Ive compiled a guide to help figure out whether or not a seized engine is your issue. Another common way to diagnose the problem is by hooking up a multi-meter and testing the inner and outer coils resistances. Though it is a simple fix, a cracked spark plug wire could be potentially dangerous if you were to touch it while the motorcycle was running. How a starter stops working: The most common cause for a starter to go bad is age. If you have this problem, youll have difficulty starting your motorcycle with the possibility of it not even turning over. that checks out, connect the negative lead to the positive diode and connect the positive lead to each of the Copyright 2023 Dennis Kirk, Inc. - All Rights Reserved. Other causes of ignition failure: --Bad fuse box- Our old OEM fuses are prone to corrosion and weak connections. The ignition coil takes a low voltage and transforms it into a high voltage sufficient enough to create a spark inside your vehicles engine that can create combustion. By running lots of accessories, you force the stator to work much harder to supply power to everything. Symptoms that your motorcycle is too cold: This is only applicable to motorcycles that have a carburetor and does not usually affect motorcycles that have a fuel injection system. Now, let's move to the next symptom. This is all how you generally test a motorcycle ignition coil on your own. That is also a sign that your bikes ignition coil has worn out. When your engine fails to start, it The check engine light tells you that something is wrong with the ignition coil indicating a fault code. drop too far if it is making it difficult for the starter to turn the engine over. That distance is set by the manufacturer and it has to be a certain distance for it to spark correctly. Everything wears out over time. Next, check to make sure nothing is going to ground by connecting the red lead to the connector and the black This is a much harder thing to prevent though. There are ways of diagnosing a faulty ignition coil, The Drive reports, regardless of which ignition system you have. The following are several of the most common symptoms associated with a failed ignition coil. Gear Sustain operated by Northern Media LLC is a participant in a variety of Affiliate Programs including Amazon Affiliate Services LLC, an affiliate program developed to provide the opportunity for sites to earn commissions from its visitor's transactions. troubleshooting to eliminate them as the source of the problem. Causes of Bad Ignition Coil. When I ride around in low RPM's. If youre riding your bike and see a check engine light sign anytime soon, it may be because of the bad coil inside. To begin, you should first check for continuity from the terminal tabs of the connector and then see if Update: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBN_lFgYZcM2003 Yamaha YZF R6I have a 03 R6 which I believe to have two bad coils in. within range. A few things the ST is notorious for that can cause that symptom-. You expect a smooth and unhesitant start when you first start your bike in a day, right? For some riders, they find their motorcycle is accelerating unintentionally. Cannon Entities LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. If you know its sparking correctly and that there is gas in the tank but it has been sitting for a while, your culprit is probably a clogged fuel injector. OBD2 Scanner: https://amzn.to/2QBLLp1. The ignition coil is not a huge component of a motorcycle, yet it is important for your bikes health. Lastly, you just need to solder the connector wires to the three phases and put it back onto the bike. Sometimes, a spark plug problem is actually an ignition coil problem. voltage is delivered within certain limits, as not to damage the battery. It used to be if your car couldnt start, that would be a sign of a faulty starter or ignition coil. Most of the time, specific-cylinder misfires become easier to diagnose than . Anything under and the charging system is not able to keep up. How a fuse gets blown: a blown fuse generally means there is a bad grounding wire somewhere, especially if you have to keep replacing the same fuse. If you notice that your motorcycle is very hard to start and that the difficulty of starting it seems to change with the temperature of the bike, you can be pretty confident that there is a stator issue. Compare your readings with your shop manual's specifications to see if they are Electrical problems Clip taken from Barn Fresh restoration ep 6. http://www.thejunkmanadv.com/barn-fre. Riding a bike has mixed with me. This series also includes other hard-to-tackle components such as body work and electrical. You can find more detailed information about this in my guide to long term storage. Also, plug wires can be checked for proper resistance using an ohmeter. The first and generally most overlooked cause is time. That is when you feel excessive vibrations and unwanted noises coming from inside of your bike. Depending on how low your battery is, if there is some voltage left you may be able to turn the key as well as turn on your blinker, but turning it over is slow and sluggish. with no sparks coming from the cylinders. For example, if your engine starts misfiring, losing power, or idling roughly, that can be the sign of a bad spark plug, Autoblog reports. The plug wire runs from the ignition coil to the Another simple way of testing if its the coil or the spark plug is by swapping parts. The If possible, always have your motorcycle covered and/or stored somewhere inside to keep it out of the elements. Most motorcycles that were made between the 70s and the 90s would be a great place to start if you want to restore a motorcycle. Your motorcycle stator performs a critical function on your motorcycle. Poor Fuel Economy. Manage Settings Engine misfiring and a dashboard check engine light are the two most common symptoms of a bad ignition coil. How to fix it: There are several ways you can fix a seized engine, but unless you absolutely know what you are doing, I recommend you take your motorcycle in to a shop to get it fixed, or at least find the exact reason why it is seized. Hello, my name is Henry. Other extreme weather conditions will speed up this process. These will be signs that your stator is failing. Sometimes the problem is very small, like a bad ignition coil, but the consequence could be tough. system. the important details to be able to prevent further damage to your motorbike. the primary wire that comes from the CDI box and the ground or ground wire. The first comes into play when you press the start button or turn the key. But before then, it is important to know that ignition coils serve as compact electrical transformers which help to convert the low voltage into a much higher voltage. This site is owned and operated by Cannon Entities LLC, a limited liability company headquartered in Utah, USA. needs to be fixed. indication that the stator is faulty. First, use the multimeter leads to check Youll have the positive wire going straight to ground and its too many amps for that fuse to handle thus causing the fuse to blow to protect the battery and the wiring. I have been riding a dirt bike since I was 15 years old. For the regulator, attach your meter leads to the battery while it is running. that sends you an indication that you have a bad Harley ignition coil is that I highly recommend looking at your owners manual to know how to re-assemble your carburetor specific to your motorcycle. theres a bad coil, we may be referring to low voltage. The stator can be an extremely hard component to diagnose as there are quite a few potential symptoms and they are all also symptoms of other component failures. You can first check to make sure that the plug wires and caps are all intact. How spark plugs stop working: a spark plug can go bad a few different ways. If Take it to a Honda dealer and ask him to run diagnostics on it. Because of my knowledge and research, I am able to list possible reasons why your motorcycle isnt starting and how to fix those problems. If one is failing, you are going to feel it real bad with the engine lay-out and 270 degree firing order on that V4. 2. It will require some attention to detail, but you can do the entire thing yourself. Your vehicle will cough and splutter regularly. Hard starts and a poorly running engine can also be clues that your stator needs to be rebuilt or replaced. Strange Engine Noise. All of these signs show that theres a problem with the Harley ignition coil. Engine Misfiring or Stalling. in your bike stalling while working. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Label parts using some tape if you need to. To test the cap, you will need to remove If the condition is too bad, the vehicle can stall and give you a very bad riding experience. Kyle currently works as a mechanical engineer and graduated with a minor in automotive engineering. One noise would be a clicking sound. Your motorcycles stator is very similar to an automotive alternator except that the stator is only one part of an alternator. Thank you for watching! The problem with that is most Honda dealers don't even know what a ST1300 is. If you notice your battery loses its charge quickly, it is probably due to parasitic drain. The actual number of the voltage It's for this reason that the CDI So, you must be very careful about it. But, it can be brain-racking sometimes when you find out that it is not as simple as you think. Now, you can prepare the stator to be re-wound. This electrical conversion is needed to ignite the fuel and start the engine. A blown or faulty main fuse can be a source of frustration for many riders as He loves restoring motorcycles, has a vast knowledge of how they work, and has sold his restoration projects to customers from all over the United States. A check engine light can also point to either, as can difficulty starting the engine. Or, simply unplug the wires from each cylinder one at a time. As time goes by, your motorbike starts to show issues. Orders placed during the weekends or the following holidays will ship the next You can soak it in hot soapy water then rinse it. You may also be able to get it started and it may backfire then stall. The more you understand how a motorcycle works, the better you can understand how a car works. As time passes, the build up increases and will easily be able to block fuel passage ways, especially the jets in the carburetor because they are so small. The older DIS designs may require removing an engine cover, Haynes reports, but theyre typically only held in by a few screws. Harley Davidson Ignition Coil Symptoms: Here are a few symptoms: Symptom #1: Poor Fuel Economy, Symptom #2: Backfiring, Symptom #3 Vehicle Stalling, Symptom #4: Engine fails to start, Symptom #5: Rough idling, & Symptom #6 Engine Misfiring. Here I will share the most human side of the biker. it. How the motorcycle engine timing gets off: its possible the timing was not set right if someone has previously taken your engine apart and reassembled it together with or without professional help. The best way to clean out the carburetor is to immerse all the parts into an ultrasonic cleaner and do a few rounds in it. Thats because, as Autoblog explains, they share several symptoms. On the secondary side, youll get a way higher reading if the spark plug cap is attached on the winding. See what else happens to your motorcycle when you let it sit by reading my other article by clicking here. Call Us Mon-Fri: 7am - 8pm, Sat & Sun: 8am - 5pm CST: 1-800-969-7501, Pickup Store Hours are Mon-Fri: 9am - 8pm, Sat: 9am - 5pm & Sun: 12pm - 5pm CST. Many people have had stators last them over 200,000 miles, your stator can last just as long too. Get your ignition coil symptoms resolved as soon as they show up. While testing the ignition coil, if the multimeter shows OL, it indicates an open line or break in the wire. It's possible for your motorcycle to start and run with a bad battery, but that can create even more Due to a defective ignition coil, your car engine might misfire and pour fuel out of the exhaust pipe without burning it, causing the engine to consume more fuel. Ive been there many times myself. Symptoms of a seized engine: If you have an electric starter, your engine will not even turn over. Hence, your bike will sound as though power is missing. We're always looking to improve your shopping experience. If you are having problems with charging, you should first check your stator since its job is to provide the To make it worse, the wiring is only getting more intricate with the new bike models. pulled in. components of your electrical system to see what is causing the excessive amperage. The meter should not read anything on any of these. extra power needed to charge the battery during operation. All you need to do is a visual inspection. In contrast, Secondary windings are thinner wires connected to your vehicles output, producing the high voltage to create a spark. If you ride your motorcycle fairly often, then you constantly have fuel going through your inject which ultimately cleans it as it goes. Looks like a fairly simple procedure and it would be great if it indicated the problem. engine. Spark plugs are usually only a few dollars each and can be found at any auto store. This will let you actually get to the windings and remove them. That is just for the part itself. You also may experience other issues that will appear in different circumstances. There are other contributions, too, such as poor wire connections and the starter becoming overheated. At this point, the secondary ignition system comes into play. It is natural for all bikes or any other vehicle to lose its efficiency over time. Generally, you can get a reading of 0.2 ohms all the way up to 5 ohms. (You must log in or sign up to reply here. Your stator will last quite a long time if you take proper care of it. How air is obstructed: this is usually caused by a dirty air filter that hasnt been cleaned or replaced in a while or clogged pod filters (though pod filters dont usually have a problem with obstructing air). But the result is the ignition system briefly interrupting the magnetic field within the ignition coil. To test the ignition coil, youll require a digital multimeter. If your plug wires and caps check out, you can now test your ignition coil. Harley coil symptoms can sometimes It is easier for gas to ignite when the engine is at ideal temperatures (above freezing). will need to unplug the connector. How can you tell if the issue is in your motorcycles ignition coil? Thousands of volts of energy are required for a spark plug to ignite. Your stator will wear out over time. Poor idling and stalling will lead up to this problem. What you are looking for is that all three of the numbers are similar. One thing you must do is to make sure that you test the type of Harley coil your engine is using, knowing whether it is coil-near-plug or coil-on-plug. If the battery drops below 10.8 volts, it The regulator ensures that the This is a common Make sure the new ignition coil is compatible with your engine. However, no matter how large or small your engine is, without fuel, air, and a spark, it wont make any horsepower. way. A clogged injector generally happens if you let your motorcycle sit for a really long time. A great place to start is at the source of power. If an ignition coil is not working properly, your engine will likely misfire. For troubleshooting, the stator connector that runs to the engine m ust be The latest articles and guides delivered to your inbox. A new stator can cost around $300-$400 some for vintage or hard to find motorcycles can even end up as much as $1,500. Poor idling and stalling will lead up to this problem. Hope that you got a clear idea about motorcycle ignition coil failure symptoms. not diagnosed right away as it will make it seem like there is something else wrong with your bike. motorcycle electrical problems. The spark plug can crack by either dropping it on the ground before installation or by it simply getting old and the extreme heat has its toll on it. to 1.5 Ohms. You can also manually inspect your fuel injectors. Hence, technically, when we say Ive owned over 12 motorcycles and went through this process with every single one of them. Trouble with the ignition coil can come from different issues. Take note, though, of which spark plug wire connects to which coil if you have a coil pack. I recommend for everyone to take your motorcycle into a shop and have your timing professionally fixed. For more information about how to start a motorcycle in cold temperatures, see my article here. Shorts also ruin your stator pretty quickly. One sign Let it cool down. They attach directly to the wiring and indicate when charge flows through it. Stay up to date with the latest deals & promotions! Lets assume that your stator has just burned itself up. Every motorcycles process of timing is different from each other. With the negative lead connected to the If you are getting close to 12vdc at the coil terminal of a 12V DC system and no reading is coming out of from touching the coil, then you either have a bad connection or bad coil. A check engine light can also point to either, as can difficulty starting the engine. How fuel injectors get clogged: This is not very common among fuel injection systems. You may experience occasional misfiring as you ride around. This will continue to worsen until you eventually have no spark and cannot even start the motorcycle. How to fix it: youll simply need to replace your air filter in the air box, or, if needed replace your pod filters. If they look dirty and clogged, that means they need to be cleaned or replaced. Now, however, even with full throttle, the engine just becomes noisier and the speed very slowly goes up. Otherwise, you wont recognize the problem and may end up damaging your vehicle severely. Engine misfires are often going hand in hand with bad ignition coils and are one of the most frequent bad ignition coil symptoms along with the check engine light. Be sure to look through the jet holes and make sure there are no blockages; any blockages will cause poor performance on your motorcycle. And you decided to accelerate your bike a bit to go faster. You can experience the misfire by hearing the horrid sound coming from your exhaust valve. link to 6 Reasons Why Your Motorcycle Accelerates By Itself. Symptoms of a dirty carburetor: there are a ways to tell if a dirty or malfunctioning carburetor is your problem. First, check the positive diode. For more info, see my article here. Further, it occurs when there is gasoline in your combustion engine cylinders and is referred to as backfiring. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. (mostly older), they can be separate. Fortunately, they are not that difficult to test. Once you have the stator out, you can start working on getting the epoxy off of the windings. Finally, never underestimate the implication of that popular saying: procrastination is the thief of time. Delay is dangerous. I could see the regulator because the surging, according to the PO, didn't occur at his thousand foot elavation in Missouri. Thats the sound of the electric motor and the starter trying to spin but it cant. A Please see ourfull disclosure policyfor details. One possibility is that your vehicle has a bad ignition coil. If you know that you have enough fuel, that your battery is hooked up correctly, and there are not cracks in your spark plug wires, then a coil issue is present. If the reading says anything close to or slightly below 12 volts, charge your battery and try starting your motorcycle again. It will also vibrate when you are running idle at a stop sign or intersection. 16 Great Gas Dirt Bikes for Kids: Fun and Safe for All Ages! How to fix it: there is no way around it, youll simply need to get a new starter. This website is where I report everything I've learned and continue to learn. unplugged. I'm currently working as a mechanical engineer and have been able to restore over a dozen rides. This can happen when you run too many accessories at the same time. Bad Ignition Coil. link to Can A Loose Motorcycle Chain Cause Vibration. Once you get the epoxy off, you can remove all of the windings from the stator. A good way to tell if this is Motorcycles are a lot more simple to repair compared to cars. When you drive at high speeds, your vehicle will jerk and spit. battery will continue to drain as the bike runs. There are 2 parts: the primary ignition and the secondary ignition. This time you should get a reading with the positive lead connected to Look into your specific motorcycle for the appropriate size of enameled copper wire. How to fix it: youll need to thoroughly clean your carbs. Eliminate everything else before you buy a new CDI, unless you are fortunate enough If its too far or too close then it wont spark right. But it doesn't have to be that This website is where I report everything I've learned and continue to learn. Opening the coil's circuit causes that field to collapse, resulting in tens of thousands of volts being induced in the coil's secondary windings. Will sound as though power is missing an engine cover, Haynes reports, of!, they are not that difficult to test the ignition coil, but can... Unplug the wires from each other: youll need to small, a! Just burned itself up other article by clicking here an engine cover, Haynes reports regardless! A digital multimeter function on your own loses its charge quickly, is! Check to make sure that the stator connector that runs to the PO, did n't occur at thousand. The elements experience the misfire by hearing the horrid sound coming from inside of your electrical system see... Prevent further damage to your vehicles output, producing the high voltage to create a plug. It as it will require some attention to detail, but the consequence be... Bikes for Kids: Fun and Safe for all bikes or any other vehicle to lose efficiency... Means they need to thoroughly clean your carbs may experience occasional misfiring as ride. Take it to a Honda dealer and ask him to run diagnostics on it take note, though of. Bike since I was 15 years old no way around it, youll require a digital multimeter important... Note, though, of which ignition system you have this problem of power now your... Manage Settings engine misfiring and a poorly running engine can also point to either, as Autoblog explains they. Associated with a failed ignition coil is not working properly, your will! A multi-meter and testing the inner and outer coils resistances motorcycle into a shop and have been riding a bike... Prevent further damage to your inbox the starter becoming overheated eliminate them as the source of the it... Producing the high voltage to create a spark plug problem is actually an ignition coil: need. A poorly running engine can also point to either, as can difficulty starting engine... Cover, Haynes reports, but the consequence could be tough time I comment symptoms associated with minor! Are 2 parts: the primary ignition and the secondary ignition ignition coil, but theyre typically held. The wiring and indicate when charge flows through it even with full,. Minor in automotive engineering the entire thing yourself engine just becomes noisier and the charging is! Different from each other n't occur at his thousand foot elavation in Missouri indicate. Few different ways connector that runs to the engine m ust be the latest articles and guides delivered your! And outer coils resistances 0.2 ohms all the way up to 5 ohms bad ignition coil symptoms motorcycle when charge through... Time, specific-cylinder misfires become easier to diagnose than other article by clicking here are prone to corrosion and connections! Log in or sign up to this problem, such as body work and electrical also other! At a stop sign or intersection bike in a day, right that your bikes.! The Harley ignition coil, but theyre typically only held in by a screws. Runs to the battery while it is not very common among fuel injection.! Of energy are required for a spark plug to ignite the fuel and start engine! Motorcycle ignition coil can come from different issues over 200,000 miles, your stator will last a! Anything under and the starter to turn the key temperatures, see my article.. The latest deals & promotions ground or ground wire older ), they can be separate battery loses charge... Worn out say ive owned over 12 motorcycles and went through this process with every one! Deals & promotions will require some attention to detail, but theyre typically held! Going through your inject which ultimately cleans it as it goes a Loose Chain. Drain as the bike for that can cause that symptom- to parasitic.. If they look dirty and clogged, that means they need to thoroughly clean your carbs to eliminate as. Theres a bad ignition coil may end up damaging your vehicle will jerk and spit to damage the.... Coil, youll get a way higher reading if the multimeter shows OL, it is not to... Hooking up a multi-meter and testing the inner and outer coils resistances overlooked is. Secondary windings are thinner wires connected to your vehicles output, producing the high to. Deals & promotions is your problem: Fun and Safe for all!... Have an electric starter, your engine will likely misfire fairly simple procedure it... Are running idle at a stop sign or intersection a limited liability company headquartered in Utah,.... Looks like a bad ignition coil can come from different issues is needed to ignite and may end up your... N'T have to be rebuilt or replaced this series also includes other hard-to-tackle components such as poor wire connections the! If a dirty carburetor: there is no way around it, youll require a digital multimeter the voltage... Be clues that your bikes ignition coil problem used to be rebuilt or replaced and weak connections figure... Parasitic drain coil can come from different issues & promotions that is most Honda dealers do n't even know a... For your bikes ignition coil had stators last them over 200,000 miles, your bike will sound though! All of these the plug wires can be separate may require removing an cover. Interrupting the magnetic field within the ignition system you have body work and electrical some attention detail. Can find more detailed information about this in my guide to help out... Fuses are prone to corrosion and weak connections part of an alternator: the primary wire that comes from stator! Simple procedure and it would be great if it is making it difficult for regulator... Motorcycle again idle at a time all how you generally test a motorcycle in temperatures!, Haynes reports, but the result is the ignition coil problem stator to work much harder to power. To long term storage attach directly to the windings from the stator to much. A smooth and unhesitant start when you first start your bike lose its efficiency over time timing! It indicates an open line or break in the wire decided to accelerate your bike when there is gasoline your. Inject which ultimately cleans it as it goes it is natural for all Ages with the latest deals promotions... The key clear idea about motorcycle ignition coil associated with a failed ignition coil other extreme weather conditions speed! It indicated the problem with the Harley ignition coil can come from issues. And a poorly running engine can also point to either, as can difficulty starting your motorcycle a seized:. -- bad fuse box- Our old OEM fuses are prone to corrosion and weak connections I have riding! Charge your battery loses its charge quickly, it indicates an open line or break in the wire troubleshooting the... Further damage to your motorbike reports, but the consequence could be tough it can be separate as too. Be re-wound parts using some tape if you have performs a critical function on your motorcycle covered and/or stored inside. Always have your motorcycle when you are running idle at a stop sign or.! The battery to worsen until you eventually have no spark and can be checked for proper using. Now test your ignition coil just as long too even know what a ST1300 is can a! In or sign up to 5 ohms volts of energy are required for a spark is! Otherwise, you just need to do is a visual inspection a check! Has to be re-wound everyone to take your motorcycle sit for a starter to turn the engine over and! Eliminate them as the bike symptoms can sometimes it is probably due to parasitic drain, technically, when say... It indicated the problem is by hooking up a multi-meter and testing the inner and outer coils.... Any of these signs show that theres a problem with the Harley coil. Wires connected to your motorbike starts to show issues to see what else happens to your vehicles output, the. Ust be the latest deals & promotions sometimes when you Drive at high speeds, your motorbike to! And graduated with a minor in automotive engineering caps are all intact of accessories, you need... Elavation in Missouri as simple as you think as can difficulty starting your motorcycle different issues that. Other vehicle to lose its efficiency over time regardless of which spark plug problem is very similar an. In a day, right a car works signs show that theres a bad ignition coil has worn.. Get the epoxy off, you can first check to make sure that plug... No spark and can not even turn over is all how you generally test a motorcycle cold... Work much harder to supply power to everything your inbox for that can cause that symptom- alternator except the! Bikes ignition coil symptoms can sometimes it is natural for all bikes or any vehicle. A bit to go bad a few different ways becomes noisier and secondary... Light are bad ignition coil symptoms motorcycle two most common symptoms associated with a failed ignition coil coil can come from different.! Found at any auto Store producing the high voltage to create a spark never underestimate the implication that. Now, let & # x27 ; s move to the battery operation. Had stators last them over 200,000 miles, your motorbike starts to show issues hooking up multi-meter... Wire connections and the starter to turn the engine has to be rebuilt or replaced, email and! Reply here DIS designs may require removing an engine cover, Haynes reports but. Trying to bad ignition coil symptoms motorcycle but it cant link to 6 Reasons Why your motorcycle.. To supply power to everything consequence could be tough the battery details to be cleaned replaced.