OK I'm Stuck - Non-GS Technical

[Hoomgar]

Who wants to help me with a Kawasaki LTD 550 problem?
I can't seem to figure out what is wrong and was hoping the knowledgable guys on here could help me since I don't really have time in my life to join a Kawi forum when I am not really into them.

What is going on is this. I bought the bike cheep from a friend. It fired up with the help of a jump and some carb cleaner after sitting 2 years. I rode it all that night after changing the oil, brake fluid, cleaning plugs, ture presures etc... etc... and then took it on a ride the next day with the church riding club. It made it about 50 miles into the ride and then just shut off. I pushed to the side of the rode, looked at it, saw nothing and then tried and it started. We made it about another mile down the road and it shut off again. Tried again, started and made it about 2 blocks then off again. Then I could start it but not get moving without stalling. Got a truck from a friend (The same guy I bought it from) and brought it home lifting it into and out of the bed of the truck all by myself (shameless heman plug).

Now it wont fire at all. I tested what I know how and have figured out that there is no spark. The bike is most likely all stock and here is a picture of the beast.

http://home.ptd.net/~megabyte/ltdc.html

This is the bike I want to fix up for my wife so I thought to come to you guys since I know now how much many of you know about bikes in general and not just GS's plus I know many of you have Kawi's.

This bike is also going to double as my backup bike so I really would like to get it running again. When it ran it seemed to run just fine. It simply shut off and now there is no spark at all.

What do you guys think?

:-k

 

[Anonymous]

Hoomgar - if there is no spark, check the basics. I would take off the ignition cover and give it a look. Does it have points? If so, did you loose your gap? Do you have power to the points when the switch is on?

Troubleshoot it exactly as you would a GS.

 

[Hoomgar]

Hoomgar - if there is no spark, check the basics. I would take off the ignition cover and give it a look. Does it have points? If so, did you loose your gap? Do you have power to the points when the switch is on?

Troubleshoot it exactly as you would a GS.

That's where my knowledge ends Swanny. I don't know where the points are or how to check them. I am going to need a lot of hand holding on this one.

 

[Hoomgar]

OK by looking at the schematics for my GS I found where the ignition cover is and am removing it now. Once inside, what do I check?

 

[Hoomgar]

Well like I said this is going to show how much I really know about this stuff but here goes. I removed the ignition cover and as best I can tell (by looking at pictures of my old GS ignition with points in the GS Clymer manual) this bike does not have points. I am thinking igniter. How do I test it?

Of course I may be way off, any and all information that leads to helping me get this bike running is greatly appreciated.

 

[earlfor]

I suspected you would have an electronic ignition. I will try to dig up some Kawa specs tomorrow. (theyre buried in the shop someplace right now )

Earl

Well like I said this is going to show how much I really know about this stuff but here goes. I removed the ignition cover and as best I can tell (by looking at pictures of my old GS ignition with points in the GS Clymer manual) this bike does not have points. I am thinking igniter. How do I test it?

Of course I may be way off, any and all information that leads to helping me get this bike running is greatly appreciated.

 

[Hoomgar]

If I had a digital camera handy I would take a picture. But it looks very similar in layout to this picture that Dave posted in 77gs550's thread http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/viewtopic.php?t=17406

So I am guessing my little 550 has electronic ignition?

 

[Hoomgar]

Thanks Earl. I really need to get this thing running. I may need to be riding it come spring because the GS may not be done as soon as I wanted. I am already out of money and my recent seat purchase set me back more than planned even though I got a great deal.

 

[saaz]

Don't panic there

It is basically a GS mechanically and electrically, all it needs is specific info to test it. By the sounds of it you may have similar problems to the Suzuki ignitor/coil problem.

Nice looking bike there

 

[Hoomgar]

Don't panic there

It is basically a GS mechanically and electrically, all it needs is specific info to test it. By the sounds of it you may have similar problems to the Suzuki ignitor/coil problem.

Nice looking bike there

Yeah it's quite a looker huh? lol

OK so what is this "Suzuki ignitor/coil problem" you speak of?
:?:

 

[Anonymous]

hey hoomgar;

What year is that 550?? i'm not up on kz550 the only ones i had were gpz so don't know years very well. But if its a early 80s check your ignition switch to be sure its working right. then check your kill switch to be sure there are no loose wires. The current on those older kz goes through the ignition and kill switch first. the power from the kill switch goes to the ignition coils. if all ok then remove gas tank and check for loose wires on the coils. those plug wires if original are probably rotted to the point of being no good. if this check out will go from there.

 

[Anonymous]

Hoogar by the picture it looks like you have a Dyna III plate on there, look for a black and silver box somewhere, maybe under the tank or side covers or under the seat see it is a Dyna III ignition system. If you trace the large black bundle of wires coming from the plate it should lead you to it. Make sure the plugs and splices are all in good shape. If you are getting no spark one of them could be the culprit. Make sure the battery is thoroughly charged, make sure the connections from the Dyna are connected to the coils. Make sure the stator wires are all tight and no fuses are burnt. If all that is ok then my guess is one of those components is bad. Stator papers can give you some help diagnosing the stator and the voltage regulator. If all else fails give a Kawasaki shop a call and tell them what you have and have not found and they may be able to put you on the right track.

 

[Anonymous]

Re: OK I'm Stuck - Non-GS Technical

I'm a big fan of checking easy things first. (mostly 'cause thats all I know! )

Seriously though, check all of your fuses. Test your battery too. Some of the early 80's bikes needed a good battery to power the coils - at least my friends V45 Magna was like that, bad battery, no spark.


If this is all ok, get out your voltmeter and start checking connections..

hope this helps...Sam

Who wants to help me with a Kawasaki LTD 550 problem?
I can't seem to figure out what is wrong and was hoping the knowledgable guys on here could help me since I don't really have time in my life to join a Kawi forum when I am not really into them.

What is going on is this. I bought the bike cheep from a friend. It fired up with the help of a jump and some carb cleaner after sitting 2 years. I rode it all that night after changing the oil, brake fluid, cleaning plugs, ture presures etc... etc... and then took it on a ride the next day with the church riding club. It made it about 50 miles into the ride and then just shut off. I pushed to the side of the rode, looked at it, saw nothing and then tried and it started. We made it about another mile down the road and it shut off again. Tried again, started and made it about 2 blocks then off again. Then I could start it but not get moving without stalling. Got a truck from a friend (The same guy I bought it from) and brought it home lifting it into and out of the bed of the truck all by myself (shameless heman plug).

Now it wont fire at all. I tested what I know how and have figured out that there is no spark. The bike is most likely all stock and here is a picture of the beast.

http://home.ptd.net/~megabyte/ltdc.html

This is the bike I want to fix up for my wife so I thought to come to you guys since I know now how much many of you know about bikes in general and not just GS's plus I know many of you have Kawi's.

This bike is also going to double as my backup bike so I really would like to get it running again. When it ran it seemed to run just fine. It simply shut off and now there is no spark at all.

What do you guys think?

:-k

 

[Planecrazy]

Your original post describes a problem that sounds sus piciously like a failed charging system. Follow my reasoning and see if the pieces fit...

If your charging system isn't working, then you'd be able to ride your bike until the battery ran down (50 miles is certainly in the range of possiblility). As you're coasting to the side of the road, the battery is recovering a little bit, so it starts again and runs another mile or two, but now the battery is just about dead so the next time you try it you get a couple of blocks...

Try charging the battery overnight (if you haven't already) and see if the bike starts right up. If it does, the charging system is the likely culprit. It is also possible that a bad wire or bad connection is preventing the battery from properly charging even if the system is working properly -- make sure all your connections are clean and tight. Let us know how it plays out, and good luck!

Steve 8)

 

[Hoomgar]

Hoogar by the picture it looks like you have a Dyna III plate on there, look for a black and silver box somewhere, maybe under the tank or side covers or under the seat see it is a Dyna III ignition system. If you trace the large black bundle of wires coming from the plate it should lead you to it. Make sure the plugs and splices are all in good shape. If you are getting no spark one of them could be the culprit. Make sure the battery is thoroughly charged, make sure the connections from the Dyna are connected to the coils. Make sure the stator wires are all tight and no fuses are burnt. If all that is ok then my guess is one of those components is bad. Stator papers can give you some help diagnosing the stator and the voltage regulator. If all else fails give a Kawasaki shop a call and tell them what you have and have not found and they may be able to put you on the right track.

I did try most of that Michael but thanks. I am down to thinking now that either a kill switch somewhere has gone bad or my ignitor is bad. If you look at the post from the picture you'll see that it is not a picture from my bike. I put that there from another thread here on the forum as an example of what mine looks like. Mine is stock and not a dyna ignition. I have checked all wires and connections on the entire bike and unless it is a faulty switch I am thinking it has to be the ignitor? What else is there?

Also, what is the easiest way to defeat all the safety switches for testing?

 

[Hoomgar]

Your original post describes a problem that sounds sus piciously like a failed charging system. Follow my reasoning and see if the pieces fit...

If your charging system isn't working, then you'd be able to ride your bike until the battery ran down (50 miles is certainly in the range of possiblility). As you're coasting to the side of the road, the battery is recovering a little bit, so it starts again and runs another mile or two, but now the battery is just about dead so the next time you try it you get a couple of blocks...

Try charging the battery overnight (if you haven't already) and see if the bike starts right up. If it does, the charging system is the likely culprit. It is also possible that a bad wire or bad connection is preventing the battery from properly charging even if the system is working properly -- make sure all your connections are clean and tight. Let us know how it plays out, and good luck!

Steve 8)

As I said above the battery is new (first thing I checked) and is fully charged and good to go. The bike will not fire at all now anymore. No spark. Something went out, I am just having trouble finding what it was. Things that I know it isn't is the battery or the kill switch on the clutch. Like I say, the bettery is good and I tested the kill switch on the clutch and it is working. But someone else told me to check for other safety switches that may be malfunctioning. Like side stand and the like. All my wires and connections look good to the best I can tell. I've torn most of the bike apart looking even in the headlight. Everything looks good. It's a head scratcher but there is no spark at all now. You can't even get a sputter out of it now. I need to find a service manual for this thing.

 

[Anonymous]

Your original post describes a problem that sounds sus piciously like a failed charging system. Follow my reasoning and see if the pieces fit...

If your charging system isn't working, then you'd be able to ride your bike until the battery ran down (50 miles is certainly in the range of possiblility). As you're coasting to the side of the road, the battery is recovering a little bit, so it starts again and runs another mile or two, but now the battery is just about dead so the next time you try it you get a couple of blocks...

Try charging the battery overnight (if you haven't already) and see if the bike starts right up. If it does, the charging system is the likely culprit. It is also possible that a bad wire or bad connection is preventing the battery from properly charging even if the system is working properly -- make sure all your connections are clean and tight. Let us know how it plays out, and good luck!

Steve 8)

As I said above the battery is new (first thing I checked) and is fully charged and good to go. The bike will not fire at all now anymore. No spark. Something went out, I am just having trouble finding what it was. Things that I know it isn't is the battery or the kill switch on the clutch. Like I say, the bettery is good and I tested the kill switch on the clutch and it is working. But someone else told me to check for other safety switches that may be malfunctioning. Like side stand and the like. All my wires and connections look good to the best I can tell. I've torn most of the bike apart looking even in the headlight. Everything looks good. It's a head scratcher but there is no spark at all now. You can't even get a sputter out of it now. I need to find a service manual for this thing.

Hey hoomgar

Sorry i had to close my last post so quickly but the city power went off and i was on battery back up so had to close quickly.

What year is your 550??? if early80s ( i think) first check to see if the starter works. if it does than you need to check the coils for wear and i mean check close. any wires bad or corroded? if ok have you pulled a spark plug and checked both the plug(for gap) and tried to get a spark by cranking over the engine with the plug wire attached and the plug grounded? If no spark then check the coils for shorting or open windings. This is where you need a kawasaki special tool,but i have found a ohmmeyer will work but doesn't always give conclusive readings. to check primary windings take your ohmmeter and set it to the 1ohm range pull the fuel tank and disconnect the coil leads. This is where the wire colors may be different but connect one lead to the yellow/red and the other to the green or black the meter reading should be 3.2 to 4.8 ohm.if not replace coil.the check the resistance from one sparkpplug lead to the other using the same scale on your tester. the meter reading should be around 10.5 to 15.5 ohm if not replace. also check for continuity between yellow/red lead and the plug lead on each coil. these should check out because the chances of both coils bad are slim but who knows give this a try and if still no luck let me know and will check the pickup next.

We'll make a mechanic out of you yet

 

[Carter Turk]

Non GS

Non GS

When you say no spark, does that mean no dash lights? Zero power anywhere? On a trip to Laguna Seca from Washington, I had this problem.

No power whatsoever after riding 500 miles. I tryed to bump start it, nothing. I started wiggling the ignition switch wiring and the fuse box itself. It fired, made it there and back, but I think my charging system was on the way out. The ol GS plague.

Wiring may be the culprit. If it needs to be started with the clutch in, the pickup on the handlebar is notorious for getting corroded or gummed up.

On another tangent, I was rebuilding a Honda Interceptor 500, all new fuses, battery, checked all connections, turn the key in the ignition, nothing.

After much frustration I found a seperate fuse away from the fuse box hidden under a plastic cap on the frame rail under the front part of the seat. It was blown. I replaced it and the dash lit up and fired immediately.

May as well check the gas tank vent hose for blockage and pull a float bowl (bottom of carb) to see if any sediment found it way down there after using the carb cleaner. A manual would be good if its going to be the wife's bike. Carter

 

[Hoomgar]

Hey hoomgar

Sorry i had to close my last post so quickly but the city power went off and i was on battery back up so had to close quickly.

What year is your 550??? if early80s ( i think) first check to see if the starter works. if it does than you need to check the coils for wear and i mean check close. any wires bad or corroded? if ok have you pulled a spark plug and checked both the plug(for gap) and tried to get a spark by cranking over the engine with the plug wire attached and the plug grounded? If no spark then check the coils for shorting or open windings. This is where you need a kawasaki special tool,but i have found a ohmmeyer will work but doesn't always give conclusive readings. to check primary windings take your ohmmeter and set it to the 1ohm range pull the fuel tank and disconnect the coil leads. This is where the wire colors may be different but connect one lead to the yellow/red and the other to the green or black the meter reading should be 3.2 to 4.8 ohm.if not replace coil.the check the resistance from one sparkpplug lead to the other using the same scale on your tester. the meter reading should be around 10.5 to 15.5 ohm if not replace. also check for continuity between yellow/red lead and the plug lead on each coil. these should check out because the chances of both coils bad are slim but who knows give this a try and if still no luck let me know and will check the pickup next.

We'll make a mechanic out of you yet

I actually checked the wires that feed the coils to see if it is getting voltage there. No go. I should have mentioned that sooner. No juice is getting to the coils at all anymore.

 

[Hoomgar]

Re: Non GS

Re: Non GS

When you say no spark, does that mean no dash lights? Zero power anywhere?

No it has everything but spark. I've got all power and starter turn signals you name it. The only thing is doesn't have is spark. No voltage to the coils at all.