so i bought a cdi off a board member, got here today, and still no spark, could it be the coils? ignitions good, plugs are new, diff cdi.

Check the pick up down by the crank. then go to wiring. No fire on both plugs?

nope no spark, im almost ready to take it to the shop and have them rape me

If you have a meter, there are some tests you can do to eliminate (or pinpoint!) some possible causes:

Testing the coils (images from the Haynes manual):






If the coils test out OK, check the wiring to the signal/pulse generator coils.  (Start at [THIS POST] and work your way through to the bottom of the page.)

If you don't have a meter, you can get a perfectly good one for about $25.  You probably can't even get in the door at the shop for less than 2 or 3 times that amount.  OK, so it may not provide the answer this time around ... but I guarantee it will save you money in the long run.

Quote from: Kerry on January 19, 2008, 09:05:15 PM

If you don't have a meter, you can get a perfectly good one for about $25.  You probably can't even get in the door at the shop for less than 2 or 3 times that amount.  OK, so it may not provide the answer this time around ... but I guarantee it will save you money in the long run.

As always Kerry is Spot on 

mucho thanks guys ill see if i can tear into it tomorrow, that is unless my hunnie doo get any longer

after waiting most of the day for the warden to let my brother come and bring me his multimeter, i went and bought my own. on primary im reading 5.1, secondary i couldn't get a reading. don't know if im doing it right low light and exhausted doesn't help. ill get out tomorrow after work and see if i can get a reading on secondary

With an expected value of 18,000 - 30,000 ohms, make sure you've changed to the appropriate ohm-reading range.  (On [my meter] that would be the "200K" setting.)

If you get an "overload" reading (on my meter that's "1") try the next higher range until you get a reading.  If the reading is over 30,000 ohms ... or if you get an "overload" reading on ALL ranges ... put the coil on your "suspected BAD" list.

BUT!  If you get this kind of infinite reading on both coils you should keep suspecting your testing method.  It's rare for separate parts to go bad in the same way at the same time.

ok left secondary is reading 15.9 and right is reading 27.2...anything else you can think of?

Congrats on the coils! 

While you've still got your meter handy, work through the info that I linked to in my first post above.  It seems like a lot of detail, and back-and-forthing with the original poster, but in essence ...

... you're trying to measure the resistance of the pulse generator coils using the easiest method of access.  IF the original measurements (at the 3-wire connector) show one or more open circuits, keep working your way down the wires until you find the break.

If your very first measurements give good resistance values, we'll have to back up and regroup!