82 Maxim 650 coils

I bought some used coils off ebay. I took them to the shop down the street and they tested them. They said they were good to go. So i put em in, starts up, idles kinda strange. Took a test drive and sputtering began. had to get gas. Then the bike didnt want to start. Ideas on what could be wrong? I wired it the way the old ones were. The old ones didnt have this issue, only when it rained the bike didnt like to run.

 

First, since you had to get gas, assume that you just about ran out of gas. Get the tank full and start all over again. If you can eliminate fuel starvation as the actual cause, then read on................

Put the old one back in and see what happens. If it runs good again, tells you the coils are NOT good to go. May be they're good to STOP. Or maybe the shop meant they were good to go.....in the trash.

Whatever the case, swap back to the old coils and see. If the problem persists, you know to look elsewhere. If the problem disappears then you know THREE things:
1. the coils are bad
2. the seller sold you a bad item
3. the shop can't be trusted EITHER

Dave F

 

its runs normal with the old ones. However i think the old ones might be dieing because the bike dies and refuses to run when it rains. is there a way that i can perhaps water seal them so its less likely to happen? Or is there aftermarket coils i can buy instead? original ones are rather expensive. I checked around town and they are around 300 bucks.

 

First - OHM them yourself. Clip 1/4 inch from the ends of the wires and re-install the terminals.

If they check out OK - clean with soap and water, or even hand cleaner, let dry completely - let them sit on the dash of a car. Spray down with a silicone lubricant/penetrant.

I have a pair of coils that are CRACKED, and I filled the cracks with Liquid Electric Tape, and they work fine.

Yours could have an internal failure that only shows up when hot.
You could complain to the E-Bay seller and get an exchange if it's a dealer.