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Post by whack51 on Nov 29, 2012 9:29:45 GMT -5
My scooter has been having some trouble for a while now. At first it was running fine, then it would randomly lose some power and start backfiring, especially when I gave it more throttle. After a while, it would seem to kick back into "normal mode" and run perfectly for a while longer. Recently, though, it has started dying randomly. It happens with no warning. Afterward, it doesn't want to start back up, just cranks but won't fire. Eventually, it will decide to start again, sometimes after a few minutes, sometimes after a few hours. Then, it runs for anywhere from a few seconds to 10 minutes before dying again.
I have tried looking for a short or loose wire somewhere. The only thing I "found" is that, 2 times, it started up again when I jiggled the wire going into the ignition coil. However, this has not worked consistently.
The fuel filter is clean, and I tried running some fuel system cleaner just in case.
My thought is maybe a bad coil. Does this sound right? Any other ideas?
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Post by snugglebunny on Nov 29, 2012 9:50:53 GMT -5
not to be vague but
could be lots of things
valves could need adjusted
do you have a VOM ?
try checking from battery to coil to cdi to stator
could be something as simple as a wire that doesnt appear loose but is
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Post by whack51 on Nov 29, 2012 10:00:43 GMT -5
I just adjusted the valves last week. That did not make a difference. I did not see any exposed areas on the coil to check for voltage. Is there some way to take the wire out or the cover off? I know it could be a lot of things. I'm just trying to get ideas of the most likely problems, or see if someone has had the same issue.
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Post by scootnwinn on Nov 29, 2012 10:13:10 GMT -5
Intermittent strange problems are often electrical...
Though debris in a carb can cause weird issues jiggling ignition wires will never fix it. Have you actually unplugged the cdi? Unplug it and plug it back in make sure the connection looks right. You may want to check for spark when it does this too you might help to narrow things down. Insure your grounding well too
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Post by Fox on Nov 29, 2012 13:01:56 GMT -5
Which wires are you talking about jiggling? The ones that run to the key switch or the coil?
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Post by jlee on Nov 29, 2012 13:09:45 GMT -5
Classic bad coil symptom. As it heats up, the winding opens and you lose spark. Coil cools down and works again. Jiggling the coil wire sometimes helps, sometimes not.
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Post by scootnwinn on Nov 29, 2012 13:11:59 GMT -5
Sounds reasonable Definitely would be good to check spark when that little bugger is hot then...
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Post by Fox on Nov 29, 2012 13:15:41 GMT -5
I've seen a few times where the spade connectors are loose causing the same symptom. Solution: Take them off and squeeze them with pliers a little bit.  |
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Post by jlee on Nov 29, 2012 13:26:02 GMT -5
Unfortunately, an intermittent coil is difficult to test. If the connectors on the primary side look good (as Fox said), and the connection at the plug boot is solid, I would replace the coil.
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Post by Fox on Nov 29, 2012 13:37:18 GMT -5
I've also seen bad CDI's that are intermittent and other times I've seen where a pin will pull partially out of the plug connector at the CDI.
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Post by whack51 on Nov 29, 2012 21:14:07 GMT -5
Alright, after a lot more testing/jiggling, I am 90% sure that there is a flaky connection where the coil meets the harness. I am going to let it cool down some I don't trust myself not to hit the muffler), then take it off and make sure everything is tight.
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Post by ootscoot on Nov 29, 2012 21:57:37 GMT -5
gas tank venting ok?
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Post by whack51 on Nov 29, 2012 23:34:52 GMT -5
I clamped down the contacts as much as possible. They were still a little loose, so I secured them with electrical tape. I let it idle for a few minutes, then, as I was pulling out of the driveway, it died. It started right back up, though, and didn't die any more during about a 15 minute ride. I was still getting sporadic hesitation and occasional backfires during acceleration, though. So, one problem maybe solved, one still occurring.
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Post by jlee on Nov 29, 2012 23:36:54 GMT -5
I clamped down the contacts as much as possible. They were still a little loose, so I secured them with electrical tape. I let it idle for a few minutes, then, as I was pulling out of the driveway, it died. It started right back up, though, and didn't die any more during about a 15 minute ride. I was still getting sporadic hesitation and occasional backfires during acceleration, though. So, one problem maybe solved, one still occurring. Can still easily be a bad coil. Hesitation and backfiring due to sporadic missing sparks. |
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Post by Fox on Nov 29, 2012 23:52:04 GMT -5
CDI maybe.
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Post by jlee on Nov 29, 2012 23:54:51 GMT -5
That would be my next guess, followed by pickup coil (or wire). |
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Post by scootercapecod on Dec 4, 2012 1:07:41 GMT -5
It sounds like CDI to me, I ran into the same type of issue after laying it down on a dirt road. The CDI wiring connector broke off and it caused it to run like crap. A new CDI (which is around $15 for a stock one) might just fix it
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Post by whack51 on Dec 6, 2012 17:41:18 GMT -5
Well, it didn't hold very long. Seems like the connection is loose again. Sometimes it runs perfectly, but when it messes up, it backfires a lot. The more throttle I apply, the more it misses. It can be a struggle just getting up to 35 mph. I'm gonna try some solder next.
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Post by Fox on Dec 6, 2012 17:42:50 GMT -5
Which connection?
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Post by whack51 on Dec 6, 2012 17:51:40 GMT -5
Where the coil connects to the harness.
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Post by whack51 on Dec 7, 2012 0:19:37 GMT -5
I managed to get a good solid connection, but the sluggishness and backfiring still persist. So much for that theory.
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Post by Fox on Dec 7, 2012 0:34:00 GMT -5
This is gonna sound dumb but have you replaced the spark plug? It could have a cracked insulator. Sometimes the spark plug wire or plug cap will have cracks allowing the spark to jump to the frame or the cylinder head before it gets to the plug. Other times the plug cap doesn't grab the plug very tight so you get a mis-fire. I only use NGK plug caps on my scoots. www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trksid=p5197.m570.l1313&_nkw=NGK+VD05F&_sacat=0&_from=R40Hell, you could have a fuel system issue. Cracked intake rubber, bad carb, vacuum leak... |
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