Hey guys,
I'm new here and stopped by looking for some help. I'll get right to the point!
I'm working on a buddy's ATV, he just shipped out to the Middle east and before he left he dropped it off and asked me to fix it for him. It seems he was camping with some other buddys and he lost the key to the quad so they tried to "hotwire" it to get it running. That didn't work so they towed it to the trucks and brought it home. Once he got it home it wouldn't start, that's where I come in.
I found a blown fuse and replaced that but now I'm not getting any fire to the sparkplug, I have a manual and ran all of the troubleshooting specs in the book but I can't find anything wrong. Everything seems to test Ok according to the books specs., I tried another coil just in case but that didn't fix anything. I'm starting to think that the CDI unit is blown/fried and I just don't have any other ideas. The dealer says that it's 330.00 for a new one and I don't have the $$ to spend on it and I don't want to spend his $$$ if that's not the problem. I did a search here on CDI and found a ton of posts and went thru most of them looking for some info but the only thing I found is that there doesn't seem to be any way for the average guy to test the unit.
I'm open to suggestions and ideas and any help will be greatly appreciated!
The quad is a:
1997 Yamaha Big Bear 350
4x4 (full time)
model # YFM350FWB (J)

Thanks guys!

 

Maybe the ignition wires are still messed up. If the key is in the off position you won't get any spark.

Just a thought.....

 

Thats where id start. Check the switches and the wires that were messed with. Look for all the fuses and check them all. Its posible some wires were crossed, and they blew a fuse.
Also check the operation of the kill switch.
Usually the cdis arent verifiable, except to exchange them in machines. Theres no simple bench checks. Once you eliminate all other posibilities, then the cdi becomes suspect...but its the last thing to suspect.
Do you have a service manual? usually theres a troubleshooting guide in the manual, to follow, and itll list all the posiblities..some quads have a parking brake switch, and gear switch, which can stop spark.
But id start with the wiring....it was running before they played with the wires. Look for bare wires touching the frame, or disconnected connectors.

 

Thanks for the response guys.

I have ran all the switches, wires and connections, replaced the fuses just in case, checked connitunity between everything that I should, but I still have no power to the coil. I have a manual and have gone through every step that it lists in the troubleshooting section (numerous times). I have disassembled/ bypassed the kill switch and it still won't start or provide power to the coil.
I don't know what else to check!
Is there anybody else that has experiance with this kind of problem?

I have searched the net looking for aftermarket CDI units but I can't find any listed for this model.

I would really appreciate any assistance/advice before I spend 350.00 for a new CDI unit.
Thanks...