Twin Spark ignition coil problem

[Rob Farmer]

My GSA has been running rough for a few days. Spitting when the throttles blipped and missing at higher revs. I pulled the secondary leads off and it's obvious the problem lies with the right hand ignition pack. The strange thing is with a plug in the coil pack and it resting on the head it sparks reliably. It's the first time I've come across this problem. Is this the normal symptons?

 

[HeatedGrips]

Yes, I'm afraid it's a common problem on the twin spark. Do a search under "coil" and you'll see what I mean.

A new coil plug cap is the only solution - at around £50 unfortunately.

 

[turnipbmw]

Yes, I'm afraid it's a common problem on the twin spark. Do a search under "coil" and you'll see what I mean.

A new coil plug cap is the only solution - at around £50 unfortunately.

I have a pair you can have/try £30 the pair or offers

 

[Fanum]

Sounds exactly like the symproms Rob.....but have a look at the coil pack end first....the little clip in wiring block gets damaged quite often and could be the bit that's causing the poor running.

When mine went, the actual body of the coil part swelled and the seam split , with corrosian coming out....I imaine for some odd reason it might have got wet at some point.......now, I squirt a bit of wd down the hole that keads to the coil pack from time to time to drive out the moisture.

 

[bikemike]

I am going through this as we speak. I have the bike in my shop waiting for the idle to crap out..it does when it gets warm, and then I'll pull the lower plug leads to see if I can figure what side it is on. Bike runs great until it warms up and then the idle goes to hell and the bike doesn't pull well on acceleration. I have been working on this for a while I would love it to be just a cap coil.

Mike

 

[Rob Farmer]

Thanks guys.

I'll order one up.

 

[Tarka]

Seeing as they`re coil-caps,has anyone considered just removing and running without the 'secondary' plug caps following a fault ??

Wonder if it`d make any difference ?

 

[Rob Farmer]

Tarka,

I'm not sure what you mean? I pulled the secondaries to see how the bike ran on the main coils and then pulled both mains and ran on the secondaries to prove it was a coil problem.

 

[Tarka]

Tarka,

I'm not sure what you mean? I pulled the secondaries to see how the bike ran on the main coils and then pulled both mains and ran on the secondaries to prove it was a coil problem.

Rob,

All I meant was does it make a massive difference if it`s running as a single plug head compared to twin plug ......

Just a Luddite`s thoughts......along the lines of fecking off these seemingly unreliable secondaries completely and running as single spark.

 

[bikemike]

My problem turned out to be, without question, a cap coil. When I disconnected the secondary spark wire on the suspected side the bike would barely idle and shut off in a second or two. It appears as the secondary plug was doing most of the work which is not good because the secondary runs a different, more retarded timing than the primarys.

Mike

 

[Steptoe]

My problem turned out to be, without question, a cap coil. Mike

Would you be the same bikermike as on ADV rider - i suggested this was your problem with your bike on the 12th post of your thread on ADV rider -

It went up to 40 posts, and you were still trying to solve it

 

[Rob Farmer]

Rob,

All I meant was does it make a massive difference if it`s running as a single plug head compared to twin plug ......

Just a Luddite`s thoughts......along the lines of fecking off these seemingly unreliable secondaries completely and running as single spark.

Tarka,

The secondaries seem to be reliable it's the primary plug, using the coil packs, that seem to cause the hassle. I tried running with the secondaries disconnected a while back and couldn't tell the difference.

I'm not sure if I remember correctly but I think Steptoe mentioned, a long while back, that the secondaries don't work above a certain RPM.

 

[Slime Bomb]

I have a pair you can have/try £30 the pair or offers

Hi turnipbmw, i am also having the same prob with my twin spark through my own stupidity and would like to know if you still have those plug caps/coils for sale and are they in good nick?

 

[MickDB1]

Hi turnipbmw, i am also having the same prob with my twin spark through my own stupidity and would like to know if you still have those plug caps/coils for sale and are they in good nick?

What ever you have done
Share it with us
I may have done the same - difference is you know what you have done - I dont recon Ive done owt - but I have the symtoms toooo - If you buy them off this guy can I buy one of them, off you, to try on my bike please
cheers mick 07817227975

 

[Slime Bomb]

What ever you have done
Share it with us
I may have done the same - difference is you know what you have done - I dont recon Ive done owt - but I have the symtoms toooo - If you buy them off this guy can I buy one of them, off you, to try on my bike please
cheers mick 07817227975

I couldn't be arsed to get the tool bag from under the seat so i took a screwdriver to the caps and cracked both the sockets where the ht leads push in so i do need both of them sorry . After i cracked the first one the tickover was uneven but that was all, but now i have done both (the second one worse, yes what an arse!!) i get a misfire at higher revs aswell. Lesson learned i hope. So if anybody out there has a couple of these knockin around that they want to sell call Simon : 07929 010 339

 

[bikemike]

Yes Mr Steptoe..that would be me. I am a wiser man than I was all those posts ago. Calling around for a cap coil I was told by two places "they never go bad, bring it in and we will find your real problem". My real problem turned out to be almost $1000.00 in "technician" time with no resolution to the problem and even a suggestion to have the top end rebuilt. These were authorized BMW dealers and mechanics.

From now on I listen to my gut feelings with a little help from my friends..you guys and the guys on the ADV forum. BTW I did your mod to the CAT code plug..pins 5 and 6.

Mike