new and need help please

[strick9]

Hello all I finally (after 30 years) got my own 3 wheeler. I purchased a 1982 honda atc200e looks really good and got it for a song, but now I see why. I have no spark. I have tested all that I can think of, and here is what I have found. the generator is working. I have 12v to the CDI unit, but only 7 to 10 v to the coil. when the engine is rotating. I have disconnected all safty switches and still no go. I have even stuck my finger into the plug wire and held the frame, and no shock. where does a person go from here, and is the CDI box to blame? The previous owner said that it was running 2 seasons ago. if you all can help I would be very obliged. Thanks in advace

[Wickedfinger]

Hello all I finally (after 30 years) got my own 3 wheeler. I purchased a 1982 honda atc200e looks really good and got it for a song, but now I see why. I have no spark. I have tested all that I can think of, and here is what I have found. the generator is working. I have 12v to the CDI unit, but only 7 to 10 v to the coil. when the engine is rotating. I have disconnected all safty switches and still no go. I have even stuck my finger into the plug wire and held the frame, and no shock. where does a person go from here, and is the CDI box to blame? The previous owner said that it was running 2 seasons ago. if you all can help I would be very obliged. Thanks in advace I think you found the problem - the CDI dosent sound like its producing enough spark to energize the coil correctly. I would pull the CDI and have it checked by your local Honda dealer - unless you have a good multi-meter and are sure of what you are doing (the wrong meter settings and introduced voltage will really fry it). You can test the coil though if you have a std. meter. For the ATC200E your readings should be PRIMARY (non-sparkplug side) 0.2 - 0.4 ohms and SECONDARY (sparkplug lead side) 3.6K - 4.4K ohms. Oh, and welcome!.

[Tri-ZNate]

Is it a new plug?

[bigredhead]

Don't ever try to chock yourself as a test measure.... if you happen to be wrong you may get a good jolt !!!!!! ( done this on a lawn mower once..... i will never do that again !!! )

Check the unit that hooks up to your plug wire.. mounted to the frame under the gas tank.. 2 nuts .. shoulud make good contact to the frame... may want to pull them out.. sand the contacts clean and re-mount it. then try putting the plug it's cap.. touch the plug tip to the fins on the cylinder while holding the rubber part and pull the rope... you don't need to pull hard to get spark..

[strick9]

thank you all for the help so far. Here is what I have done so far. took off the seat, fenders and tank. stripped all the wire protectors off, so I could see all the wires, tracced each wire, and cleaned all connections. removed the coil, and cleaned the coil connections and frame with emery cloth. replace the plug with a new and a know good plug. took the safety circuts out of the equasion, still no spark. like I said, I have voltage to the CDI box but only between 2-7 volt comming out, so I wanted to be sure that was it, being that my lovley local Honda Dealer wants 165 bucks for a new one, and I didnt want to replace for no reason. now my next question. are these trikes worth fixing up? I weight about 215 and am 6'4 will it get me around or is it better to junk this and find something better? thanks all for the welcoming, and you all are right I think that I may like it here :beer

[bigredhead]

at 6. 4.. and 215 you're a bit big for that trike.... but it will haul you around.

If you can find one.. try and locate a 250 ES big red.. 85 or 86.. that would be perfect for you !

or an SX.... i'm kinda biased on that ! i love my SX.

[cool_racer]

i remember my dad would stick a screw driver in the cap and tell me to hold on to it and he would turn it over. that worked on me about once ;)

[BIGCRIP28]

you can put a screw driver in the cap (hold the plastic handle) and put it close to the block and the spark will jump the gap if it is firing

[strick9]

thanks for all the help so far. I reassembled the trike yesterday, and bought a CDI unit off ebay. New in the box for 33 bucks. Hope that fixes the problem, but who knows. one other question. should there be continuity from one side of the coil where the charge wire goes, to the side the plug wire is, and from the end of the plug wire to the cap ? I checked this and there is none. hope to have her running this week, if the part gets here.

[strick9]

ok just got the new CDI unit and installed it. Guess what. that was not the problem I guess as I still have no spark. I have 10v to the coil as I pull on the start rope. but it is negitive voltage. does it have to be positive voltage? I put the positive end of the meter on the back side of the coil and the negitive side to the ground of the head, and then pull the rope and it goes to -10v I dunno I guess that I may have a trike for sale really soon. wish That I could hear this thing run.

[ATCnut]

Most of the time the problem with no spark is the pulser coil (probably because it is the hardest part to replace). What setting do you have your meter on when you measure the voltage. The output of the pulser is AC.

[strick9]

I checked the stator today and I got a reading of 213 ohms...is this within specs? I think it sould be 215 ohms. how do I test the pulser coil on this model...I also think that the coil is bad I tested this morning and have no reading of resistance on the primary and the secondary side of the coil.. I will try to keep you all posted if I dont pull all my hair out trying to figure this thing out