Hello---

I picked up a 1998 Bayou 300 4x2 today. Owner told me that it ran fine for about four months and then wouldn't start...no spark. He replaced the CDI a couple of times and still no luck. I spent the day running through the wiring and checking things out. Good battery, but starter clutch is out and won't turn over with starter. Was using the pull starter until I took it off and used a power drill to spin the motor. I finally got it to spark, but here's where it gets weird...It will spark about every ten revolutions of the motor. The coil checked out ok and the CDI is supposedly new. Any help would me MUCH appreciated.
Thanks.

 

The 300 system is similar to that used on cars. Power to provide the spark comes from the battery, a trigger coil near the flywheel provides an AC signal pulse, the CDI converts it into a negative pulse to the coil, which is being fed positive, direct from the ignition switch. Check the CDI is getting the AC signal pulse and negative and positive from the battery via the ignition switch, also check the coil is being fed positive.

 

I am getting positive to the coil, and positive and negative to the CDI. How do I check if it is receiving the AC signal pulse from the trigger coil? This is via the black and blue wires coming out of the left side of the motor, right?
Thanks for the help.

 

Ok...I checked both wires from the pickup/trigger coil. They both show 0.05v with ignition on, engine not turning. When I spun the engine, there was no change. Would that indicate the need for a new pickup/trigger coil or could it be something else?
Thanks.

 

It would if you are sure there is no AC voltage produced by the pickup coil when you spin the engine over. I only have the Lakota wiring diagram, this shows the wires as yellow and black out of engine, turning to blue, and black with white stripe where they plug into the loom.

 

Ok, I checked again and could see a small spike from the pick up coil on the meter, from 0.05 to maybe 0.07v. The secondary resistance on the ignition coil checked out at 2,900 ohms. Too low?
Thanks.

 

Yep, bad ignition coil. I put a new one on and it starts/runs great. Thanks for the help!