350X no spark

[QCR77]

i was messing with a new switch last night and today i checked for spark to find none. what is it in the case on the left side? alternator? if im gonna spring for new stuff to get a strong spark i'd rather go after the most difficult thing first. any help welcome

[QCR77]

so it should be one or more of these components-

ac regulator
cdi
ignition coil
pulse gen
alternator

i just put a new regulator on it, is there any way to rule out a couple other ones? also, which one is the stator? its not metioned in the manual

[MonroeMike]

Electrical troubleshooting starts on page 16-1 of the service manual.

Weak or no spark, page 17-1.

http://72.52.143.80/~trikes/atc350x_85-86_servicemanual.pdf

[Mr_RPM]

its not an alternator, its a stator. difference is alternators are external stators are internal, they work a little different but do the same thing too

[QCR77]

is there a way to test the pulse generator and stator ?

[Mr_RPM]

resistance test, you need to find the resistance specs and test the coils, but if you can get your hands on a cheap parts bike and swap around then thats the easiest way

[QCR77]

i got a tester tonight and the ignition coil came out to .3 according to the specs it should be between .16 - .2
also tested the cdi and it didnt even give a reading on most of the tests. others that did give a reading werent up to the params
anybody have any experience with testing these things?
is .3 ok on the ignition coil? with the cap off the end of the wire was in the params
is the cdi obviously shot when i dont even get readings on most of the tests?
if it the cdi, it went out while is was hooking up a new switch and getting the headlights to work for the first time in a while. does that make any sense?

[tri again]

i was messing with a new switch last night and today i checked for spark to find none. what is it in the case on the left side? alternator? if im gonna spring for new stuff to get a strong spark i'd rather go after the most difficult thing first. any help welcome

I've got the same prob right now and wondering why we can't simply use an external 12v source to compensate for the stator output.

All the things I've read, they work, or not, have ohms, or not, throw voltage, which may look good but not be enough to fire the ignition.

[Vealmonkey]

Are you trying to run this with that TRX switch you rewired? Maybe you should try the old 350x switch and see if that works? I hope you didn't wire something wrong. You did say the 350x switch worked for off an on but just not the lights right? Go back to what you know worked first and see if it will start. Then we'll go from there. Start with basics and work to the harder stuff, not the other way around.

[QCR77]

i'll try that vealmonkey, but shouldnt it get spark without any switch hooked up at all? i just wish i knew how to make sure my stator,pulse gen and exciter coil are working. the internal stuff ya know.
i'll go hook back up the old switch and see what happens

[Vealmonkey]

You can bypass the switch, but if she sparks with the old switch then I would say you wired something up wrong my friend.

[QCR77]

i tried to wire up the old switch but before i could the green ground wire came out of the switch. where its soldered in there. so the old switch is gone and done with. from what i have found out it should spark with no switch and it doesnt. could i have shorted something by hooking up the new switch wrong, absolutely. thats what im convinced happened. i just dont really know what im doing when it comes to testing all this stuff. i dont mind buying a new cdi, but i just dont want to get it and then find out something in the case is messed up

[Vealmonkey]

Man, do you have a soldering iron? Get busy. You are trying to find out if you have spark. You can order another switch or buy another used switch on ebay. That doesn't cure the here and now though. I can't believe you are giving up so easily. All your methods are not exhausted yet. And I don't have the wiring diagram in front of me here at work, so I'm kind of blind as to what's going on now.

[QCR77]

this is exactly the series of events-
i got the new switch hooked up
i started the bike and tried the lights, nothing
i tested the kill function to the right
started it back up and tried kill function to the left
no problems with starting it or the kill function so i focus on the lights.
i cant get anything to work bu then i press the horn button on the switch and they go on while i have the button depressed
i do this a couple times but it doesnt work every time
so i turn the bike off to try and rewire, but it never started again

[jensenracing77]

coming out of the left side of the engine, test between the blue yellow wire and the green white wire with your meter. should have 297 to 363. that is for the pulse generator.

[tri again]

not sure about 350x but someone cut the entire harness to sell or steal the headlight from an 84 big red.

Fires right up with ALL the wires cut so thinking that most engine run connections are always in function and their only option is to kill the engine, either with the kill sw or the ignition switch, by a dead short to ground.

Alternately, they should always be ready to run unless one of the switch options is doing it's job of shorting to ground.
Does that make sense?

Ohm checking your various components would be next, but maybe you don't have to.

If you really feel you shorted something, try checking your fuses.
I blew my main fuse in an 85 wiggling the ignition switch wires that grounded, but not sure that circuit affects ignition spark.
I think it's just for the charging, elec start circuit., lights and blinkers



Maybe they changed that 'deadmans switch' concept in the later years

I'll look for a wiring diagram as soon as I get break. but that thing should run without a battery, or any switches connected at all.

hang in there, We all go thru this.

It's like getting the computer to work so you can play games.

That IS part of the game

[tri again]

this is exactly the series of events-
i got the new switch hooked up
i started the bike and tried the lights, nothing
i tested the kill function to the right
started it back up and tried kill function to the left
no problems with starting it or the kill function so i focus on the lights.
i cant get anything to work bu then i press the horn button on the switch and they go on while i have the button depressed
i do this a couple times but it doesnt work every time
so i turn the bike off to try and rewire, but it never started again

lets see ...press the horn button and they? the lights? go on with the horn button pushed?

Something it trying to find a ground so the lights are sharing the horn ground circuit, IF I'm hearing you right

Take a deep breath and clean all your connections to ground

[QCR77]

coming out of the left side of the engine, test between the blue yellow wire and the green white wire with your meter. should have 297 to 363. that is for the pulse generator.

thanks. i did test the pulse generator and it tested ok. i think 337 or something like that

[QCR77]

not sure about 350x but someone cut the entire harness to sell or steal the headlight from an 84 big red.

Fires right up with ALL the wires cut so thinking that most engine run connections are always in function and their only option is to kill the engine, either with the kill sw or the ignition switch, by a dead short to ground.

Alternately, they should always be ready to run unless one of the switch options is doing it's job of shorting to ground.
Does that make sense?

Ohm checking your various components would be next, but maybe you don't have to.

If you really feel you shorted something, try checking your fuses.
I blew my main fuse in an 85 wiggling the ignition switch wires that grounded, but not sure that circuit affects ignition spark.
I think it's just for the charging, elec start circuit., lights and blinkers



Maybe they changed that 'deadmans switch' concept in the later years

I'll look for a wiring diagram as soon as I get break. but that thing should run without a battery, or any switches connected at all.

hang in there, We all go thru this.

It's like getting the computer to work so you can play games.

That IS part of the game

i didnt think there were any fuses on this 350x. i'll check the manual
and yeah, a couple times the lights would come on if i held in the horn button. but only if i held it in and not every time. i

[QCR77]

i was wondering if anyone knew of a component that doesnt just go out, but can gradually get worse untill it goes out. an electrical component of course.

[Vealmonkey]

Did you test the old switch????? Did you resolder the ground wire back in and test the swich? You may be making yourself alot of work for nothing.

[QCR77]

Did you test the old switch????? Did you resolder the ground wire back in and test the swich? You may be making yourself alot of work for nothing.

i dont have a soldering iron. but even if it did work, then what? i think i fried my cdi for some reason because all the things i tested either checked out or were real close. the cdi did not. it was way off when i did get a reading and most tests didnt even give a reading

[QCR77]

i got the cdi in today that i ordered and i got spark !!! only thing i dont like is that it wasnt a fat blue spark like i hear about sometimes. i was in my garage though with the door open and it is a glorious and bright day outside. any thoughts?

[tri again]

i got the cdi in today that i ordered and i got spark !!! only thing i dont like is that it wasnt a fat blue spark like i hear about sometimes. i was in my garage though with the door open and it is a glorious and bright day outside. any thoughts?

welp?

the cdi types dont seem to throw a fat blue like a points bike does.

I have a few atc 90's points bike and they'll knock you out and you can see/hear them from 10 feet.

then I go to the 110's , wimpy gdblessed spark you gotta pretend you see it or hear it or get someone to look closely when you kick/pull.

damn hard to see but they run.

I heard they increase under presure but they are sure wimpy when you check 'em

[QCR77]

welp?

the cdi types dont seem to throw a fat blue like a points bike does.

I have a few atc 90's points bike and they'll knock you out and you can see/hear them from 10 feet.

then I go to the 110's , wimpy gdblessed spark you gotta pretend you see it or hear it or get someone to look closely when you kick/pull.

damn hard to see but they run.

I heard they increase under presure but they are sure wimpy when you check 'em

cool thanks. i got all the harness teped back up and put back on the bike. got my chain tightned up, which needed to be done and finally got the carb adjusted right so that its not backfiring. took her for a spin and wow. she's back. im a very happy man today and everyone around me is tired of hearing about how happy i am.

only bummer is that i cant get my lights to work , and i know they do. just cant get the wiring right, or the alternator doesnt work all the time. oh well, the new switch works good and looks good