Hello! And sudden loss of sparks

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Hampo
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Joined: Thu May 26, 2011 3:36 pm
Location: Newcastle upon tyne UK

Hello! And sudden loss of sparks

#1 Post by Hampo » Sat Aug 04, 2012 9:28 am

Hi to all, This is my first post on here, I’ve been a follower of this site since I first came across the 500 and the depth of knowledge available for these bikes never fails to make entertaining browsing. I’ve had my RZV for just over a year,

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The previous owner did the T’cat wheel/brake/forks upgrades all of which are great except for that beak of a front mudguard. Luckily I can’t see it from the driver’s seat. It’s a low miles bike and in superb nick, too good actually, I was looking for ages before I found this one and (once again) I’ve ended up with a bike so nice I’ve been scared to use in anything but bike-favourable weather = not much riding in the early part of our drenched British summer. Someone else obviously liked it as it was stolen from my garden at the beginning of July. It was recovered the following day – there was only enough petrol to ride it 5 miles before it ran dry HA! I feared the worst when the police told me it had been found in a field [ :sad: ] if the panels were wrecked by the ‘joy’ riding slime having their fun I’d have been looking at £++ but the only visible damage was a broken rear LH indicator which I was able to glue back together, and the wires ripped/cut from the ignition switch. The bike is a ‘1 key fits all’ so after buying the right gear from vehicle wiring products I soldered in new wires and all was good. I rode it to the MoT garage last Saturday (7 miles return journey) with no probs and left it in my mate’s garage. When I fired it up this Thursday within a minute into the warm-up it suddenly died. There was no stuttering or any clues of any kind, it was just as though the kill switch had been thrown.
I’ve been through all the tests in the manual – source and pickup coils, ignition coils (although unlikely both would go simultaneously) and all checks out fine. There is continuity in the wires leading from the CDI unit to the above. Isolated the kill switch, removed and examined the ignition switch in case I’d caused a short through clumsy soldering, and put a jump lead between the red & brown wires in the block terminal that plugs into the ignition switch – still no sparks. Tested the black & white wire from ignition switch and no unwanted earth there. Everything else works – PV cycles, lights horn indicators neutral and oil lights. Battery fully charged.
Suspicion falls on the CDI. Before I start throwing money at it, can anyone tell me if theres a way of testing the CDI? Can the CDI just give up abruptly like that? Or, are there any further checks I can make? I’ve been through the old posts but this time nobody seems to have suffered this Sudden Death. Thieves are not known for their sensitive handling of machinery and I don’t know what sort of high revving treatment its had at the hands of the hooligan, could brutish treatment have weakened something to cause this?
At least the bike was kind enough to give up in a nice garage and not on the Yorkshire moors at midnight.
Any suggestions most gratefully received. Cheers all.
Chris

Hampo
Posts: 20
Joined: Thu May 26, 2011 3:36 pm
Location: Newcastle upon tyne UK

#2 Post by Hampo » Sat Aug 04, 2012 3:41 pm

Battery was flat when I got it back which suggests to me that the wires had been left twisted together when it was dumped, in other words ignition was left on. Could that damage the CDI or pickup coil so that it would work ok for a short time before collapsing :-?
This is like wooing a reluctant lady.

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bolly
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#3 Post by bolly » Sat Aug 04, 2012 4:13 pm

I dunno but I suspect the B/W wire off the YPVS unit to the CDI box should have battery voltage on it with the key on?

Hampo
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Joined: Thu May 26, 2011 3:36 pm
Location: Newcastle upon tyne UK

#4 Post by Hampo » Sat Aug 04, 2012 5:58 pm

Thanks for the reply Bolly! I think the black/white wire is an earth that isolates the ignition, the diagram suggests it comes into play only when the key is in the Off, Lock or Park positions, the only other isolator being the kill switch so if both switches are bypassed/ disconnected it should eliminate a fault with either? It has to be said though I'm no great shakes at electrics... :cry:

Hampo
Posts: 20
Joined: Thu May 26, 2011 3:36 pm
Location: Newcastle upon tyne UK

#5 Post by Hampo » Sat Aug 04, 2012 6:01 pm

My apologies. Just looked again at the diagram and you were referring to another wire. I'll test that. Thanks again!

ALAN
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#6 Post by ALAN » Thu Aug 16, 2012 8:51 pm

mine was stolen recovered 8yrs ago no sign they had started it but I couldnt get it going when I got it back 2days later like you ign wires ripped out to obviously try & hot wire it did all the checks but unfortunatley needed new CDIunit when they mess with the wiring something must cause the unit too blow I hope you have more luck

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Andrew
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#7 Post by Andrew » Fri Aug 17, 2012 7:48 am

Just glad to hear you got it back with minimum damage. it's not normally the case.

I'd also suspect the CDI first.
It sounds like your warm up minute was the minute when something was failing.
Good luck!
Andy (UK)
RZV500R
FRC
Faster Faster !!!

Hampo
Posts: 20
Joined: Thu May 26, 2011 3:36 pm
Location: Newcastle upon tyne UK

#8 Post by Hampo » Mon Aug 20, 2012 6:25 am

Thanks guys, I've ordered a new CDI as thats all I can think it can be, I was talking to some stroker owners over the weekend and it seems the CDI can suddenly fail which has answered one of my q's.
I'm not familiar with the detailed workings of the ignition system and thought perhaps the wires being twisted together thus effectively leaving the ignition switched on & engine not running until the battery was drained may have overloaded something inside the box but thats unlikely unless maybe the crank had stopped at the exact point where the trigger coil is sending a continuous signal to the CDI? I dunno, but hope the new CDI sorts it. Result will be posted.

Hampo
Posts: 20
Joined: Thu May 26, 2011 3:36 pm
Location: Newcastle upon tyne UK

#9 Post by Hampo » Mon Nov 05, 2012 8:23 am

Update: the new CDI finallly arrived, so much for the 7-14 days waiting time i was quoted back in August.
Well it looks like the CDI can suddenly fail without warning as the bike started easily with the new one on, now running really well. :grin: However my troubles are not yet over - see new thread 'Won't turn off'!!

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