Author Topic: Alright, so what exactly "kills" a CDI? (Read 5419 times)

tomacGTi · « **on:** December 27, 2006, 01:26:13 AM »

I know I have to replace the regulator on my bike due to it charging high (16v at 5k with the headlight on) but what else is there to look out for?

I just replaced the battery because of it overcharging and of course am worried now that the CDI is just going to randomly sh*t the bed on me at the worst, furthest possible moment when out for a ride. Cost-wise I could cinch the belt and pick up a spare to take along but would like some insight before doing so.

I'm getting ready to put it away for the winter but of course would like to get things sorted out beforehand.

-Randy

gsxr400 racer · « **Reply #1 on:** December 27, 2006, 05:01:02 PM »

to many amps ( like jumping your bike from the car with it running ) ac voltage going to your cdi like bad reg/rec excessive voltage like bad reg/rec

interfuse · « **Reply #2 on:** December 27, 2006, 06:42:33 PM »

What Jay said. But having a bad R/R doesn't mean you're gonna fry your CDI. I'm stupid, I drove for 6 months or more with a bad R/R and my CDI is still okay a year after that...

tomacGTi · « **Reply #3 on:** December 27, 2006, 07:28:35 PM »

Find some wood/salt/virgin sacrifice fast Mike, those are famous last words!

Alright, I guess I'll just have to wait till the moment comes. I love the little bike to tears but it's the little niggle crap like that reallythat gets to me.

What about those "performance" boxes I see every now and then when I look through EBeg for GSXR400's. Anyone know the story there?

The Bandit seems to have the same temperment as my VW as far as finding a way to annoy me at the worst possible moment but finds a way to make me smile on the flip side.

-Randy

gsxr400 racer · « **Reply #4 on:** December 27, 2006, 08:59:41 PM »

Quote from: "tomacGTi"

What about those "performance" boxes I see every now and then when I look through EBeg for GSXR400's. Anyone know the story there?

-Randy

Those are for a older bike wont work

Kenyan01 · « **Reply #5 on:** December 28, 2006, 09:01:29 AM »

Hi!
I think I have seen it all as concerns CDIs. The bandit is currently on it's fourth CDI in 4 years. My problem it turns out was a wiring issue leading to shorting of the output from the reg/rec.
The other issue was the fact that I fixed an 11AH battery instead of the YTX9BS... And the last one was because of the jumpstarting using a car battery. It literaly roasted the cdi.
Some part of the time, the issue may have been a different game all together. When rectifying my wiring problems I found burnt wires in the headlight bezel and the signal pick up wire was also cut. We are frought to blaming the CDI for all our issues but my feeling is ther could be more than just that to our bikes. Wiring contacts, bad coils, fouled spark plugs, bad R/R etc...
Best regards,
Patrick.

tomacGTi · « **Reply #6 on:** December 28, 2006, 01:49:52 PM »

I guess here's the other million-dollar question: can another CDI from another motorcycle be used?

I think the market price for these things is so high just because of the relative rarity of the bike. Is there any crossover from any other make/model available?

Farre · « **Reply #7 on:** December 28, 2006, 02:07:58 PM »

i doubt it.. in the CDI lies all the info about spark timing, to find another bike that uses exactly the same spark timing... talk about finding a needle in a haystack.

PitterB4 · « **Reply #8 on:** December 28, 2006, 03:14:17 PM »

Quote from: "tomacGTi"

I guess here's the other million-dollar question: can another CDI from another motorcycle be used?

I think the market price for these things is so high just because of the relative rarity of the bike. Is there any crossover from any other make/model available?

I doubt it too. It would have to have the exact same timing. On the US bikes, the boxes for 91s/92s won't work on 93s because of the difference in timing.

tomacGTi · « **Reply #9 on:** December 28, 2006, 05:55:07 PM »

Oh well, worth a shot anyway. It would have been nice to have a less expensive fallback.

gsxr400 racer · « **Reply #10 on:** December 28, 2006, 05:56:33 PM »

Quote from: "PitterB4"

Quote from: "tomacGTi"
I guess here's the other million-dollar question: can another CDI from another motorcycle be used?

I think the market price for these things is so high just because of the relative rarity of the bike. Is there any crossover from any other make/model available?

I doubt it too. It would have to have the exact same timing. On the US bikes, the boxes for 91s/92s won't work on 93s because of the difference in timing.

Rob you are speeking out of your

they dont work because of that little extra wire to the cdi member the one i sent you didnt work on your worked on mine once chnaged the wire harness if its not that its something stupid electrically that has nothing to do with the cdi!

gsxr400 racer · « **Reply #11 on:** December 28, 2006, 09:38:30 PM »

chansk · « **Reply #12 on:** January 26, 2007, 09:46:50 PM »

My understanding of the "CDI" being mentioned in the earlier threads does not function as a CDI. It is more of a computerised ignitor. Yes, there is a small, 8-bit (4MHz) computer chip in it the black box below the rear seat.

It takes in signal from a signal generator, processes it using a set of computer instructions built into the Read Only Memory chip (also in the ignitor black-box), and then outputs the firing signal to the ignition coils.

1st edit:
Oh yes, as the firing characteristics of the Bandit (the non-VV is different from VV), the ignitors from another bike make or model should not be used *unfortunately*.

2nd edit:
Back to the original topic, what kills the ignitor?
-Excessively high voltage (manual states regulated voltage is 13.5 to 15.5 VDC)
-Water in the ignitor components
-Component failure (yes, there are 20-cent resistors and capacitors on the ignitor circuit board)
-Gremlins

gsxr400 racer · « **Reply #13 on:** January 27, 2007, 12:12:50 AM »

Quote from: "chansk"

My understanding of the "CDI" being mentioned in the earlier threads does not function as a CDI. It is more of a computerised ignitor. Yes, there is a small, 8-bit (4MHz) computer chip in it the black box below the rear seat.

1st edit:
Oh yes, as the firing characteristics of the Bandit (the non-VV is different from VV), the ignitors from another bike make or model should not be used *unfortunately*.

2nd edit:
Back to the original topic, what kills the ignitor?
-Excessively high voltage (manual states regulated voltage is 13.5 to 15.5 VDC)
-Water in the ignitor components
-Component failure (yes, there are 20-cent resistors and capacitors on the ignitor circuit board)
-Gremlins

True it is not a CDI but tif taf more people know what a cdi is if your asking for the part at a dealer i need a transitorized flux capacitor. LOL get my point just for typing sake its a cdi

part 2: this is wrong a b4 cdi with the 2 wires on the small plug can be change directly with a gsxr 400 gk73 and my other notion is that the one with the 3 wires can be switched with the gsxr gk76a now the b4 vv if seen both the cdi box's from them and a gk76a sp model and these are the only cdi's with a single plug so they may interchange the 76 sp has a tps sensor as does the b4 vv

and your 3rd part true no one is going to argue that one.