Hitchcocks Forum

Hi there, I need a bit of help for an electrical miracle (Bullet 500, 2008): When I wanted to start last time, I observed that the ignition control lamp was off after turning the ignition key. My first thought: empty battery. But having a closer look, I found that the lamp turned on and off a when decrompressing and moving the Kickstarter down, rotating the crankshaft etc. respectively. More precisely: lamp on when breaker points open, lamp off when breaker Points closed. And no amp reading at any time. I then disconnected the ignition coil (open circuit): the lamp was on all the time (as it should when igntion key turned on). At this point I thought the coil is broken (because this is the component that get switched by the breaker Points) and connected a new one. But this swap doesnt change the situation. Unfortunately I have no in-depth understanding of the entire electrics to identify other components that may cause this fault. Please, please let me know your analysis/hints. Thanks, Peter

It could just be an almost-flat battery (or, more likely, a battery that has failed with a high internal resistance). It has enough power to light up the ignition light, but as soon as any load goes on it (e.g. the ignition coil) the voltage drops to nothing.



You could confirm this by trying other loads, like switching on the headlights or the brake light. If they, also, cause the ignition light to go out, then a knackered battery is a strong possibility.

Hi Thack, thank you very much! I will check by following your recomm. this afternoon, Peter

So come on, tippi: we're all dying to know what happened next!