Post by piaggiorider on Jul 12, 2011 21:08:25 GMT
Hi all.. 
Can you help with the mystery?? Is it my CDI unit??
I recently bought a paiggio zip 2003 125cc that hadn't been run since jan 10.
The story is that it started to have problems starting and then wouldn't start.
The garage that did it's regular servicing told the owner that he didn't have a spark at the plug and that it was probably the stator.
(the garage had fitted a new batt, new plug and this was their diagnosis)
I have spoken directly to the garage and they have admitted to me that despite being in the business for 11 years they know f**k all about electrics.. they solve all problems through the replacement of parts and elimination. (charging the customer every step of the way no doubt..)
When I first tested the ignition pick up feed to the CDI there was no A/C current coming thru..
I removed the flywheel cover and noticed that the Ignition pick up was pretty caked in grime...
Took it off, cleaned, replaced, checked the air gap.
held the plug up to the engine casing and cranked her..
got 2 sparks..
thought YES!!!! fixed it... but no...
wouldn't spark again after that.
removed the plug cap and held the HT lead end up against the engine case and cranked her again..
got a pathetic, but constantly firing, tiny, tiny spark.
That has been the story ever since....
This is what I have done so far...
1. checked the resistance across the green (ignition pick up) and Black (earth) at the CDI plug. Comes in at 109 ohms which is perfect.
2. checked the A/C current from the green (Ignition Pick Up) at the CDI plug when the engine is cranked.. comes up as .2 on my 200 A/C scale.. again i think this is good. supposed to be >2V
3. checked the resistance between the violet (ht live feed) and black (earth) at the CDI plug with the HT coil connected, came in at .4 which is good (should be .4 or .5 ohms)
4. checked the resistance from the HT coil negative input to the end of the HT lead, comes in at 2300 ohms.. should be 3000 but still been told that it is good enough..
5. checked the resistance thru the spark plug cap, comes in at 5 ohms which is spot on.
6. I have cheked the continuity of the stator across all three yellow wires and they come in at 0.9 which again is perfect. (i have learnt that the stator doesn't feed the CDI directly, the only wires that come out of it are brown (oil temp), yellowx3 (reg/rect charging), green (ignition pick up)
7. I have checked the orange wire (power feed) to the CDI, when the ignition is switched on, comes in at 12.67 volts.. (havn't tested it while its cranking tho??)
8. there is some kind of voltage coming down the violet (live feed from CDI) into the coil but I cant accurately measure it very well on my multi meter.(and there must be to create that tiny tiny mumble of a spark from the HT lead...)
9. I have also today, swapped the stator and ignition pickup with another one and all the test results are identical. (so its definitely not that..)
I have spoken to fowlers and few other people and the general consensus is that the CDI's on the fourstroke new leader engines are prettybomb proof and rarely go wrong.
Does any one have any ideas please??
I am in Greenwich SE10, is anyone reasonably close enough and kind enough to let me plug their CDI in for a min... at least I will know that is all I need to get.
Many thanks..(would be happy to travel to borrow a CDI..)
Can you help with the mystery?? Is it my CDI unit??
I recently bought a paiggio zip 2003 125cc that hadn't been run since jan 10.
The story is that it started to have problems starting and then wouldn't start.
The garage that did it's regular servicing told the owner that he didn't have a spark at the plug and that it was probably the stator.
(the garage had fitted a new batt, new plug and this was their diagnosis)
I have spoken directly to the garage and they have admitted to me that despite being in the business for 11 years they know f**k all about electrics.. they solve all problems through the replacement of parts and elimination. (charging the customer every step of the way no doubt..)
When I first tested the ignition pick up feed to the CDI there was no A/C current coming thru..
I removed the flywheel cover and noticed that the Ignition pick up was pretty caked in grime...
Took it off, cleaned, replaced, checked the air gap.
held the plug up to the engine casing and cranked her..
got 2 sparks..
thought YES!!!! fixed it... but no...
wouldn't spark again after that.
removed the plug cap and held the HT lead end up against the engine case and cranked her again..
got a pathetic, but constantly firing, tiny, tiny spark.
That has been the story ever since....
This is what I have done so far...
1. checked the resistance across the green (ignition pick up) and Black (earth) at the CDI plug. Comes in at 109 ohms which is perfect.
2. checked the A/C current from the green (Ignition Pick Up) at the CDI plug when the engine is cranked.. comes up as .2 on my 200 A/C scale.. again i think this is good. supposed to be >2V
3. checked the resistance between the violet (ht live feed) and black (earth) at the CDI plug with the HT coil connected, came in at .4 which is good (should be .4 or .5 ohms)
4. checked the resistance from the HT coil negative input to the end of the HT lead, comes in at 2300 ohms.. should be 3000 but still been told that it is good enough..
5. checked the resistance thru the spark plug cap, comes in at 5 ohms which is spot on.
6. I have cheked the continuity of the stator across all three yellow wires and they come in at 0.9 which again is perfect. (i have learnt that the stator doesn't feed the CDI directly, the only wires that come out of it are brown (oil temp), yellowx3 (reg/rect charging), green (ignition pick up)
7. I have checked the orange wire (power feed) to the CDI, when the ignition is switched on, comes in at 12.67 volts.. (havn't tested it while its cranking tho??)
8. there is some kind of voltage coming down the violet (live feed from CDI) into the coil but I cant accurately measure it very well on my multi meter.(and there must be to create that tiny tiny mumble of a spark from the HT lead...)
9. I have also today, swapped the stator and ignition pickup with another one and all the test results are identical. (so its definitely not that..)
I have spoken to fowlers and few other people and the general consensus is that the CDI's on the fourstroke new leader engines are prettybomb proof and rarely go wrong.
Does any one have any ideas please??
I am in Greenwich SE10, is anyone reasonably close enough and kind enough to let me plug their CDI in for a min... at least I will know that is all I need to get.
Many thanks..(would be happy to travel to borrow a CDI..)
