QuestionHi there, really appreciate your willingness to share your knowledge in this way. I have a 1981 Honda CM400C, which I have owned for just a few months. The bike has about 24k miles on it. It ran fine for a while, but then had problems with starting. It would start up cold, and then it wouldn't start again once it was warmed up. Also, it would sometimes die while idling. So this is a problem that occured somewhat gradually, not all at once.
Now it doesn't start or run at all. The other day a friend and I tested and got no spark to either plug. We figured it was the ignition coil, because the green and yellow wires coming from the CDI unit to the ignition coil had about 10 volts across them while the starter button was pressed. I replaced the ignition coil (with a used, but said to be working coil), and there is still no spark to either plug. Is it the CDI unit, or something different? All other electrical components appear to be working fine. Thanks for your time!
AnswerHi Blake,
Sounds as if the CDI is defective.
You should have battery voltage on the ignition coil's primary windings (green & yellow wires).
Visit this website to see microfiche parts and prices: "www.bikebandit.com"
Cut & paste this link to see the electrics for your CM400C:
http://houseofmotorcycles.bikebandit.com/partsbandit/oem_schematic_view.asp?sche...
Respectfully,
Mark Shively
