No Spark

Okay - back again. Last Fall ran like top, put away for 2 weeks, next attempt to start it would not. Plenty of battery and kept on trickle charge over winter. Try again in Spring and would once again not start. Turns overt just fine .... hoping Gremlins would fix over winter.
No spark as I firs try to diagnose. I'm working through Yamaha Haynes trouble shooting. Ignition coil would appear not to be an issue as both sides have no spark, seems unlikely both would fail at same time. Spark plugs all new. Fuse solid. Battery at start 12.7 v. Besides checking ALL connections, this seems to leave me with Pick-up coil and TCI / (voltage regulator). I would try to electrically test but I'm clueless and suck at electricity checks.
Any other ideas or encouragement?

 

I answered your question in your other post you need to test your pick up coils. You set your meter 2 k ohms resistance and you're looking for 650 ohms plus or minus. This test is done from the TCI connector that has the black orange and grey wires coming from it it also has a black and white wire.
Try disconnecting the black and white wire first and see if your bike will start .
The black and white wire is what shuts down your bike when the safety systems are and use sometimes a PCI starts to fail and the black wire just shuts down the bike black and white wire.
After you try that you disconnect the connector from the TCI and test for 650 ohms clean the black wire solid black wire are the orange wire let me clean the solid black wire and the gray wire again you looking for 650 ohms.
Don't forget to clean these connectors when you do this sitting will let them get corroded. also may want to check your ignition fuse if it is a glass shoes and make sure it has good connections.

Even though your bike has been on a battery tender, you will want to do it all to drop test on the battery, you looking for 12.8 volts before cranking Andover 10 volts while cranking the starter. If that tests good you may want to do a voltage drop test spoke at the red white wire on the TCI connector that controls the ignition coils and see what you get for voltage drop to the TCI connector red white wire which supplies the ignition coils. If the battery was close to dropping 10 volts it made me less at the TCI coil connections you'd want to clean connections well liquor look into the connections that go up to the control and starter button make sure they're clean and tight.

 

Just to think about the simple side, it could be you need new spark plugs. Have you checked your fuel supply and primed the carbs?
You looking to check each system that makes the motor start .
Fuel, fire the spark, and oxygen the air filter you might have a dead mouse or two in tilter. Or some other XJ filter loving rodent.

 

Yes in the spring (new riding season) always check the air intake system for those nests. In my area I get them in the bikes, mowers, cars, almost anything that sits that can provide shelter. Mice, red squirrels and chipmunks are not my friends. If any of that nest debris gets past a filter it would not do the engine any good.

 

Make sure that the sidestand switch isn't stuck.

 

Thanks again all, as always I would not ride at all without your expertise! I will continue looking through any I have not already broached. Oh Yea, new plugs with about 30 miles of ride time on them.

 

These bikes have two pretty separate ignition circuits: 1/4 and 2/3. No spark on either channel makes failure of single components like coils or pickups very unlikely. Better to look at things that both channels have in common:

1. Fuses - if you have original glass fuses, then the fuse box clips are the most likely problem.
2. The safety circuit. If the sidestand switch or relay isn't working, or the neutral switch isn't working, or the diode block is damaged, this could lead the bike to disable ignition.
3. There is a shared ground wire from the pickups. If that were cut, you would lose ignition.

Definitely check to make sure you have good 12V to the R/W at the TCI and the coils. You can also try disconnecting the B/W bullet connector to temporarily (for testing purposes) disable the safety circuit.

 

As XJ550H stated , if you are running the stock vacuum petcock , set to PRI , recommend opening float bowl drain screws . Make sure you have fuel in float bowls .

 

It seems the issue is resolved (knock on wood). Not wanting to inconvenience friends and aquatints I decided to purchase a tested and known functional TCI from XJ4ever. Len, if you are tracking, NO more problems. I've now had 4 jonts of varying distances and there has been a single bad run. In retrospect it seems logical that the TCI was operational intermittently. From backfire (gas buildup), to no spark, to shutdown power on ride. If any one wants the old-one for repair let me know. Otherwise I have a .45acp for complete demolition! Thanks again to all for help and ideas to get me down the road again!

 

I would be interested in knowing what failed.

I tried a PM but your inbox is full

 

There are often marginal or cold-soldered connections, or corrosion can occur. Sometimes the units just get flaky once warm, with no signs of anything "repairable." Some years back, I "field tested" a batch of them from 550s for Chacal and unearthed a couple that were simply bad. The symptoms can be very entertaining to say the least...

 

The symptoms can be very entertaining to say the least... That's what you call it ..... enteraining!? Sorry 'bout my inbox full, I've make a little room now. I've not yet put a hole in it.