No Spark

GoldenMotor.com

bajarocks

New Member
Aug 11, 2010
9
0
0
Oregon
So I've looked through all of the threads about people not getting a spark and I've tried everything I could come up with, but it still won't go. It died randomly after riding it every day for a year and it won't give me a spark. The magneto seems to be in good shape, I put a light bulb up to the black and white wires and it lights up. I bought a new CDI, hooked it all back up, and it still won't work. I tried testing the CDI with a multimeter but wasn't able to get any readings through any of the combinations of wires. Is it possible that this brand new CDI is the problem?
 

Al.Fisherman

New Member
Sep 9, 2009
1,966
5
0
Calera, Alabama
So I've looked through all of the threads about people not getting a spark and I've tried everything I could come up with, but it still won't go. It died randomly after riding it every day for a year and it won't give me a spark. The magneto seems to be in good shape, I put a light bulb up to the black and white wires and it lights up. I bought a new CDI, hooked it all back up, and it still won't work. I tried testing the CDI with a multimeter but wasn't able to get any readings through any of the combinations of wires. Is it possible that this brand new CDI is the problem?
Yes, there is always a possibility that the magneto/CDI could be bad when new. Could be your CDI/magneto/kill switch, or a bad connection with wires. Bad high voltage from CDI to the spark plug or plug boot.
 

Venice Motor Bikes

Custom Builder / Dealer/Los Angeles
Mar 20, 2008
7,266
1,797
113
Los Angeles, CA.
99% of the time it's the magneto that's bad. It has very thin copper windings that easily burn out. & as Fisherman said, it could just be a bad kill button?
 

bajarocks

New Member
Aug 11, 2010
9
0
0
Oregon
I did the light bulb thing and it seemed to work just fine. I was thinking about the kill switch but I'm not totally sure how to narrow down the problem. Should I disconnect the kill switch entirely including the ground wire and try to get a spark? For some reason I feel like it needs to be grounded to spark. Hope I don't need another new CDI...
 

bajarocks

New Member
Aug 11, 2010
9
0
0
Oregon
I have a correction to make for the light bulb test I did. I tried every combination of the blue, black and white wires to the light bulb, but the only one that lit the bulb was between the white and black wires.
 

rohmell

Active Member
Jun 2, 2010
1,531
6
38
New York
If no light between blue and black, then magneto coil is bad.
You >might< be able to get it to run using the white wire in place of the blue, just to see if the CDI is OK.
 

bajarocks

New Member
Aug 11, 2010
9
0
0
Oregon
Are there any further tests I should do to make sure that it's the magneto causing problems, or should I just bite the bullet and buy a new one?
 

GearNut

Active Member
Aug 19, 2009
5,104
11
38
San Diego, Kaliforgnia
If you are not getting any power output between the black and blue wires, that is the final tell tale test.
As you said that you went through all the relevant threads on the subject, I am assuming here that you have all ready checked the center ground on the mag frame.
 

bajarocks

New Member
Aug 11, 2010
9
0
0
Oregon
Thanks for all the help, I would've been totally stumped without it. Just ordered a new magneto, I'll let you know how it works out.