ones conduct both ways between B and E, so I don't think it's possible to rely on that test. (I did all this with a friend who is an electronics engineer.) Anyway, we fitted the new MJE5742 transistor and it makes no difference. So unless something else is wrong with the Ignitor, I admit that's probably ok.
There is still no spark when I kick it over, and as I said above, when I switch it off at the key or kill switch there is a single spark at both plugs. The standard tests (checking the resistance at each end) seem to show the coil is ok.
I'm now totally lost and have no idea what's wrong. Any more ideas?