Coil or VOES?
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Elite HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 4,525
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From: Wheeling, WV
Coil or VOES?
Alright, which one to suspect more? The bike is dead. The other night the GF and I go for a ride, and the bike stuttered very hard a couple of times while just puttin along with minimal throttle at 30 MPH. Then it ran fine the rest of the trip. Well, then Friday night we're cruising along and the bike dies as I pull the clutch into park....So I refire to reposition the bike....Starts stuttering & dies....Try to refire it and finally it refires after about 6 hits of the start button. Park the bike and go into bar for a couple cold ones. It started fine later that night, but gave me some major stutters/hiccups/stalling attempts on the ride home. So I reposition the vacuum line from the VOES as I thought it might have been kinked or something and the battery wires are fine. Then yesterday I figure I'll check everything out on a short run with a buddy....Bike ran fine for about 5 miles and then all of a sudden...Major Sputtering-then flat died while I was cruising at 75 mph on the highway. So I coast to the side of the road.....5 refire attempts later it finally starts back up. I get about 1/4 mile up the road and it dies again and never refired....I had to ride Bioooootch [&o]back home to get my truck and trailer. Do you guys think Coil or VOES? It still will not start. I was planning on going straight to the dealership to get a new VOES this afternoon, but wanted some of your thoughts before I go......[&:] Oh and the stockseats (passenger pillion)on the Heritage Softail Classics aren't that great either.
Club Member
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 16,320
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From: Boynton Beach, FloriDuh
RE: Coil or VOES?
Well at this point, if the bike is not starting, it should be easy to find. Pull a plug and ground its base and crank the bike. If the plug doesn't spark it's likely electrical not vacuum.
Club Member
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 16,320
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From: Boynton Beach, FloriDuh
RE: Coil or VOES?
ORIGINAL: 6o66er
VOES is both vaccuum AND electrical...break out a multi meter and test the switch itself.
VOES is both vaccuum AND electrical...break out a multi meter and test the switch itself.
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Elite HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2006
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From: Wheeling, WV
RE: Coil or VOES?
ORIGINAL: 6o66er
VOES is both vaccuum AND electrical...break out a multi meter and test the switch itself.
VOES is both vaccuum AND electrical...break out a multi meter and test the switch itself.
Anyway, I didn't have time to go over the bike yesterday after I got it home, but I'll swing by the house to check for spark before I go over to Valley HD to possibly get a new VOES. If there's no spark, What do you guys consider the better coils? Screaming Eagle, Crane, etc...Oh and part numbers if you got them please. Also, I did notice the VOES vacuum line wasstarting to getdry-roughted and cracking, (maybe I'll try replacing that too while checking for spark). [&:]
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Joined: Jun 2007
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From: Fughettaboutit, NY
RE: Coil or VOES?
ORIGINAL: 6o66er
VOES is both vaccuum AND electrical...break out a multi meter and test the switch itself.
VOES is both vaccuum AND electrical...break out a multi meter and test the switch itself.
Electrical:
Make sure those plug wires are pushed ALL the way on at the coil. Use dielectric grease on the contacts. Pull the boot back, insert the contact end then push the boot back onto the coil fora solid connection. Also. check the VOES (evil) Switch as suggested.
Fuel delivery:
Could be a clogged fuel screen in your tank or your accelerator diaphragm in the carb, or even the vacuum diaphragm in your petcock.
Road Master
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,125
Likes: 22
From: Phoenix, AZ
RE: Coil or VOES?
I had a similar problem. It was the 90* elbow going to the coil.
The bike would start & run fine and out of the blue would run bad & die. Holding a high rpm would help. I would get spark when I checked the plugs & fuel when I checked the carb. When I took off the connections to replace the coil is when I found the 90* press-on elbow was broken. I replaced that elbow with an old fashioned crimped connection. Not a pretty as the eblow but more reliable.
The bike would start & run fine and out of the blue would run bad & die. Holding a high rpm would help. I would get spark when I checked the plugs & fuel when I checked the carb. When I took off the connections to replace the coil is when I found the 90* press-on elbow was broken. I replaced that elbow with an old fashioned crimped connection. Not a pretty as the eblow but more reliable.
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From: Wheeling, WV
RE: Coil or VOES?
ORIGINAL: Stefan
I had a similar problem.
Holding a high rpm would help.
I had a similar problem.
Holding a high rpm would help.
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 83
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RE: Coil or VOES?
I too should have paid more attention to my father when he was trying to show me the multi meter. Dad died in 1998. I found this book and it is the best out of the 12 or so I have read on electrical systems. Since reading it I have been able to sort out every single electrical problem I have come upon. Supprisingly it is a fairly easy read.
http://www.amazon.com/Motorcycle-Ele...666&sr=8-2
http://www.amazon.com/Motorcycle-Ele...666&sr=8-2
Tourer
Joined: Jun 2007
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From: Fughettaboutit, NY
RE: Coil or VOES?
ORIGINAL: WVHogRider
Well on Friday when this really started, holding it in a little higher RPM did seem to help to keep it from completely dieing, Saturday it ran fine to/from work which was about 60 miles round trip, but then Sunday it didn't even make it 5 to 10 miles. No VOES' norPerformance coilsat the local shops...[:@]
ORIGINAL: Stefan
I had a similar problem.
Holding a high rpm would help.
I had a similar problem.
Holding a high rpm would help.