85 gs550e -Ignition Problems

[wort]

Let me introduce myself:

I live in SLC, and just picked up a GS550E for pretty cheap.

I put in a new battery, but it doesn't have spark.

I checked the signal generators (per the repair manual) using an ohmmeter and found infinite resistance between the pick-up coils.

I then checked the Igniter using the little chart in the manual, and my digital multimeter didn't pick up any resistance values other than infinite. I thought my multimeter had gone bad, but when checked against a resistor, it reads fine. Do I need to use an analog meter because of the diodes in the igniter or something?

I have come to the conclusion that the Ignitor and the Signal Generator are bad (which explains the low price), but what could have caused them to blow?

Does this mean that the Regulator/Rectifier went bad also, causing the Igniter to fry?

I don't want to replace the igniter and signal generator just to have them blow out again because of something else. (Especially since they are so hard to come by and $$ expensive.)

I read through the Stator Papers, but I thought the stator/RR problems were on older bikes and by '85, they were sorted. (I came to this conclusion because the stator wiring goes directly into the RR, and not through the headlight switch.)

Let me know If I am wrong about the R/R. thanks for the help. Hopefully I can get this sorted.

 

[tom203]

"....but I thought the stator/RR problems were on older bikes and by '85, they were sorted"

Nope. the 550's seem to have ignitor problems, but make sure you don't just have connection issues before concluding this. I think that you will find it difficult to check an ignitor with a multimeter.

Note member kokar's work at top of this forum

 

[wort]

Thanks for the reply.

It seems like Kokar's work has only to do with the earlier models of 550's, so it wouldn't apply to the '85 that I have, right?

Also, since I didn't get a good resistance reading on the signal generators, that means they are shot, right?

I am planning on going through the connectors and cleaning them up with some contact cleaner.

Thanks again.