Coil Voltage: Getting Closer

Months back, when putting in a new harness, there were three female bullet connectors under the tank with nowhere to go: brown, brown/white, and blue/white. Realized they were meant to go up to a headlight switch, however, my bike came with the switch removed. I had no power to the headlight until I touched all three together.

At the time, I didn't have the proper connectors, so I rigged up a sketchy connection with automotive connectors and a spare female piece with four inputs. The headlight lit up and the bike started, so I was satisfied for the time being.

More recently, going through everything to locate a two volt drop at the coils , I noticed if i disconnected those wires voltage shot right up to where it should be, albeit no headlight. Figured, "Okay, lets get some proper connectors on there with proper crimps and that should help." It did, a little. I got back one volt, but still could use one more.

Now I'm thinking if I wire up an actual headlight switch and connect it to those wires how it was meant to be, that may solve things, no? Any input much appreciated as always, though I'm not interested in any band-aids here. Gotta fix it right!

Do you have a shop manual with the wiring diagram? If not, maybe these websites can help you:

Manuals (Some of these websites sell used manuals, just ask)
www.repairmanual.com
www.manualsnmore.com
www.midwestmanuals.com/
www.books4cars.com/
www.repairmanualclub.com/motomanuals/
moto-manuals.com/
www.e-classicbike.com/
www.repairthatmotorcycle.com/manuals/kawasaki.html

Also, www.easternbeaver.com has many electrical connectors on their website.

What voltage are you getting at what RPM? (It goes up as RPM increases)

I'm going off the diagram in the Clymer manual. That's how I figured out those extra wires were supposed to go to a headlight switch. It's been pretty helpful so far.

The voltage I'm reading isn't with the bike running. It's just with the key turned on. At this point I'm just trying to get the coils to match what I read on the battery, about 12 - 13v or so. Once I get there I'll start her up and see if voltage increases as it should.

If it is with the engine not running I would expect a voltage drop because you are pulling 65 watts (5.5 Amps) with the headlight on.
A more valid test would be to start her up and then start checking the voltages at different RPMs.
And on that bike I would find a headlight switch so you can supply maximum current to the starter, as intended.

I see. Guess I'll wire up the headlight switch first, then do a running test and see if all checks out.

daless wrote: ...Now I'm thinking if I wire up an actual headlight switch and connect it to those wires how it was meant to be, that may solve things... Gotta fix it right!

If needed, here's a link to download the wiring diagram from KZr's FILEBASE:
www.kzrider.com/filebase/search/finish/1-general/246-z1000a1

Good Fortune!

Have you seen this? I have not tried it yet but it's similar to the coil re-powering relay.
www.motorcycleclassics.com/mc-how-to/ins...y.aspx#axzz2wT1L2HGq

The relay looks cool, but I'd rather wire up a headlight switch for now. Ran into some trouble with that today, however.

I put together a nice new piece out of a right hand control that had a switch in it. Only problems were the wires weren't long enough and one was missing. Took off the two that were there, thinking I could solder new ones in, but it seems damn near impossible. I'm sure some of you have seen these things before:





I can heat up the flat side, but the heat won't seem to transfer through. It just gets the plastic around it hot. Maybe I'm just terrible at soldering, but I'm starting to think I should junk the switch and find another one with all the wires already attached. No luck so far. Any suggestions?

I see Z1E has a KZ900 right hand control I could probably use the switch out of. Right hands are so much less common than lefts. Especially ones with a headlight switch.

78z1Joe wrote: Have you seen this? I have not tried it yet but it's similar to the coil re-powering relay.
www.motorcycleclassics.com/mc-how-to/ins...y.aspx#axzz2wT1L2HGq

I'd be careful about using a relay for the headlight. It adds another single point of failure to the headlight circuit, and if the relay fails - no light. This could be particularly bad on a curvy road at night. Relays don't fail often, but they do fail sometimes. Ed

Now that the headlight switch is in properly I re-tested voltage with it turned off. This is still without the bike running, but I'm not sure if I should be concerned about what I found:

At the pigtail with no coils plugged into it I read 12

With the right coil plugged in it was 11.5

With the left plugged in it was 12

Now at the end of each coil's separate wire the left read 11.5 and the right was 12. Is all that weird or nothing to worry about?

When I was going thru the wiring on my bike a 1/2 volt drop was the best I could get to. I think that's normal with the coils plugged in.

I believe the reason you have 12 on one side and 11.5 on the other is because one set of points is open and the other set is closed dropping some voltage to ground thru the points/condenser. Rotate the engine and see if that .5V drop goes from one side to the other.

If I'm way off, sorry, it was last summer since I thought about this stuff when I was going thru mine.