Varitronic Ignition fault

[Dryballs]

Hi Guys,

My ignition stopped working on the weekend... about 3 miles after I jetwashed my engine

Before I started the bike I sprayed WD40 around the place (on connecters etc) and it ran fine for about 20 minutes before just dyeing completely

I'm at a loss with what to check with a Varitronic to see what isnt working!

Should there be continuity in the coil from the HT lead to one of the connectors? can you measure the impedence of the coil and pick up like you can with the indian / vespa style stators?

Any help or pointers are appreciated!

I tried Camlam, but their resident expert is away this week

Thanks in advance

Christiaan

[firekdp]

Some tech specs here
http://www.lambretta.co.uk/downloads/vari1.jpg
From this it shows the feed coil resistance (green to earth) as 290 ohms +/-20%. There is no pick up fitted to the varitronic. You should get a reading of several thousand ohms between the end of the HT lead and the earth wire (connection 2).

[Dryballs]

Thanks for that... I'll check it out tonight

[Dryballs]

Erm.... if you check the wiring diagram - there is no green wire from the stator!

I checked the red and black wire to earth which registered no impedence at all

I also checked my other wires just incase... but as they are lighting coils there is no luck there!

Looks like its a new stator for me!

[firekdp]

Yeah sorry I just copied green to earth from their own table, should be red/black. Check the coil to earth joint and red/black to coil connection before ditching it.

[ArKaTxU]

Check one thing.
Time ago i have a problem with my spark. I havent spark plug, and the problem is that the earth in the stop button isn't correct.
Check resistance between the green wire in the head connections (that come to the red/black wire from stator) and the earth, and quit the wire that go to the stop button/kill switch and see if you have correct resistance.
In my case, with the kill switch connected to the head connections, i have only 70-80 ohms resistance and i have no spark, when i check if there are continuity between earth and kill switch, every seems to be ok, but when i disconnect this kill switch wire, everything go ok.
Good luck

[J1MS]

I have heard of the wires being snagged where they come out of the mag housing, can cause it to short circuit. my mates Dean from Ireland had this problem. I would just check for continuity and correct resistance with the stator in situ then do the same with the stator removed. from memory charge coil resistance I think is around 300 ohms. lighting coils is low at around 0.5 ohms I have seen one flywheel where the magnets had been badly cracked when fitted and then the engine would'nt fire... all the best cant tell you much else as I have only limited knowledge of these Ignition systems

[Dryballs]

I checked it all out last night...

Lighting coils were 0.4 ohm
Charge coil didnt have any continutiy at all... so cant have rubbed through on the mag flange as there wasnt a connection to earth at all

I've ordered another stator plate today... for 85 squid I hope it works! I'm pretty sure this is the fault

Thanks for your help guys

db