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Intermittent Spark Question

  • Thread starter Thread starter lecturn_2000
  • Start date Start date
L

lecturn_2000

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Hi...new member here with a question which has me really :confused:
Anyhow, the bike is a 1980 GS 1000G with performance mods installed by the infamous "former owner". (carb mods, Vance & Hines exhaust, and probably some I don't see, as the bike was very quick up to about 5 years ago when it was garaged and ignored until now)
Anyhow, I had some electrical issues caused probably by the garage neglect, but everything o.k. now except that I can't get a reliable spark at the plugs.
I have Clymer's "Suzuki" for the correct model and year from the library and I'm reasonably proficient with tools and bike repair, but this thing has me really frustrated. I thought it was the starter switch because suddenly there was no response when the button was pushed...repaired that one and we had a spark...problem solved, right? Wrong-spark was intermittent. SO...managed to prove the switch was not the problem (bypassed the switch). Clymer gives simple instructions for testing the signal generator and igniter...of the two, I thought I'd try the igniter first, and here's my question: Where the heck is this gizmo located?! Clymer doesn't show this very clearly...guess it's the plastic box forward of the fuse holder? Also, what does the igniter do?
I gather the sequence is SIG. GEN. to IGNITER to COILS to PLUGS. Does the igniter amplify a low voltage timing signal and send this to the coil(s)?
Today I pulled a multiple-wire insulated cable clear of the battery box on the chance that something was shorting to ground and VOILA! Now we have spark at the plugs. This thing has fooled me twice before so I'm not ready to say the problem's solved-maybe it'll stay o.k. until I put the tank back on and then quit again. Long story-didn't mean to write a book-but if anybody has any ideas or has experienced this spark thing, I'd appreciate the input. Thanks in advance...
lecturn_2000
 
If you started getting spark after just moving some wires around I would start by unplugging all connectors, cleaning and checking for good contacts. Might have been coincidence, but why not start simple and cheap.
I'm not sure with your model GS but on a few I've had the igniter was under the battery tray.

Also I have experienced poor ground probs., especially the ones near the fuse block and battery tray, creating havoc with elecs.
 
I like this general schematic from CLymers manaul (79-85 GS850G & 1100G). My scribble notes are related to 80 GS850G.

Yah, ignitors does the switching of the current to the coils (like what points used to do). The signal generators just gives signals to the ignitor.

Other comment: I would say to check connections for cooorssion from those 16 years of sitting.
Electronics usally dont fail intermittently (other than heat related).

Are you saying that all four sparks all quit at same time? Or just one plug? Or two plugs at a time?

GS_ClymerIgnition.jpg
 
Intermittent Spark

Intermittent Spark

Thanks to those who responded to my question re. the "no spark" problem on my GS1000 G.
The "Rest of the Story" is: I've had the bike in storage for the past six or so years and sold it in about mid Jan. It ran fine when I put it away...was stored with top cyl. "fogging oil" , battery removed, etc.
The man who bought it is "not mechanically inclined", but I figured that was no big deal since it shouldn't need much to get it up and running.
Big mistake...evidently minor corrosion took its toll, especially around the fuse box...(as has been suggested). He tried starting and there were evidently some shorted connections. Long story short-when you see stuff smoking, it's a bad sign! I took it back and have everything working just fine (after cleaning up that fuse holder and eliminating the connections which should not have been there) but the spark is as I described in the original post.
I have moved that wire bundle, re-wrapped the area where I suspect it may have been shorted out and so far we still have spark. BTW, it quits on all four plugs when it goes out. Again, my thanks for the suggestions...we'll see what happens when I try starting. Hopefully, it's not the igniter, as I have found that's an expen$ive item! I'll re-check terminal plugs and other connections again.
The good thing is that the weather has been on my side-cold and snowy-but we're due for a warm-up next week and the new owner wants to ride! We're cooperating pretty well on this thing and hopefully his (and my) patience/persistence will pay off.
Lecturn_2000
 
another thing you could try if you haven't already is to hook the Black and White ground wire coming from the igniter directly to battery neg. (-) terminal to rule out a bad ground elswhere.
 
Hey Dave, welcome to the site. Ok guys this is the bike that I was talking about in the topic - I'm in over my head. I hooked jumpers up to my Dodge V10 without disconnecting the battery on the bike first. I then put the wrong size fuses in, and if that wasn't bad enough I sat and watched the ignitor area smoke a couple of times when I turned the key on. Lecturn is a super cool guy that said bring that bike back before I do more damage and still willing to give me a full refund. Hats off to lecturn 2000. Pushing my bike into his porch, going to the library for info, and hours and hours of his time. Just thought I'd let you guys know what kind of man he is.
 
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