No spark Trispark

brokeneagle · Apr 11, 2017

I took my '75 markIII out for a ride on Saturday. Ran oustanding as it has for my 2 years of ownership. I stopped for gas and it wouldn't start. I pulled the plugs and no spark. I checked every imaginal wiring connection even pulling the headlight out. I don't carry a multi tester but now it's a thought. Trucked it home, 30 minutes later at home it starts right up. Took it out today hoping it was just a one time fluke. After a 20 minutes of running perfectly, I got home and shut it off. Again it wouldn't restart. Pulled the plugs and again no spark. I pulled the timing cover off and the Trispark red light flashes when the starter motor turns but no spark. It was getting 12.4 volts to the yellow/black wire. After half our or so I got spark again but the "Test" button doesn't produce a spark. Is this a sign my EI has failed? I am running the stock 2 coils but they seem cold to the touch. Seems heat related but it runs perfect right up to when I shut it off. I put he Trispark on when I got the bike in 2015 so it's a couple years old. Any thoughts?

comnoz · Apr 11, 2017

brokeneagle said:
I took my '75 markIII out for a ride on Saturday. Ran oustanding as it has for my 2 years of ownership. I stopped for gas and it wouldn't start. I pulled the plugs and no spark. I checked every imaginal wiring connection even pulling the headlight out. I don't carry a multi tester but now it's a thought. Trucked it home, 30 minutes later at home it starts right up. Took it out today hoping it was just a one time fluke. After a 20 minutes of running perfectly, I got home and shut it off. Again it wouldn't restart. Pulled the plugs and again no spark. I pulled the timing cover off and the Trispark red light flashes when the starter motor turns but no spark. It was getting 12.4 volts to the yellow/black wire. After half our or so I got spark again but the "Test" button doesn't produce a spark. Is this a sign my EI has failed? I am running the stock 2 coils but they seem cold to the touch. Seems heat related but it runs perfect right up to when I shut it off. I put he Trispark on when I got the bike in 2015 so it's a couple years old. Any thoughts?

Sounds very likely. But I would check the kill switch first. Jim

brokeneagle · Apr 11, 2017

I checked the kill switch right off. Wouldn't get 12+ volts to the EI if it was the kill switch right? Just seems like if it is heat related it would fail while riding.
Can the timing cover area become hotter after a shut down? Thanks for the reply Jim.

comnoz · Apr 12, 2017

brokeneagle said:
I checked the kill switch right off. Wouldn't get 12+ volts to the EI if it was the kill switch right? Just seems like if it is heat related it would fail while riding.
Can the timing cover area become hotter after a shut down? Thanks for the reply Jim.

True, but a little corrosion in the circuit can do funny things when it comes to electronics.

I suspect the module is likely the problem.

It's not so much the maximum temperature that kills them. They fail because of the large temperature swings.
Repeated expansion and contraction along with vibration eventually compromises the circuitry. Jim

chasbmw · Apr 12, 2017

comnoz said:
brokeneagle said:

I checked the kill switch right off. Wouldn't get 12+ volts to the EI if it was the kill switch right? Just seems like if it is heat related it would fail while riding.
Can the timing cover area become hotter after a shut down? Thanks for the reply Jim.

Click to expand...

True, but a little corrosion in the circuit can do funny things when it comes to electronics.

I suspect the module is likely the problem.

It's not so much the maximum temperature that kills them. They fail because of the large temperature swings.
Repeated expansion and contraction along with vibration eventually compromises the circuitry. Jim

I agree, it's a bloody stupid place to place the module, however well its potted.

freefly103 · Apr 16, 2017

The exact same thing happened to one of mine.

Turns out that an earlier production run of the modules had a component that failed when hot.

Send it back to Trispark for checking and a replacement.

Steven Kelly said that they became aware of the problem and that it's been rectified in later modules.

Still a PIA when you suspect everything else on the bike and the new TS is the last thing you expect to malfunction.

lazyeye6 · Apr 16, 2017

freefly103 said:
The exact same thing happened to one of mine.

Turns out that an earlier production run of the modules had a component that failed when hot.

Send it back to Trispark for checking and a replacement.

Steven Kelly said that they became aware of the problem and that it's been rectified in later modules.

Still a PIA when you suspect everything else on the bike and the new TS is the last thing you expect to malfunction.

I had a TriSpark on my Commando for about a year and about a thousand miles. It mysteriously stopped running during a
short warm up ride of 4-5 miles. It would not restart. After 20 minutes it started and I made it back home where it
stopped running again a few hundred feet from my home. It would not restart. Next morning it started right up. Again
took a short 4 mile ride and it quit running. After 20 minutes it started again and I made it home. After that it would
never start again. I had power to the module. I described the symptoms to the vendor I purchased it from and he immediately
sent me a new unit. It has worked fine for 5 months and 400 miles.
I also have a Mark III with a TS which I installed 3 years ago and have put 2000 miles on it with no problems.

No spark Trispark

brokeneagle

comnoz

brokeneagle

comnoz

chasbmw

freefly103

lazyeye6

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