Wilsons Sandbox

Attachments :Dash, Sorry for the delay in getting this info to you, but I've spent far more time bonding with my electrical meters than I expected. The bottom line: the diagnostic charts in the service manual are accurate for my 1995 A9, but you have to know how to 'read' them. You were not getting erratic results with your meter, both of my digital multi-meters could not give consistent results, no matter what diagnostic options/modes I used. I dug into my archives & found my old analog HeathKit small engine tester and was able to get reliable readings on the 1K ohm scale. The easiest way to interpret my results is to look at the attachment where I've entered my results after cutting & pasting the results onto the page in the supplemental manual. You'll notice that many of the factory specs for the A1, A2, & A3 CDI are similar to the A4 & later specs. I took the liberty to 'enhance' the factory chart for my results.

> Anyway then it was on to the ignition coil. That was out > of spec.... 0.45 ohms on the primary and 10 kohms on the > secondary.

Ah, not really. My A9 had 0.19 ohms on the primary test and 4.98K ohms on the secondary (WITH THE SPARK PLUG CAP REMOVED). The picture(s) in the manual on page 14-9 show the arcing test done with the plug cap installed and the resistance test done with the cap removed. My resistance test with the plug cap attached had a total resistance of 9.96K ohms, right in line with your results. Obviously, the stock spark plug cap is a resistance type, which is probably why the non-resistor spark plug is specified for the U.S. models. FWIW, the manufacture #s on the plug cap are: "NICHIWA XD05F". It would be very easy to hook up the BLACK and BLACK/YELLOW wires on the ignition coil bass akwards. Page 14-7 in the service manual shows a confusing picture on the correct wire setup. Fortunately, I made a note of which wire went where before I removed the wires. The wire layout is correct in the manual, but it looks like the ignition coil mounts onto the left side of the frame or that the coil should mount with the coil's high tension lead routed to the rear of the bike. The ignition might work with the wires reversed, or maybe this is the source of your problem? Anyway, I'm done bonding with my meters, I wanna go ride. Professor A9 Federal Way, WA. [USA] ps: would someone please forward this to Elden Carl?

Hi Jim, I'll get an analog meter just to verify this. However, I wasn't getting erratic results. I was getting very stable values, they were just way off from what the chart indicates. I also made a chart but I left mine at home this morning. I'll take a break in a couple of hours and go get it. Just to give you an example though, the entire chart calls for readings in the kohm range. Much of my chart is in the MegOhm range and yet a few other cells of the chart are in the ohm range. The only thing that was right on was the opens with the Bk/W wire. I did check the coil with the cap on, so there you go, thanks. However, the primary is still twice what the book specifies for a maximum. Again, I'll dig out an old analog meter to verify this. I even double checked my DMM's (I have three) with the ones at work (those are all calibrated) and the difference I was getting with my DMM's were not more than 5% (with the worst one) of the calibrated DMM values for a given resistance. Then to double check everything, I used some high precision resistors rather than my components to test the meters. I am reasonably certain that my values are within say 5-10% of being dead on. Yesterday, I went searching for grounding errors. I found none. This wasn't visually. This was with an ohm meter, connecting each and every wire to the red lead and then the black to the frame and engine and then also to the battery negative. My frame has 10 ohms between it and the battery negative. I still haven't checked out the regulator/rectifier, I had some Spring Cleaning to do in my office. I very much appreciate your help with this. I have a used CDI on the way. It should be here on Monday. I have spoken with three service departments at various dealers in the state. They all said that CDI's just die. One of them said to double check for a grounding fault and that reg/rectifier was working properly, as those were the only things that could possibly kill one. So I still need to check out the reg/rectifier. I don't really like the test in the manual for the reg/rectifier. I like the running test better, but since I'm not running yet........ My battery is certainly a problem, as it is weak. Two days ago it was at 12.68V, yesterday it was at 12.17V. I need a new one and I think I'll pick one up this weekend, to start fresh. I also didn't get to my starter yet. Oh yeah and you can't switch the wires on the coil. The spades are different sizes. Thanks Again, I really appreciate your help. LaterZ Dash At 01:56 AM 7/28/2000 -0700, Jim Hyman wrote:

>Dash, > >Sorry for the delay in getting this info to you, but I've spent far more time >bonding with my electrical meters than I expected. The bottom line: the >diagnostic charts in the service manual are accurate for my 1995 A9, but you >have to know how to 'read' them. You were not getting erratic results >with your >meter, both of my digital multi-meters could not give consistent results, no >matter what diagnostic options/modes I used. I dug into my archives & >found my >old analog HeathKit small engine tester and was able to get reliable >readings on >the 1K ohm scale. The easiest way to interpret my results is to look at the >attachment where I've entered my results after cutting & pasting the results >onto the page in the supplemental manual. You'll notice that many of the >factory specs for the A1, A2, & A3 CDI are similar to the A4 & later specs. I >took the liberty to 'enhance' the factory chart for my results. > > > Anyway then it was on to the ignition coil. That was out > > of spec.... 0.45 ohms on the primary and 10 kohms on the > > secondary. > >Ah, not really. My A9 had 0.19 ohms on the primary test and 4.98K ohms on the >secondary (WITH THE SPARK PLUG CAP REMOVED). The picture(s) in the manual on >page 14-9 show the arcing test done with the plug cap installed and the >resistance test done with the cap removed. My resistance test with the >plug cap >attached had a total resistance of 9.96K ohms, right in line with your >results. >Obviously, the stock spark plug cap is a resistance type, which is >probably why >the non-resistor spark plug is specified for the U.S. models. FWIW, the >manufacture #s on the plug cap are: "NICHIWA XD05F". > >It would be very easy to hook up the BLACK and BLACK/YELLOW wires on the >ignition coil bass akwards. Page 14-7 in the service manual shows a confusing >picture on the correct wire setup. Fortunately, I made a note of which wire >went where before I removed the wires. The wire layout is correct in the >manual, but it looks like the ignition coil mounts onto the left side of the >frame or that the coil should mount with the coil's high tension lead >routed to >the rear of the bike. The ignition might work with the wires reversed, or >maybe >this is the source of your problem? > >Anyway, I'm done bonding with my meters, I wanna go ride. > >Professor A9 Federal Way, WA. [USA] > >ps: would someone please forward this to Elden Carl? >

Someone on the list, I forget who, suggested using pledge to clean grime and bugs off the plastic and paint. I've used nothing else on my road-only KLR, and have been delighted! Clean and shiny all at once. I use simple green on the oily parts. The real trick is getting the four-year-old to do most of the work. Ralph Ralph E. Hanson 99 KRL 650 http://www.wvu.edu/~journal2