How does a CDI work on a motorcycle?
A CDI box works via the voltage from your motorcycle battery, and the electrical load discharges in one operation, starting the ignition and combustion processes. It takes a pulse of voltage passing through the CDI box to fire up the spark plug. These types of boxes have high spark voltage with short duration.
Why is my CDI not working on my bike?
The problem may get worse as the bike warms up. It might not even hold low revs at all. You’ve tested everything but the CDI unit, including the charge of your battery, your spark plugs, the health of your coils, and the triggering mechanism itself. Could it be your black box?
What does a CDI box do on a dirt bike?
Here’s a CDI box in a dirt bike. You’ll often find them lurking under your seat. Andy Greaser photo. The basic CDI system is a trigger mechanism, coils, and a box, often black, with capacitors and other circuitry inside. The trigger tells the box to fire, the box determines when to fire which coil with the capacitors,…
Is it safe to test a CDI unit?
It’s a black with yellow tracer wire. Summing up, as a result, if everything looks fine so far and you checked the ignition coil, the power source coil, the pick up coils, the ignition switch and kill switch and the neutral switch, then I think it’s safe to move on to the real CDI unit test.
What’s the difference between CDI and TCI ignitions?
For the purposes of this article, I’ll refer to all the black box ignitions as CDI, since they all use the same basic components: box, coils, sensor. This is a TCI box. On an electrical engineering level, it’s different from CDI, but the troubleshooting process is the same.
What does the CDI box on a motorcycle do?
The short answer is, the CDI box controls your motorcycle’s ignition system—arguably one of the most essential systems on the bike. After all, if it doesn’t start correctly, your bike isn’t going anywhere. Most modern motorcycles (post-1980) have a CDI box, so even if you’re shopping used motorcycles, odds are, your bike will have one.
What to do when your CDI doesn’t turn on?
When you turn the ignition ‘on’ all you are doing is opening this connection so the CDI is no longer grounded. If the engine isn’t running and the rest of the electrics are dead I’d first check the connector from the generator to the rest of the wiring and also the connector to the ignition switch, and then the ignition switch itself.
How can I tell if my CDI box is working?
Instead of jumping straight to the CDI box as the culprit, check these parts of your electrical system first: Battery: Use a voltmeter to ensure the proper voltage. Also check the connections for gaps, corrosion, or any other issues. Wiring: Make sure all the wires are attached (specifically ground wires) and functioning.
What kind of ignition box does a motorcycle use?
A CDI box, or capacitor discharge ignition (or thyristor ignition) box, is typical on motorcycles, including most 3 wheel motorcycle models, certain cars, and small motors like those in lawnmowers. Outboard motors also often use CDI boxes, with some models of boats including CDI in their names. Other names for your bike’s CDI box include: