1998 Elite SP50A Issues

[FredB32]

So, was that nasty coil lead the culprit ?

Mike...I would say a qualified "yes". I can't be 100% certain since I replaced several other things, but it's what seems to have fixed the issue. I'm sure nothing else I did hurt anything, per se, but the coil was most likely the culprit. I ordered a generic one off Ebay for $12 delivered. It's slightly different in shape but it fits and seems to work just fine.

[motormike]

My best guess here is it's a fuel issue,

Thanks all!

So first impressions are fuel issue, and it seems that "spark" is the obvious culprit.
Just goes to show you, difficult to diagnose even when you standing next to it, let alone working on strictly relayed symptoms via the internet.
Glad for your success....

[FredB32]

Yep - and the silly thing is I have a nice spark tester here and should have gone there as one of my first options...live and learn I guess!

[FredB32]

Well...here we go again

Went to start putting it all back together today - started it up and it was idling high (2300rpm). Shut it off to make a couple adjustments, and now it won't even start back up. Let it cool off...no go.

Of course, I can't find my spark tester right now, so I can't verify the spark. It is getting fuel in the carb for sure. When it starts, the first turn sounds like it 'sticks' a little bit (piston in the cylinder), so I'm almost wondering if there's an oil or oil delivery issue. When it started up the first time it seemed perfectly fine. Although over the last couple of days now, it won't turn over without the battery charger on it, which makes me think maybe the battery needs to be replaced as well (which is silly, it seems to test fine, so maybe it's something else).

What am I missing with this thing??

[FredB32]

Found my spark tester...all I'm getting is a thin orange spark, so I'm thinking this is the culprit (again? still??). The cable is brand new, but it is a $12 cable off Ebay. What else should I be looking at prior to replacing the cable?

[FredB32]

Okay...so looking at the manual, the possibilities are:

1. Faulty spark plug (unlikely)
2. Fouled spark plug (unlikely, plus I just cleaned it off)
3. Faulty CDI unit (maybe?)
4. Faulty alternator (unlikely)
5/6 - spark plug wire/ignition coil (unlikely)
7. Faulty ignition switch (unlikely)

I'd lean towards the CDI or the new Ebay ignition coil I just got. I did have to charge the battery for a while...could leaving it on the charger damage the CDI? Is the fact the start motor won't kick it over at all without the battery charger attached indicative it might just need a new battery? It would seem if it's hooked up directly to the battery charger that it would provide a strong enough spark, no?

[FredB32]

I tested both the old and the new coils for resistance. I have a cheap multimeter, but I think they seem good:

Resistance across probes: 1.0
Resistance across old coil: 1.1
Resistant across new coil: 1.2

Can I do straight math there? 1.1-1 = 0.1 ohms, and 1.2-1 = 0.2 ohms (both within spec)?

[FredB32]

Another update - threw my multimeter on the battery this morning...

No load - 13.8v
Key on - 11.0v

Seems like a big enough drop with essentially no load on it that the battery is junk.

I also did notice that the voltage continued to drop over time if I watched it...it went from 11.0 to 10.9 to 10.8 every few seconds with essentially no load on it. Not sure if that means the battery is certainly bad or there's some sort of a drain on it somewhere, which seems unlikely as I currently have the front and rear lights disconnected and the CDI removed...I'm not sure what else would randomly draw power...

[FredB32]

Sorry folks, updating this as I do random tests as time permits...

Voltage when trying to crank drops to 4v. Ick...not even to turn over the starter motor/engine for sure!

[FredB32]

Alright...so the moped needs to go back to its owner, yesterday my afternoon was comprised of putting everything back together. Once I did that (and checked a couple extra things), I figured I'd give it a whirl with the new battery and kickstarter. Well...wouldn't you know it, started up after a couple cranks, so I took it for a quick spin. Everything seems to be running just fine. Tweaked the A/F mixture and idle a little bit, and took it around the block...seems to purr like a kitten! I even let it sit for a while and then tried it again, apparently no issues. So maybe it just needed to run for a little bit for some random reason, but it sure seems like it's a go from here on out!