Starting trouble with Pulsar 180 - CDI Issue

[aniketi]

Need help from BHPians as always

I am having 2007 Pulsar 180 DTSI. I am using it continuously for last 5 years with no issues at all. Total kms done are more than 30 K. I am very happy with the bike & ride.

In last 2 months, I faced starting problem with my Pulsar thrice. When I am about to go to my office in the morning, it just refuses to start. After several attempts also it won't. I do try kick start as well. After going to mechanic problem found with CDI which is located under seat. It needs to be cleaned with compressed air and some petrol. Basically mechanic cleans the connection area in connections and CDI connectors. There are 2 of them which connects CDI. My battery is still the stock one & is still working. Its weak now but can do self start.

Now my question is what should i do to avoid this problem? I don't want to get late to office when my bike won't start at the very last moment. Do i need to change the CDI unit itself? How much it costs? One mechanic told me its around 850 - 900 Rs. Or there can be problem with my weak battery? Please help.

[Deeps]

I had the CDI fail in my Apache 150 few years ago. It caught fire due to an electrical fault.

Though, its a rare part to fail it can happen. I'd suggest you replace it and have the peace of mind as it can fail at any moment - even while running. I've never heard of it requiring a cleaning job!

For your reference, I got mine from a TVS stockist for 650/- back in 2009.

[ashis89]

Hi Aniket,
Does problem occur after washing your bike/keeping in rains?

I own a 2004 P150, done 43k kms and I faced the same problems a couple of times recently, usually a day after I pressure-washed my bike. The bike would mis-fire and lose power. All this after riding the bike for a few hours to 1 day after the wash. It was solved after cleaning the connectors with petrol.

Later I realised that water was getting into the connectors(present below the left side panel). I now make it a point to have compressed air blown into the connector and the problem hasn't reappeared. I did ask my mechanic if I needed to change the CDI, but he refused saying that it is not necessary now.

[amit_purohit20]

I suggest replace CDI dont try any other antiques to save money, because it will trouble you at the wrong places and make your life miserable. Cost mentioned by you is ok because I was quoted 1400-1500 rs for a TVS Victor CDI just because its not in production. You dont have much options other than replacing it. But I would suggest you ensure that the problem is with CDI by consulting other mechanic if in doubt.

[dhawcash]

Hi,

i own a pulsar 180 classic, and around a year back, faced similar starting issues.

being a DIY guy, i myself changed the CDI, as well as the whole wiring (it was old and frayed at places- the wiring harness). problemo solved for a few days.

Later on the problem was traced to the pickup coil, (located near the magnet, senses the crank position and tells the CDI when to fire the plugs) whose signal voltage had gone very weak. a new coil, and the bike was trouble free again. just as an experiment, i reinstalled the original CDI and the bike is still running problem free.

The moral of the story being, make sure your mechanic checks all parts related to the ignition system properly (a multimeter is all you need) instead of using a hit and trial approach.

One more thing i learnt (after a lot of online research) is that there is no accurate way or method to tell if a CDI has gone kaput. however you can make sure that other components of the ignition system are in tip top shape (the pick up coil, ignition coil, wiring harness/ connectors) before zeroing in on the CDI.

And as far as i know, CDI unit should not be bothered with the condition of the battery. in otherwords the bike should (kick)start and run fine even without a battery

[aniketi]

Originally Posted by Deeps

I had the CDI fail in my Apache 150 few years ago. It caught fire due to an electrical fault.

Though, its a rare part to fail it can happen. I'd suggest you replace it and have the peace of mind as it can fail at any moment - even while running. I've never heard of it requiring a cleaning job!

For your reference, I got mine from a TVS stockist for 650/- back in 2009.

Thanks for the information. I will check.

Originally Posted by ashis89

Hi Aniket,
Does problem occur after washing your bike/keeping in rains?

Not really, my bike is always parked in the covered parking. Riding in some rain should not cause such a problem, right?

[ashis89]

Not really. The part is hidden behind the left side panel, so rain water shouldnot be an issue. Still do check for a pattern if the problem occurs after riding in rain/washing the bike.

[(Alok)]

Originally Posted by aniketi

After going to mechanic problem found with CDI which is located under seat. It needs to be cleaned with compressed air and some petrol. Basically mechanic cleans the connection area in connections and CDI connectors. There are 2 of them which connects CDI.

Did your bike get start after cleaning of connections? If yes then Capacitor unit should not be culprit.

[aniketi]

Originally Posted by (Alok)

Did your bike get start after cleaning of connections? If yes then Capacitor unit should not be culprit.

Yes, bike got started immediately after cleaning job is done. Mechanic claims that due to carbon particles collection in the connectors it is happening. Not sure what is the real cause. I better take guarantee from the Service station before changing the CDI unit.