No spark
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Discussion

raceboy

Original Poster:

13,457 posts

296 months

Thursday 1st July 2004
quotequote all
Well the 2 stroke screamer is trying it's best to wind me up once again
At the start of last week it ground to a halt with a complete lack of power, RAC called and the best he can do is tell me it's got no spark and tows it home
I managed to get hold of a new plug, plug cap, lead and coil, tried that last night, no difference
So what now
other than book it in somewhere

stooz

3,005 posts

300 months

Thursday 1st July 2004
quotequote all
sorry to hear that. sounds electrical, and further back.. been out in the rain? im suggesting a bad connection further up the food chain, maybe the ignition isn't telling the bike its "on", dash lights?
do ou have an ECU you can disconnect and reconnect?

raceboy

Original Poster:

13,457 posts

296 months

Thursday 1st July 2004
quotequote all
stooz said:
sorry to hear that. sounds electrical, and further back.. been out in the rain? im suggesting a bad connection further up the food chain, maybe the ignition isn't telling the bike its "on", dash lights?
do ou have an ECU you can disconnect and reconnect?

Dash lights up ok, it tries to start, and once in a blue moon it does
Not sure about an ECU Going to see how much more trim I can take off and see if anything looks worn/broke/burnt out/etc

stooz

3,005 posts

300 months

Thursday 1st July 2004
quotequote all
you still on the cagiva, or did you buy a new bike, I thought I read that somewhere....

if its starting occassionaly, its possibly fuel flow. carbs are renowned for clogging (is it a carb bike??!!!)
clean the fuel filter (with petrol) or replace if its a sealed unit.
if possible disconnect the fuel pipe from the cylinder and see what its squirting like..

raceboy

Original Poster:

13,457 posts

296 months

Thursday 1st July 2004
quotequote all
stooz said:
you still on the cagiva, or did you buy a new bike, I thought I read that somewhere....
Yep still on the 2 stroke nightmare everytime I put a bit of cash to one side to treat myself to a new toy some thing happens to one of the other toys to lighten my wallet
stooz said:

if its starting occassionaly,

It is very occassional, well once to be exact
stooz said:
its possibly fuel flow. carbs are renowned for clogging (is it a carb bike??!!!)
clean the fuel filter (with petrol) or replace if its a sealed unit.
if possible disconnect the fuel pipe from the cylinder and see what its squirting like..

I'll give that a try, but if I've got no spark on the end of plug will it matter what its squirting like as without the spark it's not going to fire is it

stooz

3,005 posts

300 months

Thursday 1st July 2004
quotequote all
sorry its tricky to diagnose on a website

could be either. have you actually seen the spark? hold the spark out (with some rubber handled pliers) - and start, it should spark across the gap rapidly.
if its sparking it should light the fuel. if there's no fuel....

if its fuelling and sparking, it could well be heavily flooded by now, removing spark should get warm air drying out the cylinder.. the cranking while you watch the spark should spit any stuff out too..

fuelling is often a git, more likely than a spark issue, hence my suggestion.

to rich -- too lean.. to far and it wont run at all..
often people turn up the fuel to compensate for another problem ; too much air.

its no wonder everything has gone injection, carb setting is such a dog..

raceboy

Original Poster:

13,457 posts

296 months

Thursday 1st July 2004
quotequote all
stooz said:
have you actually seen the spark? hold the spark out (with some rubber handled pliers) - and start, it should spark across the gap rapidly.

Yep, tried that last night, not a dicky bird out of the sparkplug

Incorrigible

13,668 posts

277 months

Thursday 1st July 2004
quotequote all
You are earthing the sparkplug aren't you ??

"Holding it out" I have visions of you waving it around in the air

raceboy

Original Poster:

13,457 posts

296 months

Thursday 1st July 2004
quotequote all
Is your tongue earthed
in a dumb and dumber, how to check batteries type way

stooz

3,005 posts

300 months

Thursday 1st July 2004
quotequote all
raceboy said:

stooz said:
have you actually seen the spark? hold the spark out (with some rubber handled pliers) - and start, it should spark across the gap rapidly.


Yep, tried that last night, not a dicky bird out of the sparkplug


ahh, Im guessing your not getting a good spark then

slightlymiffed

53 posts

254 months

Thursday 1st July 2004
quotequote all
Fuses ?

raceboy

Original Poster:

13,457 posts

296 months

Friday 2nd July 2004
quotequote all
slightlymiffed said:
Fuses ?

worth a look I suppose, I think the RAC bloke looked at them, but it's not exactly hard so I'll give them a check

raceboy

Original Poster:

13,457 posts

296 months

Monday 12th July 2004
quotequote all
Now I'm getting wound up
Change the HT lead, Spark Plug cap and Coil, no difference, change the CDI unit (whatever that is) and we have spark
Take it for a ride round and it seems fine, if a little bit sluggish on take off, ride around for a while, and put it away.
Take it out the next day and nothing, it would not start, pop the plug out again and thats fine sparking away, battery fine, petrol should be fine, so whats up with it now
It's one step away from being found burning on the local Chava housing estate

stooz

3,005 posts

300 months

Tuesday 13th July 2004
quotequote all
hooray a spark!

if its been sitting around for several weeks with the plug out, sounds like the petrol/carbs/injectors could have got clogged as per my original diagnosis.
normally the piston "area" is a pretty sealed unit, moisture gets in quick, so does air to dry it all out...


see what options you have in terms of flushing the petrol?

raceboy

Original Poster:

13,457 posts

296 months

Tuesday 13th July 2004
quotequote all
But the strange thing is it ran on Saturday straight after replacing the CDI unit and fitting the tank back on, I did a few miles put it away, got it out the next day and nothing, what did the shed gremlins do to it over night

stooz

3,005 posts

300 months

Tuesday 13th July 2004
quotequote all
what sort of mileage? my train of thought is that you were running on the flotation chamber petrol, and the blockage of gunky old petrol is further back toward/in the tank.

the flotation tank/pipes can get you 10 miles...

Momentofmadness

2,370 posts

257 months

Tuesday 13th July 2004
quotequote all
Fuel tap? (Don't ask me how I remember that one *cough*)

d3ano

7,413 posts

269 months

Tuesday 13th July 2004
quotequote all
I don't know if it would make a differance, but have you actully changed the plug itself?

raceboy

Original Poster:

13,457 posts

296 months

Wednesday 14th July 2004
quotequote all
d3ano said:
have you actully changed the plug itself?

New plug is next on the shopping list, glad it's only got one at nearly £7 each