No Spark - Dead 83 Venture

[Guest TJF]

Hi Everyone,

 

First I'd like to say thanks for such a great site. I've really learned a lot from many of the posts. I'm particularly impressed with the helpfulness of eveyone.

 

Anyone care to help some more?

 

I picked up an 83 Venture XVZ1200 from a friend and it wasn't running. The current status is I'm only getting spark from 2 cylinders (1 & 3). Thanks to this site I've tried quite a few things so I thought if anyone could point me another direction I'd be very grateful. Here's the list of what I've tried:

• I changed out the plugs
  
• Primary coil is within limits
  
• Spark coils are within limits
  
• I refitted the plug wires (cut about 1/4 inch at the coil and plugs and re-fitted)
  
• Pressure sensor tested within limits
  
• Cleaned all electrical connections with spray
  
• Pulled the TCI and opened the cover, it smelled like fuel, I dried it for about 20 minutes on LOW with a hair dryer

Not sure what else to do although I still suspect the TCI. Any help would be appreciated. Can't wait to go for a first ride! Thanks in advance.

[Yammer Dan]

Sorry but sounds like TCI but with good fresh plugs it should start if you are getting spark to two cylinders.

[Yammer Dan]

Open carb drains and make sure you are getting fuel.

[Guest TJF]

Thanks! I'll try the carb drains.

[buddy]

Check your pigtail from your pickup-coils,Left side of bike just under driver seat on frame work white in color,this will cause the problem your having. even though they are pluged in does not mean it is getting good connection.Photo included of location of this pain in the neck but easy fix.Hope this will fix your problem it did mine.Had no fire to two cylinders untill I fixed the pigtail connection.

 

buddy

[bongobobny]

Buddy beat me to the punch! You can test the output with an old fashioned dwell meter if you have one. If not, then most likely your expensive TCI is most likely malfunctioning. Yes, they can "half work" but usually they are completely dead.

[DonB]

TJF

 

I have a spare TCI that I sent this person and if you can call this guy up and get it from him you are welcome to try it out.

 

Matt Hayes

231A State Route 180

Chillicothe, Ohio 45601

(740) 703 - 9936

 

He keeps on saying that it's in the mail but it never shows up.

 

Good luck if you can get it from him.

 

All I would want is your old TCI if you're successful

 

DonB

[Guest TJF]

Thanks for all the great tips everyone. I'll let you know what I find out.

 

I think I cleaned the pigtail mentioned but I didn't pay close attention to the actual connection. I'll test it with a meter as well.

 

DonB

Thanks for the offer on the TCI. We'll see what happens. Sorry you've gone through such a hassle but thanks for being willing to share. I also tried to send an email to the guy who refurbs TCIs but the email came back as an invalid address. Maybe he got too busy!

[DonB]

TJF

 

Well don't that beat all. Matt finally sent in his old TCI to replace the one I had sent him. Of course he "FORGOT" to send me the money I had spent on postage as per our original agreement. Once I have a chance to take this TCI apart and see if its repairable you would be welcome to it if it works OK. I'll get back to you on this.

 

db

[Yammer Dan]

Don if it is not repairable I have a dead one that I need to remove from the Blue Beast. Had almost forgotton it. It started cutting out bad and I grabbed one from E-Bay and put it on top of air-box couple years ago. When I hooked the old one up later it wouldn't fire at all.

[DonB]

Daniel

 

Well if you want to send it to me I can look at it and if it's repairable I would then make it available to any member who might need it.

 

Only this time I would send it to members only!!

 

db

 

[cowpuc]

TJF, how did you diagnose that it is spark related? Did you pull the plugs, ground them and visually check them? Just wanting to make sure we are side tracked..

Anyway, another thing you could check is the resistance in your plug caps.. I have seen those caps fail on more then one occasion. Just unscrew them from the wire - maybe even just swap them over to the other side so you KNOW it works.. Also dont forget to double check plug gap to spec.. Just for kicks you could take a little gas line and dump a teaspoon of raw gas into each non-running cylinder, put the plugs back in and see if it'll run off that.. That will at least tell you that its getting gas..

Exactly where on the bike is the TCI located guys? Also, what does TCI stand for? Total Capacider Ignition, Thermal Cathode Igniter, To Cause Irritation hahahah

Thank you Lord I LOVE this site!! Aint nothin funner then hangin out with a bunch a gear heads is there..

'Puc

[Gearhead]

Transistor Controlled Ignition - I think. It is stuck under the battery toward the RH side. As such, over the years it tends to get some acid runoff from the battery causing corrosion on the connector. Some guys move it to the top of the airbox.

 

I agree - I love talking shop!

 

Jeremy

[Guest TJF]

Hi DonB,

 

I would definitely be interested in your TCI if you're able to repair the one you got back. I called about priicing and dealers are saying $714.00. I'll probably pull mine apart and see what I can see. Couldn't hurt... I had the cover off the other night but the circuit board didn't want to come out. Any tricks you can share? I'm afraid I might break the board if I put any more pressure on it.

 

Hey cowpuc,

I did pull the plugs and ground them to the cylinder bolt. I'm getting spark from cylinders 1 & 3. A dealer told me they fire in pairs so he thought it made sense too that it was the TCI.

 

I know I was getting fuel in Cyl 3. I need to open the carb drains to be sure I'm getting it all around. I'm on the road for the week so I'll attempt when I return home.

 

Thanks for all the replies everyone. It sure is great to have such support.

[DonB]

TJF

 

You have to unsolder the 14 connections on the board that attach to the two plugs. There are 8 connections on the left and 6 connectors on the right when you are lookning down onto the board. Then remove the 4 corner screws and the center screw. I use a solder sucker when doing this and then check that all the connections are loose. Be careful that you don't destroy a copper trace or you will then be doing a trace repair. I will be checking the spare TCI later on tonite and I'll let you know how it looks.

 

db

[Guest TJF]

Thanks to help from DonB I was able to repair my TCI. Each of the 8 diodes were powder once I got to the circuit side of the board. The diodes have been replaced and I now have spark to all cylinders (I tested by grounding to each cylinder head).

 

But she still won't start!

 

I opened the carb drains and have fuel to all cylinders. The battery is good but the starter is slow in turning over. With all the plugs out it turns over fine. I even tried spraying some starter fluid but I only get an occassional "pop".

 

Any ideas?

[Oldgold]

How's your battery and connections, I have had mine for years and both times it would not start, the battery was low to the point where it would

turn over, but not fast enough to start . Dirty or corroded battery connections would produce the same results.

[bongobobny]

Well, the good news is that you obviously have good compression if there is a huge difference between plugs and no plugs. Are you seeing a good "mist" as it turns over with no plugs?

 

I am strongly suspecting your battery is weak. Motorcycle batteries aren't that big or strong to begin with...

[Yammer Dan]

Give the battery a good charge and leave plugs out while you are doing this to let it air out a little.

[CrazyHorse]

Thanks to help from DonB I was able to repair my TCI. Each of the 8 diodes were powder once I got to the circuit side of the board. The diodes have been replaced and I now have spark to all cylinders (I tested by grounding to each cylinder head).

 

But she still won't start!

 

I opened the carb drains and have fuel to all cylinders. The battery is good but the starter is slow in turning over. With all the plugs out it turns over fine. I even tried spraying some starter fluid but I only get an occassional "pop".

 

Any ideas?

 

Had a similiar problem had spark but wouldnt start. Even starter fluid didnt help. Plugs were fairly new. Nuthin would nt run. Changed the plugs (I used Iridiums) started right up I guess the plugs were fouled somehow but I couldnt tell by looking at them. Now is my ignition weak and the Iridiums with the finer tip overcomes this I dont know.

[Guest TJF]

Thanks everyone for all the input; what a great group!

 

Last night I received a TCI in the mail that I got from and eBay auction last week. I plugged it in and she started right up. Go figure!

 

Even though I replaced all the diodes in the old TCI and was getting spark I think whatever controls the timing (I think the transistors) is probably bad.

 

She idled just fine but I couldn't add much throttle without dying. I will be adjusting the carbs next and hopefully be taking a nice long ride this weekend.

[bongobobny]

 

Also great that something you bought off ebay was good! Probably the next step should be a strong dose of seafoam. I would put older plugs in for that, as the seafoam treatment could foul your new plugs...

[Yammer Dan]

What Bongobobny said and put some miles on it with the Sea-Foam!!