I have an 85 v-max. My dad was the original owner from 85, so needless to say I know the bikes history. My dad stopped riding the bike for a few years and I've decided to start riding it. It wasn't running right so I started tracking problems down. The problem started as not sparking the rear cylinders until 3000 rpm. have the original factory service manual. All ignition coils check out o.k. but the pick-up coils at the crank were way out of range. I replaced them with factory new coils. No luck. I replaced the ignitor box with a brand new dyna 3000. No luck. I replaced the battery. No luck. I rechecked resistance through the new coils. The check out as out of range. Three coils are at 230 ohms, one coil is in range at 110 ohms. Could I have bad pick-up coils again? Should I spend anouther $380.00 to find out? Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Help Support VMAX Forum:
For the p/u coils, make sure you use the black wire as the common....not the orange like the manual says. The manual is wrong.
Have you put in fresh plugs and plug wires? What resistance do you have if you put a lead in the plug boot and the other lead on a clean engine bolt?
Welcome to the VMF.
Have you put in fresh plugs and plug wires? What resistance do you have if you put a lead in the plug boot and the other lead on a clean engine bolt?
Welcome to the VMF.
I actually purchased the coils late last summer, and didn't have time to figure things out due to my work schedule. In other words, dealer will tellme to go away. I just received new wires and boots in the mail tonight. I'll try that next. Also, all spark plugs are new if anyone was going to ask.
fzrace, I updated my previous post. Please re-test your p/u coils using the black wire as common....not orange.
We've found on more then one occassion this last few years where the TCI box was bad causing no or poor running at low rpm's.
Sean
Sean
Mike, your tip was valuable. The coils check out perfect. That saved me close to $400.00. I replaced all of the plug wires and plug caps, and guess what? Fired right up and was running perfectly on all cylinders.
A big thanks for the help!
A big thanks for the help!
Great news! Please make the $400 check payable to Mark Milne. :biglaugh:
The easiest way to make sure things check out on the secondary windings side is to stick the multimeter lead up in the boot and ground the other lead on a clean engine bolt. This ensures the boots, wires and in good working order. The reading should be between 18 and 22 KOhms. Every year I check and if the resistance creeps up I snip both ends of the plug wire about an 1/8 inch and clean the coil post.
I usually change the wires every 5 years or so. A friend just had a problem where too cylinders weren't firing....he had the same wires 15 years. lol
The easiest way to make sure things check out on the secondary windings side is to stick the multimeter lead up in the boot and ground the other lead on a clean engine bolt. This ensures the boots, wires and in good working order. The reading should be between 18 and 22 KOhms. Every year I check and if the resistance creeps up I snip both ends of the plug wire about an 1/8 inch and clean the coil post.
I usually change the wires every 5 years or so. A friend just had a problem where too cylinders weren't firing....he had the same wires 15 years. lol
If Mark had $400 for every person he helped find this fault he'd be retired wealthy. The same advice has popped up several threads before.
So, a belated thank you :thumbs up: Mark. That advice also prevented me from buying unneeded coils about eight months ago.
So, a belated thank you :thumbs up: Mark. That advice also prevented me from buying unneeded coils about eight months ago.
