Bad pickup coil?

VMAX  Forum

Help Support VMAX Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

kvb34441

Active Member
Joined
Aug 26, 2020
Messages
43
Reaction score
10
Location
Newnan, Georgia
I’ll start off by saying that I dropped my 90’ vmax about a month and a half ago. Big patch of loose grass going through a corner. Bummer. Dropped and slid on the kickstand side. Mostly cosmetic damage apart from the engine cover which I replaced. Just one problem, she won’t start. Cranks all you want but won’t fire. There’s no spark whatsoever. I grabbed a new spark plug from autozone just to make sure the plugs weren’t the issue and they aren’t. It’s got essentially brand new coil packs as of 1 year ago according to the gentleman I bought it from. I was reading through some of the forums and I’m seeing that it could be either the CDI box or pickup coil.
 
It could also be the sidestand relay. That happened 1 time on my 86. Crank but no start. I have an ignitech ecu in it, and it would tell me that the pickup coil was still firing.

Are you trying to crank it in gear, or in neutral? Clutch pulled in or out? Side stand up or down?
 
It could also be the sidestand relay. That happened 1 time on my 86. Crank but no start. I have an ignitech ecu in it, and it would tell me that the pickup coil was still firing.

Are you trying to crank it in gear, or in neutral? Clutch pulled in or out? Side stand up or down?
I hadn’t considered that. Where is the side stand relay located? I’ve been cranking it in neutral, clutch both in and out, side stand down and up.
 
I hadn’t considered that. Where is the side stand relay located? I’ve been cranking it in neutral, clutch both in and out, side stand down and up.
On the 86 it was on the left side just to the left of the ecu right there on that tray. I believe that it had 4 wires on it. On the earlier models, by taking it out, the bike would start, but you were disabling a safety system. On the later ones, 90 and up, if they relay went bad you just had to replace it.
 
On the 86 it was on the left side just to the left of the ecu right there on that tray. I believe that it had 4 wires on it. On the earlier models, by taking it out, the bike would start, but you were disabling a safety system. On the later ones, 90 and up, if they relay went bad you just had to replace it.
You have to just replace meaning it won’t run without it I’m assuming?
 
I’m trying to remember if a 92 still has a side stand relay. I’ll check when I’m done drinking lol
 
I’m trying to remember if a 92 still has a side stand relay. I’ll check when I’m done drinking lol
There’s an unmarked relay in the spot previously mentioned spot so I’m assuming that’s what it is. From what I can gather, 1990-on did have side stand relays. I’m having a couple drinks myself so I don’t go insane trying to figure all of this out 🤣
 
Ok, 85-92 has the sidestand relay which is on left side and attaches to front of electrical tray holding the ignition unit. Under the scoop is a relay unit which is the starting circuit cutoff relay and turn signal relay all in one. Yamaha separated that in '93.

Mark
 
Ok, 85-92 has the sidestand relay which is on left side and attaches to front of electrical tray holding the ignition unit. Under the scoop is a relay unit which is the starting circuit cutoff relay and turn signal relay all in one. Yamaha separated that in '93.

Mark
That’s the relay on the right correct?
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0098.jpeg
    IMG_0098.jpeg
    1.3 MB
Ok, 85-92 has the sidestand relay which is on left side and attaches to front of electrical tray holding the ignition unit. Under the scoop is a relay unit which is the starting circuit cutoff relay and turn signal relay all in one. Yamaha separated that in '93.

Mark
Just a wild theory, I don’t currently have the left side controls, (turn signals, horn, etc) could that possibly have anything to do with this? I pulled the whole harness for the left hand controls because the wires were stripped clean off the ends after the wreck.
 
That’s the relay on the right correct?

Correct. The black/yellow and red/black wires are the coil side (low voltage) of the SCCR. High voltage wires are blue/white. The other wires are for the turn signal relay and signal cancelling unit.

Mark
 
Just a wild theory, I don’t currently have the left side controls, (turn signals, horn, etc) could that possibly have anything to do with this? I pulled the whole harness for the left hand controls because the wires were stripped clean off the ends after the wreck.
It might be part of the problem since the signal relay/signals are all connected and could be shorting somehow. I'd do a jumper test to the coil side of the SCCR and also a continuity test of the sidestand switch. Next would be sidestand relay. which is underneath ignition tray. It's held in place by a grommet I think.
 
It might be part of the problem since the signal relay/signals are all connected and could be shorting somehow. I'd do a jumper test to the coil side of the SCCR and also a continuity test of the sidestand switch. Next would be sidestand relay. which is underneath ignition tray. It's held in place by a grommet I think.
Sounds good. I’ll get to it tomorrow and let you know how it goes. Thanks much!!
 
It might be part of the problem since the signal relay/signals are all connected and could be shorting somehow. I'd do a jumper test to the coil side of the SCCR and also a continuity test of the sidestand switch. Next would be sidestand relay. which is underneath ignition tray. It's held in place by a grommet I think.
Sorry for the delay. I got the replacement sub harness in for the left hand control switches. Plugged them in, still nothing. Also a little off topic but my turn signals are now blinking oddly. If I flip the left signals on, the front right signal blinks along with the rear left, and vise versa. Odd. Anyway, the side stand switch and side stand relay both seem to be in working order.
 
Issues dealing with wonky electrical operation, I look at several things, one being how strong is the battery? A second, is are the grounds clean and tight for the harness's various points?

When dealing with some function that goes through the switch pods, most often if they have problems, it can be due to such things as corroded contacts, loose contacts, broken pieces, skinned wires, or other dysfunctions related to proper operation of the electrical system.

I suggest anyone who has issues with their lighting to take a look at how to recondition your left and right switch pods and the ignition switch. Our member RaWarrior did some comprehensive posts on how to overhaul your switch pods. Use his screen name and the word pods as a search topic to locate those.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top