1981 kz 1000 ltd; no spark, bad igniter?

we didn't get spark on either side on two of the plugs

Was it 1 and 4 (the outside cylinder on each side) or 2 and 3 (the inside cylinder on each side)?

The ignition coils each fire two plugs, 1 and 4, and 2 and 3, it's called "Wasted spark" and if you have one bad plug/cap/wire you have two plugs with no spark.

steell wrote:

we didn't get spark on either side on two of the plugs

Was it 1 and 4 (the outside cylinder on each side) or 2 and 3 (the inside cylinder on each side)?

The ignition coils each fire two plugs, 1 and 4, and 2 and 3, it's called "Wasted spark" and if you have one bad plug/cap/wire you have two plugs with no spark.

And if you have spark on two of the plugs, you know you have one good circuit and can use that one to troubleshoot the other one.

if this becomes a source of frustration U2U me or E-mail I can walk you through this section by section trippivot@hotmail.com

I am having the same problems with my 1981 KZ 750 LTD as described on the 1981 KZ1000. I have checked the electrical connections with a volt meter and grounds on the bike. Everything seems fine. I have went through the service manual from end to end and still no resolve. I have narrowed it to the CDI. Is there any way to check this. I am going crazy trying to find the problems.

Thanks,
Samurrocket

The :S

Samurrocket wrote:

I am having the same problems with my 1981 KZ 750 LTD as described on the 1981 KZ1000. I have checked the electrical connections with a volt meter and grounds on the bike. Everything seems fine. I have went through the service manual from end to end and still no resolve. I have narrowed it to the CDI. Is there any way to check this. I am going crazy trying to find the problems.

Thanks,
Samurrocket

The :S

Are you saying you have no spark at all?

There is no spark at the plugs. The bike is getting voltage to the ignition coils and the coils test out OK. THe pickup coil tests fine. The battery is charged and the charging system was working ok. The is voltage acros the starter solenoid.

Samurrocket wrote:

There is no spark at the plugs. The bike is getting voltage to the ignition coils and the coils test out OK. THe pickup coil tests fine. The battery is charged and the charging system was working ok. The is voltage acros the starter solenoid.

If none of the 4 plugs is sparking, then it's tougher to nail down. If two were sparking, you could swap things around to identify the bad part.

Well, start by making sure there is voltage and ground on the ignitor by measuring the voltage to the positive wire when the bike is on, and measuring the resistance on the ignitor's ground wire relative to the battery's ground when the bike is off.

That is,
test one: Voltmeter's red wire to ignitor's positive wire. Voltmeter's black wire to battery ground. Turn bike on. Read meter (DC voltage).

test two: Bike is off. Ohmeter's red wire to ignitor's ground wire. Ohmeter's black wire to battery's ground. Read meter (ohms).

Ignitor Test