Post by mrgus2u on Jun 7, 2023 4:22:22 GMT -6
I haven't read any post describing the problem I was having with a TaoTao 50 disappearing spark issue.
I had tried pretty much everything, replaced the cdi, the coil, the stator, and even disconnected the kill switch wire and replaced the spark plug, but I still had spark at times, but I would go away in the middle of the starting process. But the cause for the no spark situation turned out to be as trivial as it was disconcerting.
I am having pavers installed on the side of my house. They are set without any mortar or cement. Instead, they are installed using only a layer of white sand that serves as the cement where the bricks are layed on, but since it is not a permanent substance, as mortar or cement, a permit is not needed for the project. And here is the surprising reason for my intermittent spark condition. I noticed that after cleaning the motor with compressed air, the spark returned, albeit for a short time. The sand used to lay the bricks becomes airborne with the smallest wind, and the sand was getting everywhere in and around my house, including inside the cooling fan for the engine, in the coils of the stator and on the pickup coil and the magneto and flywheel. After opening up the blower housing, removing the magneto and the stator, I saw a fine layer of dust and many sand particles, in particular the particles that were metallic in nature. I gave all the components of this section a thorough cleaning, leaving the area absolutely clean. After reassembling everything again, I realized the spark had not only returned, but was stronger that any spark i had seen before on this engine. The sand, with its high metallic content, was impeding the pickup coil from detecting the magneto movement, so the signal for the cdi to fire and allow the coil to send the spark to the plug was never sent. In addition, the sand was actually lowering the output of all the coils in the stator, including the impulse coil that powers the cdi.
After this discovery, i avoided starting the scooter around the house, and if was strictly necessary to start the engine , I would do so with some sort of barrier against the wind to avoid contaminating the electrical system again.
I haven't had any more episodes of lost spark since. Something so simple, yet so elusive, was creating all my electrical failures.
I haven't seen any posts anywhere, describing a similar situation. Caveat emptor! 👍
I had tried pretty much everything, replaced the cdi, the coil, the stator, and even disconnected the kill switch wire and replaced the spark plug, but I still had spark at times, but I would go away in the middle of the starting process. But the cause for the no spark situation turned out to be as trivial as it was disconcerting.
I am having pavers installed on the side of my house. They are set without any mortar or cement. Instead, they are installed using only a layer of white sand that serves as the cement where the bricks are layed on, but since it is not a permanent substance, as mortar or cement, a permit is not needed for the project. And here is the surprising reason for my intermittent spark condition. I noticed that after cleaning the motor with compressed air, the spark returned, albeit for a short time. The sand used to lay the bricks becomes airborne with the smallest wind, and the sand was getting everywhere in and around my house, including inside the cooling fan for the engine, in the coils of the stator and on the pickup coil and the magneto and flywheel. After opening up the blower housing, removing the magneto and the stator, I saw a fine layer of dust and many sand particles, in particular the particles that were metallic in nature. I gave all the components of this section a thorough cleaning, leaving the area absolutely clean. After reassembling everything again, I realized the spark had not only returned, but was stronger that any spark i had seen before on this engine. The sand, with its high metallic content, was impeding the pickup coil from detecting the magneto movement, so the signal for the cdi to fire and allow the coil to send the spark to the plug was never sent. In addition, the sand was actually lowering the output of all the coils in the stator, including the impulse coil that powers the cdi.
After this discovery, i avoided starting the scooter around the house, and if was strictly necessary to start the engine , I would do so with some sort of barrier against the wind to avoid contaminating the electrical system again.
I haven't had any more episodes of lost spark since. Something so simple, yet so elusive, was creating all my electrical failures.
I haven't seen any posts anywhere, describing a similar situation. Caveat emptor! 👍