Thunderheart Ignition Blip

stiffy

stiffy

Member
Last week, my '01 Mastiff would crank but not start. No spark. Checked ohms on coil and power to coil and all checked out. That left me looking at the ignition module and the pickup unit. The ignition module LED would come on for about 3 seconds and turn off. It wouldn't flash while cranking. I decided to test the 3 leads to the pickup unit while cranking to see if I was getting anything from the pickup unit. I used an analog meter. I tested the red wire while cranking and the bike started up!

I was dumbfounded. I had cranked the bike over at least 30 times and this time it fired!?!? My mechanic had a theory that a capacitor somehow wasn't discharging and shorting that wire somehow reset the ignition module. I called Thunderheart and talked to the tech. He didn't have an answer.

The bike has quit on me twice since then and both times I shorted that wire and the bike fired up. I think it's time to go for a single fire system. Any tips out there? Any theories what's happening? I don't like to rely on "magic"!
:loony:
 
RCAdd1ct

RCAdd1ct

JAFO
My guess is that you have a broken wire and it is open in the stock position and it closes when you pulled it out to work on it.

Remember, you can have a broken wire inside the insulation.

To look for it bend the wires individually and look at the curve. The broken area will not look normal compared to the rest.
 
stiffy

stiffy

Member
I don't think so. I sliced open the shroud that the pickup wires are in at the battery box (easiest access to the wires) to test them. I barely have to move the wire to short it out, but once I do, it runs again. Talked with the tech at Thunderheart and he thinks the ignition module is failing, especially since the misfires are getting more frequent. The unit is 10 years old, so....

I just ordered an Ultima single fire programmable ignition off of Ebay. $165 gets you a coil, plug wires, ignition module and all the wires. Just need a VOES switch now. My mechanic buddy has installed a few of these and had good results. I may send my old dual fire back to Thunderheart to be tested.
 
Moespeeds

Moespeeds

Well-Known Member
You're ignition could be getting flaky, just had it happen on an 04. Same symptoms, would randomly die for awile then start up later. Eventually died for good, ignition fried.
 
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