Ignition Pickup Coil

[Bradley Dunagan]

I had a post a while back with questions about this same issue With no response. I hope this one does better.

Has anyone ever had their ignition pickup coil fail? If so can it cause misfire like running off timing or does it just stop working altogether? I’m rebuilding the carbs for the third time, this time with all new everything but I’m really having a hard time believing that’s the problem. The bike was running great almost 10 years ago. Then the left front coil went out. I replaced it and as I it still wasn’t running right. I parked it with the intention of looking into it. One thing lead to another, marriage, blah, blah, divorce, blah, blah,blah... now I’m ready to hit the road again. Anyone know how to test the pickup coil before I pull the carbs... again? Also I know the screw in the left side cover is for checking timing. Can I do this with a normal timing light and if so how?
Another reason I think it’s a pickup coil issue is when the coil went out my Autometer Sport Comp II tachometer also started acting very funny. It will just jump all over the place. I thought it was the bad coil but obviously not. Read where aftermarket tachs can fail and ground out electronic ignition causing misfire. It’s been completely disconnected so that’s not the issue.

Before anyone asks I’ve done a compression test, all 180psi. All new plugs, wires and even checked all the coils again. Even pulled the plug one by one and saw hot spark as I turned it over.

It’s hard to get it started. Requires starting fluid and several try’s. Once it’s running it’s hard to keep running.

Also someone had suggested that a kickstand kill switch can go out and cause this. I thought the kickstand kill switch killed it completely?

Any help is greatly appreciated!

 

[Fire-medic]

I've had two go bad in 27 years of multiple VMax ownership. The value for a disconnected pick-up coil is ~100 ohms, there's a range. If you're nowhere-near that, you could have an issue. Aftermarket coils are much less-expensive than OEM.

Use the search function on here for info from the factory service manual, the aftermarket source frequently-used, and also how to avoid a lot of the fumbling people go-through trying to solve this.

Just to let you know, you can have a coil which goes-bad after a period of operation. Let it cool-down, and it restores its function. Get it hot, and it fails, again.

Intermittent operation of lights and electronic instruments are usually due-to bad + lead(s), a bad -- ground, a low battery, or broken wires, or corroded connectors. Bad switch contacts, too. Ever-had a relay weld its points closed?

 

[gentsvmax]

I had a post a while back with questions about this same issue With no response. I hope this one does better.

Has anyone ever had their ignition pickup coil fail? If so can it cause misfire like running off timing or does it just stop working altogether? I’m rebuilding the carbs for the third time, this time with all new everything but I’m really having a hard time believing that’s the problem. The bike was running great almost 10 years ago. Then the left front coil went out. I replaced it and as I it still wasn’t running right. I parked it with the intention of looking into it. One thing lead to another, marriage, blah, blah, divorce, blah, blah,blah... now I’m ready to hit the road again. Anyone know how to test the pickup coil before I pull the carbs... again? Also I know the screw in the left side cover is for checking timing. Can I do this with a normal timing light and if so how?
Another reason I think it’s a pickup coil issue is when the coil went out my Autometer Sport Comp II tachometer also started acting very funny. It will just jump all over the place. I thought it was the bad coil but obviously not. Read where aftermarket tachs can fail and ground out electronic ignition causing misfire. It’s been completely disconnected so that’s not the issue.

Before anyone asks I’ve done a compression test, all 180psi. All new plugs, wires and even checked all the coils again. Even pulled the plug one by one and saw hot spark as I turned it over.

It’s hard to get it started. Requires starting fluid and several try’s. Once it’s running it’s hard to keep running.

Also someone had suggested that a kickstand kill switch can go out and cause this. I thought the kickstand kill switch killed it completely?

Any help is greatly appreciated!

If your seeing"hot spark"gotta check some other basic's.