That aftermarket CDI that was on it, looks like a AC type CDI. The larger factory one looks like a DC type CDI. They won’t interchange. If its needs a DC type CDI the red wire going to the CDI will have 12 volts DC when key is on. If it doesn’t, it requires the AC type CDI. Thats probably why it sparks when you turn the key off/on.
My buddy had a 300ex that died on us riding. There is a wire under the rear bottom part of the engine that I believe goes to the reverse gear. I think it's a safety switch so the bike won't start in reverse. We reconnected the wire and it started right up.
Yeah, it sure appears there are two issues here: 1st is that the owner replaced the DC CDI with an AC CDI, the wrong type. Order a DC CDI and swap it in. 2nd, while the correct CDI is on it's way, tear apart and rebuild both the ignition switch and the kill switch. There was a slight spark when you toggled the ignition switch - this might be due to intermittent contact in the switch - every time the switch contacts make or break the circuit, it generates a short spike in voltage. The AC CDI unit "sees" this spike as an AC voltage - and triggers a (weak) output spark. So this points back to the wrong CDI unit as the root issue, while the ignition switch itself might be OK. I would still rebuild/replace the 25 yr old switch, they tend to build up lots of crud and corrosion when on a dirt scooter... In the end, your troubleshooting has been solid,, and my money says using the correct DC CDI unit fixes this quad!
Ignition switch mate especially if it’s been left out in the rain I had the same issue on a Honda motorbike where the ignition switch cut off circuit had corded and was making contact but would intermittently give a weak spark when switched on and off
Not sure if you already tried it but you may want to unplug the kill switch just to eliminate it and i believe that has a neutral safety switch as well and i have seen those go bad and still allow it to turn over and luminate the light
You're the only content creator I look forward to watching. All your videos keep my attention from beginning to end. Which is not an easy task😂😂. I'm very curious if that cdi is going to fix the problem.
Thanks for your useful content. I've had ALOT of atvs and learned alot by watching you fix yours. Lot of cheap deals I've had are amazing. My latest is a 92 suzuki quadrunner 250cc 4x4. Immaculate shape. Paid $275 for it. It had a cracked plug! Even has a plow.
I would have bypass the key and kill switch. If that didnt fix it, i Then would repined a known good cdi and retested. Good video and deduction process
I had a bad ignition key-switch on my outboard, but I did have spark. Turned-out there was a short in the key-switch. When I replaced the switch, it started immediately.
Those Honda wheelers were generally pretty bulletproof. I was always a dirt bike guy but all my buddies had either 300ex or 400ex and I don’t remember anyone ever having trouble with them.
I had a 2002 250ex. Could float it across the river lol. Wish I had never sold it. It sat for 7-8 years and when I sold it I just cleaned the carb, put a battery in it, and it fired right up. Fun quad! I wish I had the 400ex though haha. I didnt have to worry about a chain on the 250 though.
Former owner really wasted some serious cheddar buying a wiring harness and stator. On quads those are almost indestructible, even if they are ran to hell and back and thrown out of a airplane. Vinny needed a couple of sniffs of this quad, and instantly fixed😅😊😂
i was the original owner tgat was me lol spent over 6 months on this quad before I gave up im glad he was able to get it going it was nice to see a detailed video
I had the same issue with a Chinese 250. Would spark when the key turned. Spent ages trying to find the issue. New CDI’s checking all continuity. Ended up getting a replacement loom from a 125 with cdi and reg rec and that solved it. Good luck with the fault finding and I look forward to part 2
Just for all of you with this equipment. I had the same problem and found that the wire harness on the front, with a grey color plug, inside the pins are know for corroded and no making contact. I found the harness new for $30. I replaced it and has worked like a champ. The plug is hard to disconnect sometimes, you will see, I think they used dissimilar metal on the plug and pin.
Been licensed mechanic for 14 years. Check your pick-up coil wiring or the pick-up coil itself. Have had a few bikes with this issue. Turning the ignition on and off will trigger the cdi box. One bike i had, the wire was swollen from oil and was intact until you pulled on the wire. The wire came right apart. Worth a look before you spend money on a new cdi. Cheers
I changed a carb on one of those a few years ago and the guy didn’t bother to tell me that the breaks didn’t work for anything and told me to take it for a ride after I finished the carb I kid you not I shit myself because I couldn’t get it to stop and I almost crashed heads on into a older Tahoe with a plow on it than after I tell the guy he says while you can buy it for 4k and fix the brakes your self I said no no no you give me the money for fixing the carb and come get your pile of shit before I part it out
I love these Honda 300exs I have 3 videos on my channel getting one up running again. Also picked another one yesterday with no spark …. Video’s on that soon!
Many Many years ago I bought a used Yamaha Tri Zinger for my son... People told me it didn't run but they guaranteed it had to be something simple... I fiddled with it for a while and then I remembered they told me they had lubed the throttle .. The on/off switch was in the same part as the throttle, so I sprayed some wd40 on it a few times to clean it and bam, it fired right up... My kids had a great time on that little scoot over at the sand dunes of Florence OR... The people I sold it to told me years later it had gone through all of the kids, cousins, nephews of his entire family and was still running great...... Miss those days.....
When you're testing coils you must short the meter leads together and note the resistance of the meter leads themselves before you test the coil, then subtract the original reading from the coil reading. ALL meter leads have residual resistance and will not give an accurate coil reading if not subtracted.
Double Check Coil Voltage While Cranking. Since you had to mess with the ignition switch to get even a weak spark, I think that's the problem. High resistance in the switch which will show ok when not cranking will go to 0 volts when using a high load like the solenoid. I hope this helps. 🤓
That's my conclusion as well! Checked everything XCEPT the key switch itself. A "hint" being turning the key on/off quickly had weak spark YET spark nonetheless. Went from electrics to top end. I mean is good to check for a jez in case thing. But THAT wouldn't cause a no spark issue. A no start issue? Yes. But not a no spark issue. And that's when "I didn't take the key switch apart and check that!" moment occurred. Beings everything else worked with the switch? Understandable! But now? Time to check key switch.
@@AmosBHaven electrical stuffs always fun to do. You have to think like your in a CSI forensic lab and put yourself in that environment. Sometimes it shows itself when it's hot or cold. Sometimes you gotta bump it just right and a wire wiggles just right because only a couple strains of wire is hold on but limited the current threw a plug connection or the tabs in a switch is working on one half of a switch but the other half could of heat the plastic up and just pulls the contact off the contact point. It's hard to say really without physical tearing things open and putting new plug ends on and illuminate that hidden peace of corrosion. The other thing is is them coils we designed to fire with 12 volts so the new stator could be putting out the voltage but the voltage regulator could be faulty and giving out to high or to low of voltage to. Unlikely it needs a new a CDI when he had 3 that done nothing in the first place. The chances of that being bad is slim but not impossible
Before you purchase another cdi pick up a peak voltage adaptor. This tool piggy backs your multimeter and is able to read peek voltages. Best tool to test your stator and pick up coil because you can see if your pickup coil/stator is generating higher voltage. I don't think it's a cdi. The odds of all 3 of those cdi's not working has to be a slim to none possibility.
The small CDI it is an AC one, or looks like one to me. If you look at the Original CDI that looks like a DC - CDI, they were larger. He might be chasing his tail because he is swapping out the incorrect CDI. If he has the issue after getting the correct CDI, I would look at the ignition... jump the kill switch and check the ignition. The original guy who worked on the bike was a car mechanic, so may not have known and got the wrong CDI. The previous guys did a part canon on this so you have to go back to see what they did. Keep it simple.
My buddy had one of these with the same issue I believe I ended up finding the trigger coil was bad or possibly just the wire to it failed? I remember it was relatively simple fix from there. Can’t wait to see what you find with this one!
Hi, i use to have a lt160 that decided not to run anymore. After stripping it all down i found the fault. I noticed the ball bearing in the reverse switch was stuck. I free'd it up built the quad back up and it fired back into life. May be of some use to you. 👍
It's the stator I work at a yamaha dealership and had a 660 grizzly do the same thing only spark when you first hit the start button. The stator homed out good.. So I checked everything else even cdi with a good running 660 grizz then I decided to swap the stator even though it said it was good.. Bam fixed it sparked and ran perfect
Just a shot in the dark. Since you were able to get poor spark by messing with the key switch, did you try bypassing the key switch? If not I bet it is in that wiring harness. I would thoroughly check for continuity and that there are no breaks in wires.
Hey 2vibtage I’ve been watching your vids for a while, and I see you do all of this stuff to dirt bikes and it’s awesome. You showed me a lot after my dad passed an I wanna say thanks for it. Keep it up
I feel you pain about dealing with electrical. Although this issue I am going with isn't a ATV but a boat engine that had gone thru the same issue. The boat was running fine and then lost spark. Now I am a pretty anal guy but always use OEM parts. This engine had gotten so many after market parts especially the coils packs and wires. The only OEM part that is legit is the trigger mechanism by Johnson. I've put it away for almost 9 months now being the owner doesn't seem to interested in getting it running. I had worked on the older Kawasaki 300's and they had some issues as well, but when parts are obsolete, just need to sell or part out. I may be picking up an Honda with a running issue
This sounds like they cheaped out on parts , OEM PARTS only folks! I’ve learned on my yfz, cheap parts are nice but anything electrical is a no go for cheap parts.
When making a solder connection, you can twist the wires together with the strands in a straight line as apposed to your method. Just have to remember to put the shrink wrap in the wire first. Makes for a cleaner install.
When you turn ignition on you get one big pulse into the CDI and coil, same when you turn it off. This tells me coil/lead/plug are working but either the CDI or the sensor generating pulses from the rotating flywheel is not.
It basically cycles the CDI (simple version) . It looks like the small CDI it is an AC one, or looks like one to me. If you look at the big CDI that looks like a DC - CDI. He might be chasing his tail because he is swapping out the incorrect CDI. If he has the issue after getting the correct CDI I would look at the ignition... jump the kill switch and check the ignition. The original guy who worked on the bike was a car mechanic so may not have known and got the wrong part. I hope he checked that spark plug wire too... that would be a kick in the b@lls if it were that.
@@somerandomguy3868 he did check the coil's feed wire or trigger wire or whatever you might call it. Not with the voltage tester, but with a jumper wire and it showed no spark into the coil.
It may be the reg/rec. I just went through the same issue with an Amazon reg/rec and it was giving weak spark. I put the old one back on and fired right up
good video. I just fixed a similar issue on my kids lilttle 50 quad. CDI was the problem but it was the pins on the CDI side of the connector that were broken. You would never know unless you plugged in a new CDI and me being cheap, just cut the plastic back and soldered wires right to the pins 😂
The no spark issue must be on the CDI. The stock electrical system for that quad requires a DC CDI. Looks like the replacement they bought and the one you had laying around, both are AC CDIs. They will not work with a DC system. You can tell the difference, mainly because of the size. Plugs are the same (physically), but the DC CDI is way bigger and beefier. Buy a DC CDI and check for spark again. Things to note: Yes. Both CDIs use the same plug, but they're electrically not the same. AC CDIs require an exciter coil on the stator, which this quad doesn't have. Thus, no spark from that CDI DC CDIs are fed with 12V key on. Although the plug is the same, electrically they're not.
What I think happened is that the stock CDI failed (judging by the huge crack) and they bought some cheap CDI off of eBay, And it was an AC CDI. As I said, you will never get spark from them if you feed them with 12V
Check the ignition switch if the cdi doesn't fix it. I have had a few quads with the same problem, if I wiggle the key while cranking it would spark of and on. Changed the ignition fixed them.
Hey Joe, remember that engine that had the broken flywheel magnet? When you put that flywheel back on without inspecting the magnets I think you boo booed. Remember a crack in the magnet makes one side one pole and on the other side of the crack another pole. The sensor could not get where to spark because there were 4 or 5 poles and it does not know where to spark.
I dont have a manual on hand for this 300 but i know on the 350 and 400 utility the voltage regulator has a circuit connection to the key switch witch completes the keyed circuit..if the voltage regulator is shot it will not complete the circuit if u have one laying around maybe worth a try.
Looking forward to part 2. I have an 87 Yamaha warrior with intermittent spark , everything checks out but i can't figure it out even after changing everything. Apparently this is a common issue with them and so far no one has figured it out. On another note, do you ever rebore the jugs? If not how do you decide what size pistons to use for a top end rebuild? I've seen you do dozens of rebuilds and I am curious about determining piston size. Thanks in advance.
There are reverse and neutral safety sensors coming off of the clutch cover and they go bad sometimes and if you ground one or both out they can resolve the no spark problem and sometimes if you get a 300ex that wont crank off the button that will resolve the issue as well.
The old hondas had an issue of the regulator rectifier going out and would cause a hight output voltage and would fry the cdi you can test that cdi by diode checking with your volt meter from the two pin connector to the four then reverse your leads should have continuty one way but not the other
I'm sure you are on the right track with the CDI. This might be a stupid question and I'm not familiar with the 300 ex quads but is there a stop run button on the handle bars? I don't see you checking that. Sometimes those break and for whatever reason it's stuck in the stop position which will not allow spark. Also I think you checked the neural position switch as I don't think the starter will work...which obviously it is.
those are newer gen plastics just incase you didnt know! also, i had a 300ex that i had the same issue with years ago... replaced everything. oem cdi went bad and the chinese one i replaced it with was also bad!
Don't know about the 300EX but I had a 92 300 4x4, not sure of hours or mileage, but i used to burn about 200 Canadian gallons year in mine. I never heard of ant of anyone have trouble with the CDI. I wouldn't bother with aftermarket CDI's BUT the ignition(key) and kill switches do cause problems, and yes the bike will turn over with the kill switch in the off position I would take apart the kill switch and clean the contacts, or get another one.
I'm an Electronic Technician; but it sure looks like a CDI. The_Car_Guy is absolutly right: If the CDI is of the type DC, you should see a B+, Vcc 12 volts supplying it. Either way, it is obvious the problem lies with the CDI. Make sure to check all wiring, the trigger senser and the stator if that applies (could be a bas SCR or Electrolitic Cap. inside the CDI
I had the same issue on a cg 125 it’s the ignition switch rain had got in and had mad the cut off circuit short out making it not spark exactly the same issue try unplugging the ignition switch and taking it apart or try testing it isn’t goin dead short when switched on
Actually Joe you can check CDI boxes with A multimeter on conuity mode.,or known as the 🎧 symbol.,or diode symbol spot on the meter it'll give you A reading on it. The small separate two prong plug in side has A ground wire inside of that area. And the power wires should be on the four wires side. I believe the top wire above the ground wire isn't supposed to get power.,or reading at all to be good.
When you showed the parts they gave you, I noticed the kill switch with the harness, I'd look into the kill switch that's on the bike, and also the gap on the plug look awfully tight. Maybe try to change the plug. If they got the plug offline then it could be a counterfeit plug.
You can check the CDI box with a multimeter just take the meter set to the horseshoe or ohms resistance,take the black lead and put it to one prong coming out of the CDI box take the red lead one at a time to each other prong and if the value on the meter changes when you probe the extruding wire lead on the CDI box then it's good and should function fine, if it didn't change on either prong then you have a faulty CDI box, ,theres only 2 kinds of CDI, then there igniter boxes al lil different, ive saw you check everything else so you can fully diagnose electricals , hope it someway helps, you can get 3k out of that yz running and riding well , so you'll be ok
Check the reverse switch I had the same problem had to ground it to bypass its was 2 pairs of wires that go to the same spot as the reverse cable on the right side cover
really goy me interested in this one. as always have learned a lot. your patience is off the charts. eager to see if the cdi turns out to be the issue and if not what's next?
I've had some weird issues with a cdi for a rmz450 and replaced it with a used one and was fine. The cdi can be very weird and cause intermitting spark or no spark at all. When i used the crappy cdi it would loose all spark when it was hot and not start.
Hey Joe, I haven't finished watching the video yet, I suspect that is a DC CDI, they are usually a a bit bigger. It would explain a lot. I didn't see an exciter coil on that stator (usually a black& red or red/black for CHI power. If it's DC, it will need 12v battery power from the ingnition, just an idea, it's whole different setup. Very interested to see you get it sorted. Thanks for the great videos as always
Shoot man, the last time i had that much trouble getting one to fire i had bought a new oem honda stator and put the pickup coil in upside down. It didn't look to me like the one on that 300 would go in it upside down, though. I ended up buying a whole spare oem ignition system chasing that 1 down.😂 Expensive little mistake!
I have a 98 foreman and I couldn’t get spark did a lot of digging and it was neutral safety switch because of the cdi there’s a way to bypass it with attaching I think the starter wire to the negative side of battery (might be mistaken and there way too much snow to go look) but maybe it could be that if this atv has same neutral safety switch
Sir , for $25 you can get a stand alone CDI with a coil at ebay amazon etc , yes china ,I think there are 2 types mag or batt , all kinds of info online for the simple hook up ( tie into your pick up). I worked on a "BRAND" name atv , no parts availble , used CDI box was 350$. It was running in a half hour with the china junk. For that kind of money , you could keep a couple around? Great content , Thanks
I need help with a 1991 suzuki it run's by jumping it !!! but if battery is connected properly it drains it fast. if it the wiring hraness I will rebuild it but what wires do i need???
Fairly new subscriber here, Your content has helped me out sooo much. Thanks a million ! I hope your fix is the cdi... waiting for part II. Cheers from Greece!!
The handlebar kill switch works by grounding the ignition circuit when switched to the "off" position. I'm sure you checked that the switch was not broken and grounding the circuit even when it is switched "on".
Not on that electrical system. The kill switch doesn't ground anything. It kills 12V to the CDI, as it is a DC CDI, not an AC An AC CDI system does indeed kill the spark by grounding one wire through the kill switch
I had trouble with a Ford Car once, it would sometimes start and sometimes not and then stop as I was driving, I tried everything I could think of, I took it to two garages, nobody could find what was wrong, then one day it stopped on my drive. I went under the bonnet and found it almost straight away when I burned my hand. The fault was a tiny little break in the insulation on the low tension wire, which just occasionally touched something and effectively cut the ignition. It is often the smallest things like that that present intermittently that can be the most difficult to fix
With some hondas (later models) they have used a diode in ignition switch to make 9 volts to power CDI. Not 12V. With 12v you'd get no spark. With 9v it should work. It's a anti-theft matter, making hardwire start much more dificult. PERHAPS - you are facing this issue? Someone's put 12v to CDI, or you are not using ignition key?
I would also check the key switch cause on the Kawasaki I've had problems if the key switch is bad or if there is aftermarket switch installed it will cause a no spark issue
Check the polarity of the TDC sensor signal with an oscilloscope just because it is "New" does not mean that they wired the connector correctly! If the ICM / DCM needs to see a positive pulse and it gets a negative pulse then it cant do what it needs to for proper ingition coil operation!...!
That aftermarket CDI that was on it, looks like a AC type CDI. The larger factory one looks like a DC type CDI. They won’t interchange. If its needs a DC type CDI the red wire going to the CDI will have 12 volts DC when key is on. If it doesn’t, it requires the AC type CDI. Thats probably why it sparks when you turn the key off/on.
Yep. Spot on. That's the fault 100%
yes , that's it. I came across the same problem.
Way beyond Joe's skill set
That's what I see. It's a DC CDI with the wrong CDI box.
Just curious, how can you tell if its AC vs DC by just looking at it?
My buddy had a 300ex that died on us riding. There is a wire under the rear bottom part of the engine that I believe goes to the reverse gear. I think it's a safety switch so the bike won't start in reverse. We reconnected the wire and it started right up.
I had a 300extp wire for the nuteral switch
Yeah, it sure appears there are two issues here:
1st is that the owner replaced the DC CDI with an AC CDI, the wrong type. Order a DC CDI and swap it in.
2nd, while the correct CDI is on it's way, tear apart and rebuild both the ignition switch and the kill switch. There was a slight spark when you toggled the ignition switch - this might be due to intermittent contact in the switch - every time the switch contacts make or break the circuit, it generates a short spike in voltage. The AC CDI unit "sees" this spike as an AC voltage - and triggers a (weak) output spark. So this points back to the wrong CDI unit as the root issue, while the ignition switch itself might be OK. I would still rebuild/replace the 25 yr old switch, they tend to build up lots of crud and corrosion when on a dirt scooter...
In the end, your troubleshooting has been solid,, and my money says using the correct DC CDI unit fixes this quad!
That's way over his head
@@ctbale1 On the next episode, someone eats Crow!
How did you know the CDI was Ac?
@@999-c6dit is little
The size of
that is so ironic, i bought the same quad not even a week ago and it has the same issue! hopefully this video can help me identify it
Doubt it brother but gl ,loads of fettling in store for u!🤷👁😬👎👎🤷
Check out the ground starting from battery to frame.
@@joelujan2978that’s what my no spark was on mine 😂 drove me nuts for a month
Ignition switch mate especially if it’s been left out in the rain I had the same issue on a Honda motorbike where the ignition switch cut off circuit had corded and was making contact but would intermittently give a weak spark when switched on and off
@@JaysElectronicTinkerShack IGNITION OR RUN STOP SWITCH OR BOTH LOL
Not sure if you already tried it but you may want to unplug the kill switch just to eliminate it and i believe that has a neutral safety switch as well and i have seen those go bad and still allow it to turn over and luminate the light
I love watching these videos, it helps me a lot through depression it helps me learn to fix quads and snowmobiles
You're the only content creator I look forward to watching. All your videos keep my attention from beginning to end. Which is not an easy task😂😂. I'm very curious if that cdi is going to fix the problem.
Thanks for watching! Yeah hopefully it does!
Leaving us hanging 😅
My neigbours old Honda had a similar problem, there was a switch in the gear-lever that was bad (to prohibit starts in gear). Bypassed it, easy fix.
Thanks for your useful content. I've had ALOT of atvs and learned alot by watching you fix yours. Lot of cheap deals I've had are amazing. My latest is a 92 suzuki quadrunner 250cc 4x4. Immaculate shape. Paid $275 for it. It had a cracked plug! Even has a plow.
scored awesome
I would have bypass the key and kill switch. If that didnt fix it, i Then would repined a known good cdi and retested. Good video and deduction process
I was thinking the exact same thing. The problem is in the handlebar switch.
I had a bad ignition key-switch on my outboard, but I did have spark. Turned-out there was a short in the key-switch. When I replaced the switch, it started immediately.
Yep try all the complicated things first SMH probably the kill switch or key switch
Exactly what I'd do.✌
Those Honda wheelers were generally pretty bulletproof. I was always a dirt bike guy but all my buddies had either 300ex or 400ex and I don’t remember anyone ever having trouble with them.
I had a 2002 250ex. Could float it across the river lol. Wish I had never sold it. It sat for 7-8 years and when I sold it I just cleaned the carb, put a battery in it, and it fired right up. Fun quad! I wish I had the 400ex though haha. I didnt have to worry about a chain on the 250 though.
Former owner really wasted some serious cheddar buying a wiring harness and stator.
On quads those are almost indestructible, even if they are ran to hell and back and thrown out of a airplane.
Vinny needed a couple of sniffs of this quad, and instantly fixed😅😊😂
i was the original owner tgat was me lol spent over 6 months on this quad before I gave up im glad he was able to get it going it was nice to see a detailed video
I had the same issue with a Chinese 250. Would spark when the key turned.
Spent ages trying to find the issue. New CDI’s checking all continuity.
Ended up getting a replacement loom from a 125 with cdi and reg rec and that solved it.
Good luck with the fault finding and I look forward to part 2
Just for all of you with this equipment. I had the same problem and found that the wire harness on the front, with a grey color plug, inside the pins are know for corroded and no making contact. I found the harness new for $30. I replaced it and has worked like a champ. The plug is hard to disconnect sometimes, you will see, I think they used dissimilar metal on the plug and pin.
Top tip never believe what a guy says another guys says he did to try and fix it,
Been licensed mechanic for 14 years. Check your pick-up coil wiring or the pick-up coil itself. Have had a few bikes with this issue. Turning the ignition on and off will trigger the cdi box. One bike i had, the wire was swollen from oil and was intact until you pulled on the wire. The wire came right apart.
Worth a look before you spend money on a new cdi. Cheers
The gap on the plug looked very tight, re-gap the plug when you install the new CDI.
Have a 1999 Fourtrax that also had a single spark then nothing. After replacing a few components - ended up being the stator. Keep up the great work!!
Joe, You can do it. I'll bet ground somewhere. God Bless
I like how he actually teaches you as he goes through the bikes problem solving the issues
i had the SAME sprak problem as you , i changed the killswitch and the wire going to the cdi and i was good to go
I love the Honda 200r 3 wheeler you did up I had one as a kid missing it every day
I changed a carb on one of those a few years ago and the guy didn’t bother to tell me that the breaks didn’t work for anything and told me to take it for a ride after I finished the carb I kid you not I shit myself because I couldn’t get it to stop and I almost crashed heads on into a older Tahoe with a plow on it than after I tell the guy he says while you can buy it for 4k and fix the brakes your self I said no no no you give me the money for fixing the carb and come get your pile of shit before I part it out
Never take a rig you have never been on for a rip with out checking it out a little bit including the brakes. And you work on them?
My 1987 TRX250X issue was CDI box being Chinese junk, bought the Ricks motorsport and it runs like a champ now
Joe has been consistent in the quad game he has my respect 🫡
I'm sorry to hear that Ray is under the weather.wishing him the best to get better.thanks for the update.
I love these Honda 300exs I have 3 videos on my channel getting one up running again. Also picked another one yesterday with no spark …. Video’s on that soon!
Many Many years ago I bought a used Yamaha Tri Zinger for my son... People told me it didn't run but they guaranteed it had to be something simple... I fiddled with it for a while and then I remembered they told me they had lubed the throttle .. The on/off switch was in the same part as the throttle, so I sprayed some wd40 on it a few times to clean it and bam, it fired right up...
My kids had a great time on that little scoot over at the sand dunes of Florence OR... The people I sold it to told me years later it had gone through all of the kids, cousins, nephews of his entire family and was still running great...... Miss those days.....
Appleton WI here, you really know your stuff and what a work ethic you have, keep up the great work brother!💪
He doesn't know the "stuff" about the difference between an AC cdi and a DC cdi...... haha
Good video joe hope the new cdi fixes the problem 👍👌❤️🔧🔧🔧🦴🐾🐾🦴
When you're testing coils you must short the meter leads together and note the resistance of the meter leads themselves before you test the coil, then subtract the original reading from the coil reading.
ALL meter leads have residual resistance and will not give an accurate coil reading if not subtracted.
Double Check Coil Voltage While Cranking. Since you had to mess with the ignition switch to get even a weak spark, I think that's the problem. High resistance in the switch which will show ok when not cranking will go to 0 volts when using a high load like the solenoid. I hope this helps. 🤓
Hey Joe before you order that CDI check and make sure the contacts in that ignition switch aren't burned...
That's my conclusion as well! Checked everything XCEPT the key switch itself. A "hint" being turning the key on/off quickly had weak spark YET spark nonetheless. Went from electrics to top end. I mean is good to check for a jez in case thing. But THAT wouldn't cause a no spark issue. A no start issue? Yes. But not a no spark issue. And that's when "I didn't take the key switch apart and check that!" moment occurred. Beings everything else worked with the switch? Understandable! But now? Time to check key switch.
@@AmosBHaven electrical stuffs always fun to do. You have to think like your in a CSI forensic lab and put yourself in that environment. Sometimes it shows itself when it's hot or cold. Sometimes you gotta bump it just right and a wire wiggles just right because only a couple strains of wire is hold on but limited the current threw a plug connection or the tabs in a switch is working on one half of a switch but the other half could of heat the plastic up and just pulls the contact off the contact point. It's hard to say really without physical tearing things open and putting new plug ends on and illuminate that hidden peace of corrosion. The other thing is is them coils we designed to fire with 12 volts so the new stator could be putting out the voltage but the voltage regulator could be faulty and giving out to high or to low of voltage to. Unlikely it needs a new a CDI when he had 3 that done nothing in the first place. The chances of that being bad is slim but not impossible
Before you purchase another cdi pick up a peak voltage adaptor. This tool piggy backs your multimeter and is able to read peek voltages. Best tool to test your stator and pick up coil because you can see if your pickup coil/stator is generating higher voltage. I don't think it's a cdi. The odds of all 3 of those cdi's not working has to be a slim to none possibility.
The small CDI it is an AC one, or looks like one to me. If you look at the Original CDI that looks like a DC - CDI, they were larger. He might be chasing his tail because he is swapping out the incorrect CDI. If he has the issue after getting the correct CDI, I would look at the ignition... jump the kill switch and check the ignition. The original guy who worked on the bike was a car mechanic, so may not have known and got the wrong CDI. The previous guys did a part canon on this so you have to go back to see what they did. Keep it simple.
I have come across this before. The problem was the ignition switch. I replaced it with a Honda switch and spark 🔥 was great.
My buddy had one of these with the same issue I believe I ended up finding the trigger coil was bad or possibly just the wire to it failed? I remember it was relatively simple fix from there. Can’t wait to see what you find with this one!
Hi, i use to have a lt160 that decided not to run anymore. After stripping it all down i found the fault. I noticed the ball bearing in the reverse switch was stuck. I free'd it up built the quad back up and it fired back into life. May be of some use to you. 👍
It's the stator I work at a yamaha dealership and had a 660 grizzly do the same thing only spark when you first hit the start button. The stator homed out good.. So I checked everything else even cdi with a good running 660 grizz then I decided to swap the stator even though it said it was good.. Bam fixed it sparked and ran perfect
VINNY❤❤❤❤❤ HES FROM CANADA!!!!!
Finally a new Honda video !! Love all your content ,keep up the good fixing /restoration videos
Just a shot in the dark. Since you were able to get poor spark by messing with the key switch, did you try bypassing the key switch? If not I bet it is in that wiring harness. I would thoroughly check for continuity and that there are no breaks in wires.
He really isn't that great of an electrical troubleshooter
Hey 2vibtage I’ve been watching your vids for a while, and I see you do all of this stuff to dirt bikes and it’s awesome. You showed me a lot after my dad passed an I wanna say thanks for it. Keep it up
Wow, this is going to be a project, looked like a PILE, but I know just the guy with knowledge, patience, and smart little doggie
I feel you pain about dealing with electrical. Although this issue I am going with isn't a ATV but a boat engine that had gone thru the same issue. The boat was running fine and then lost spark. Now I am a pretty anal guy but always use OEM parts. This engine had gotten so many after market parts especially the coils packs and wires. The only OEM part that is legit is the trigger mechanism by Johnson. I've put it away for almost 9 months now being the owner doesn't seem to interested in getting it running. I had worked on the older Kawasaki 300's and they had some issues as well, but when parts are obsolete, just need to sell or part out. I may be picking up an Honda with a running issue
I would ohm out the spark plug wire.. just to be sure.. "Don't leave any stone unturned".. Good luck!! CHEERS!!
This sounds like they cheaped out on parts , OEM PARTS only folks! I’ve learned on my yfz, cheap parts are nice but anything electrical is a no go for cheap parts.
Name brand aftermarket parts are often better than OEM. Cheap crap from China is a different story.
When making a solder connection, you can twist the wires together with the strands in a straight line as apposed to your method. Just have to remember to put the shrink wrap in the wire first. Makes for a cleaner install.
I have watched your channele and love it. You mostly win. This is a loss. Next win is tomorrow. Roll with it.
Ignition Switch, why else would you be able to create ignition when the switch is either on or off?
When you turn ignition on you get one big pulse into the CDI and coil, same when you turn it off. This tells me coil/lead/plug are working but either the CDI or the sensor generating pulses from the rotating flywheel is not.
It basically cycles the CDI (simple version) . It looks like the small CDI it is an AC one, or looks like one to me. If you look at the big CDI that looks like a DC - CDI. He might be chasing his tail because he is swapping out the incorrect CDI. If he has the issue after getting the correct CDI I would look at the ignition... jump the kill switch and check the ignition. The original guy who worked on the bike was a car mechanic so may not have known and got the wrong part. I hope he checked that spark plug wire too... that would be a kick in the b@lls if it were that.
My 400ex turns over with the switch off too
I was thinking the same thing, did he ever check voltage at the coil
@@somerandomguy3868 he did check the coil's feed wire or trigger wire or whatever you might call it. Not with the voltage tester, but with a jumper wire and it showed no spark into the coil.
It may be the reg/rec.
I just went through the same issue with an Amazon reg/rec and it was giving weak spark.
I put the old one back on and fired right up
good video. I just fixed a similar issue on my kids lilttle 50 quad. CDI was the problem but it was the pins on the CDI side of the connector that were broken. You would never know unless you plugged in a new CDI and me being cheap, just cut the plastic back and soldered wires right to the pins 😂
The no spark issue must be on the CDI.
The stock electrical system for that quad requires a DC CDI.
Looks like the replacement they bought and the one you had laying around, both are AC CDIs. They will not work with a DC system.
You can tell the difference, mainly because of the size. Plugs are the same (physically), but the DC CDI is way bigger and beefier.
Buy a DC CDI and check for spark again.
Things to note:
Yes. Both CDIs use the same plug, but they're electrically not the same. AC CDIs require an exciter coil on the stator, which this quad doesn't have. Thus, no spark from that CDI
DC CDIs are fed with 12V key on.
Although the plug is the same, electrically they're not.
What I think happened is that the stock CDI failed (judging by the huge crack) and they bought some cheap CDI off of eBay, And it was an AC CDI. As I said, you will never get spark from them if you feed them with 12V
Check the ignition switch if the cdi doesn't fix it. I have had a few quads with the same problem, if I wiggle the key while cranking it would spark of and on. Changed the ignition fixed them.
Hey Joe, remember that engine that had the broken flywheel magnet? When you put that flywheel back on without inspecting the magnets I think you boo booed. Remember a crack in the magnet makes one side one pole and on the other side of the crack another pole. The sensor could not get where to spark because there were 4 or 5 poles and it does not know where to spark.
I dont have a manual on hand for this 300 but i know on the 350 and 400 utility the voltage regulator has a circuit connection to the key switch witch completes the keyed circuit..if the voltage regulator is shot it will not complete the circuit if u have one laying around maybe worth a try.
Had the same problem with a 300ex , end up been the cdi. Replaced it. Start right up.
Looking forward to part 2. I have an 87 Yamaha warrior with intermittent spark , everything checks out but i can't figure it out even after changing everything. Apparently this is a common issue with them and so far no one has figured it out. On another note, do you ever rebore the jugs? If not how do you decide what size pistons to use for a top end rebuild? I've seen you do dozens of rebuilds and I am curious about determining piston size. Thanks in advance.
There are reverse and neutral safety sensors coming off of the clutch cover and they go bad sometimes and if you ground one or both out they can resolve the no spark problem and sometimes if you get a 300ex that wont crank off the button that will resolve the issue as well.
The old hondas had an issue of the regulator rectifier going out and would cause a hight output voltage and would fry the cdi you can test that cdi by diode checking with your volt meter from the two pin connector to the four then reverse your leads should have continuty one way but not the other
I'm sure you are on the right track with the CDI. This might be a stupid question and I'm not familiar with the 300 ex quads but is there a stop run button on the handle bars? I don't see you checking that. Sometimes those break and for whatever reason it's stuck in the stop position which will not allow spark. Also I think you checked the neural position switch as I don't think the starter will work...which obviously it is.
I had that happen to me as well. Bought a new one and that fixed the problem.
Opening line “guys I bought it from wasn’t all there” followed by I couldn’t fix it either 😂
I thought the same
🤣🤣
Waiting for update I have same issue but have replaced Cdo twice wondering if I should spend the money on a Honda cdi
Always look forward to the notification of a new video. Need someone like you to look at my suzuki. My horn has stopped working and is intermittent
those are newer gen plastics just incase you didnt know! also, i had a 300ex that i had the same issue with years ago... replaced everything. oem cdi went bad and the chinese one i replaced it with was also bad!
Don't know about the 300EX but I had a 92 300 4x4, not sure of hours or mileage, but i used to burn about 200 Canadian gallons year in mine. I never heard of ant of anyone have trouble with the CDI.
I wouldn't bother with aftermarket CDI's
BUT the ignition(key) and kill switches do cause problems, and yes the bike will turn over with the kill switch in the off position
I would take apart the kill switch and clean the contacts, or get another one.
Another solid video. You’ll get here going. You always do.
last time a had the same spark problem it was bad cdi --- great video like always
I would suggest ignition switch. Thanx for teaching me how to trouble shoot electronic better!
I'm an Electronic Technician; but it sure looks like a CDI. The_Car_Guy is absolutly right: If the CDI is of the type DC, you should see a B+, Vcc 12 volts supplying it. Either way, it is obvious the problem lies with the CDI. Make sure to check all wiring, the trigger senser and the stator if that applies (could be a bas SCR or Electrolitic Cap. inside the CDI
I had the same issue on a cg 125 it’s the ignition switch rain had got in and had mad the cut off circuit short out making it not spark exactly the same issue try unplugging the ignition switch and taking it apart or try testing it isn’t goin dead short when switched on
Actually Joe you can check CDI boxes with A multimeter on conuity mode.,or known as the 🎧 symbol.,or diode symbol spot on the meter it'll give you A reading on it. The small separate two prong plug in side has A ground wire inside of that area. And the power wires should be on the four wires side. I believe the top wire above the ground wire isn't supposed to get power.,or reading at all to be good.
When you showed the parts they gave you, I noticed the kill switch with the harness, I'd look into the kill switch that's on the bike, and also the gap on the plug look awfully tight. Maybe try to change the plug. If they got the plug offline then it could be a counterfeit plug.
You can check the CDI box with a multimeter just take the meter set to the horseshoe or ohms resistance,take the black lead and put it to one prong coming out of the CDI box take the red lead one at a time to each other prong and if the value on the meter changes when you probe the extruding wire lead on the CDI box then it's good and should function fine, if it didn't change on either prong then you have a faulty CDI box, ,theres only 2 kinds of CDI, then there igniter boxes al lil different, ive saw you check everything else so you can fully diagnose electricals , hope it someway helps, you can get 3k out of that yz running and riding well , so you'll be ok
Omg so glad that i found this channel. Good job and keep going. Addicted ❤ greetings from Estonia
Check the reverse switch I had the same problem had to ground it to bypass its was 2 pairs of wires that go to the same spot as the reverse cable on the right side cover
I agree
really goy me interested in this one. as always have learned a lot. your patience is off the charts. eager to see if the cdi turns out to be the issue and if not what's next?
I've had some weird issues with a cdi for a rmz450 and replaced it with a used one and was fine. The cdi can be very weird and cause intermitting spark or no spark at all. When i used the crappy cdi it would loose all spark when it was hot and not start.
Great Video Joe watching from Edinburgh Scotland UK 🇬🇧 👏 👍
Hey Joe, I haven't finished watching the video yet, I suspect that is a DC CDI, they are usually a a bit bigger. It would explain a lot. I didn't see an exciter coil on that stator (usually a black& red or red/black for CHI power. If it's DC, it will need 12v battery power from the ingnition, just an idea, it's whole different setup. Very interested to see you get it sorted. Thanks for the great videos as always
Those Hondas are so easy to fix!
Shoot man, the last time i had that much trouble getting one to fire i had bought a new oem honda stator and put the pickup coil in upside down. It didn't look to me like the one on that 300 would go in it upside down, though. I ended up buying a whole spare oem ignition system chasing that 1 down.😂 Expensive little mistake!
I have a 98 foreman and I couldn’t get spark did a lot of digging and it was neutral safety switch because of the cdi there’s a way to bypass it with attaching I think the starter wire to the negative side of battery (might be mistaken and there way too much snow to go look) but maybe it could be that if this atv has same neutral safety switch
They said nobody could fix it but they didn't know you was living and breathing😂
Also picked up 99 kawasaki 220. No spark issue. Having issues there.
Sir , for $25 you can get a stand alone CDI with a coil at ebay amazon etc , yes china ,I think there are 2 types mag or batt , all kinds of info online for the simple hook up ( tie into your pick up). I worked on a "BRAND" name atv , no parts availble , used CDI box was 350$. It was running in a half hour with the china junk. For that kind of money , you could keep a couple around? Great content , Thanks
I need help with a 1991 suzuki it run's by jumping it !!! but if battery is connected properly it drains it fast. if it the wiring hraness I will rebuild it but what wires do i need???
Love the guy fierri grips
Fairly new subscriber here, Your content has helped me out sooo much. Thanks a million ! I hope your fix is the cdi... waiting for part II. Cheers from Greece!!
The handlebar kill switch works by grounding the ignition circuit when switched to the "off" position. I'm sure you checked that the switch was not broken and grounding the circuit even when it is switched "on".
Not on that electrical system. The kill switch doesn't ground anything.
It kills 12V to the CDI, as it is a DC CDI, not an AC
An AC CDI system does indeed kill the spark by grounding one wire through the kill switch
Joe this is a beaut brother!👊👌💪
I had trouble with a Ford Car once, it would sometimes start and sometimes not and then stop as I was driving, I tried everything I could think of, I took it to two garages, nobody could find what was wrong, then one day it stopped on my drive. I went under the bonnet and found it almost straight away when I burned my hand. The fault was a tiny little break in the insulation on the low tension wire, which just occasionally touched something and effectively cut the ignition.
It is often the smallest things like that that present intermittently that can be the most difficult to fix
Cool video maybe the pickup coil in the stator maybe woodruff key sheared little bit good luck i say probably is the cdi like you said
The whole it kinda sparked while flipping the switch on and off in rapid session .... could be a bad contact in the switch housing
With some hondas (later models) they have used a diode in ignition switch to make 9 volts to power CDI. Not 12V. With 12v you'd get no spark. With 9v it should work. It's a anti-theft matter, making hardwire start much more dificult. PERHAPS - you are facing this issue? Someone's put 12v to CDI, or you are not using ignition key?
hardest working man on youtube!!
AND LOSING VIEWERSHIP???????
WAY LESS VIEWS AND WAY MORE SUBS?????????????????????????????
I believe its the pickup coil it might be reading good but not be picking up when the flywheel makes a go around
Nice custom wiring... Start there! Probably ground or ignition coil
Do these quads not have safty switches build in to the brakes that stop it sparking if they are not ingaged same as reverse safety switch
I would also check the key switch cause on the Kawasaki I've had problems if the key switch is bad or if there is aftermarket switch installed it will cause a no spark issue
Try to bypass all the safety switches one by one..... And check to make sure something isn't shorting out in the kill/key switch(es).
Check the polarity of the TDC sensor signal with an oscilloscope just because it is "New" does not mean that they wired the connector correctly! If the ICM / DCM needs to see a positive pulse and it gets a negative pulse then it cant do what it needs to for proper ingition coil operation!...!
Thanks a bunch for another great lesson!