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Yet again..no spark

  • Thread starter Thread starter capnjim
  • Start date Start date
C

capnjim

Guest
I'm a bit befuddled. Everyone I speak to, even a previous thread here on the good ole GSR has the same comments....
No spark?? Check the coils, check the points..check the coils.....check the plugs.
How come I seem to be the only one who realizes that its a 4 cylinder engine!!!
Twin points. Twin coils. I have no spark anywhere. Very very very unlikely that both sets of points/wires/coils died at the same time!!
I take off the points cover and I can hear the little buggers sparking.
But...nothing at any of the four plugs.
I have new fancy coils, wires, plugs. Points are clean and properly gapped.
What else can cause total spark failure???
Keep in mind....ITS A 4 CYLINDER TWIN POINT SYSTEM!!!
Man...that '84 Honda Nighthawk is looking pretty good right now.
 
Have you checked for voltage at the coils? Wiring issue between the points and coils? Improperly installed plug leads?
 
Wires between points and coils are good....I used a multimeter and tested for continuity.
I doubt very much all 4 plug leads are improperly installed.
I forgot to mention, I didn't drive it at all last summer, but I started it every month and it ran fine. I finally brought it out of the shed, it started and ran. next day I went to drive it and zero spark on all 4 cylinders...just like that. Good one day.....not so good the next.
Zero spark on all 4 cylinders one day after getting good spark on all 4 cylinders.
Maybe gremlins???? Do gremlins like these ****ty old bikes?
I'm pretty much ready to call the ole scrap dude and take the 30$. Next time I'm getting a Nighthawk. This stupid bike has never run well.
And yes....
I dipped the carbs
I Sealed the airbox
I Changed the wires, plugs, coils.
I put in a new battery.
I Changed the intake and air filter boots.
I adjusted the valves and now own a whole lot of stupid little valve discs.
I spent a crapload of money and have a non-running bike.
Maybe I'm a mo-ped guy after all.
Not to mention getting totally scammed by the "original" owner who was a lying sack o crap and I paid 2K for the thing.
 
Nothing is simpler than a contact breaker point system. That's the beauty of it. Find where there is power. Find where it isn't. Is there power to the coils? Is the ground to the coils opening and closing as the engine turns? That's all there is to it. One set of points or two, it does not matter. Since as you say both sides didn't just fail at once, most likely someone put them together wrong, put the little wire in the wrong place or something. Hearing sparks does not prove it is all hooked up correctly. Is there continuity through the coils to ground when the points are closed and not when they are open? One more thing, are the condensers verified to be good? Loud sparks on the point would indicate maybe they are not working so well. I have seen even brand new condensers shorted internally. Also have seen the two points wires shorted together where they go around a corner of the engine. You will find all of this this when you are checking for the continuity.
 
i like to open/close each set of points with a screw driver with the key on and plugs out and grounded.
if you can get each pairs of plugs to arch by doing this you have a problem with your points.
 
I just find it highly unlikely the points could work fine one day, and both sets fail the next day? I can't see it being the points.
The bike ran great every time I started it...then...zero spark at all four plugs. Literally one day to the next.
 
And you typed your own answer...I opened the points cover and I can HEAR them sparking. They are shorting to ground and are out of adjustment. If points are done right you cant hear them nor will you see little sparks as they open and close.
 
Are you getting power to the points? Are you getting power to the coils?
Is the Kill switch at the RUN position?
Did you check the fuse?
 
chef1366 said:
Are you getting power to the points? Are you getting power to the coils?
Is the Kill switch at the RUN position?
Did you check the fuse?
Click to expand...

CRAP! I wanted to be the first guy to tell him to check his damn fuses! I had a similar issue that turned out to be a fuse that had failed from corrosion,it looked perfectly fine on the machine but fell apart in my hand.
 
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