Ignition Coil issues

Hello Everyone,

I just picked up a 2013 Hypermotard sp and started researching the service requirements. During my search, I found that quite a few owners of the same bike and year, to include the Hypermotards experienced some serious issues with their oem coils, which eventually took out the dash and in some cases the ecu to include a few other anomalies.

I looked up the part number 38010145B and it seems it's the same as what I have on my 2013. I'm probably going with the Aprilia coil packs, but has anyone experienced or heard of any other models with with the oem coil packs taking out the cluster (dash) and creating havoc?

Just wondering if it only affects the 13 motards, but if yes, it seems even the newer bikes use the same exact part number.

Good info here on how to install the Aprilia coils: http://hyperstrada.com/mechanical-technical/4143-installing-aprilia-eldor-coil-packs.html

Thanks.

Thanks kuksul; I will move forward with the Aprilia coils, gray service areas really bring out my ocd. I need to check/replace the plugs and air filter anyway as I don't have the complete service history, so might as well switch out the coils while I have the tank removed and coils out.

appliance821 said:

The service bulletin repair is free and is specifically for this problem. I'd do it, and then if you do have a problem, ducati is good with out of warranty repairs of this issue. If you don't do it, you are truly on your own.

The prior owner may have already done it - a dealer can tell you. It is a service bulletin, not a recall, so the online recall function of the website will not give you accurate info..

Click to expand...

Extremely helpful!

Thank you and I'll post an update.

I called the dealer and it looks like there are a total of 4 campaigns (SB's) on my 2013 hypermotard:

*Software update (ouch, since it will override the current fuel curve for the SC exhaust).
*Dust cover (not sure exactly what this is yet...).
*Throttle inspection (replacement if necessary).
* and finally the CAN protector filter, we do know this one.

Thank you all for helping me steer toward the dealer

It's California Speed Sports in Livermore, I've dealt with them before, and they have been great so far.

Thank you!

Updates....

Hello Everyone,

This is a quick update on my hyper; I decided to give the dealer that's very close to me a try since I haven't worked with them (Acemotorsports, for those in the east bay area, my first experience with them was very good). The service manager looked up my vin and found 4 open campaigns, which were throttle assembly, top head bearing dust cover, dash resistor circuit installation and insulation of wires for the christmas lights dash issues and finally update the ecu to the latest software.

The throttle assembly's gray plug did have the part number ending in "C," so it was replaced with one ending in "E." The head bearing dust cover is pretty self explanatory. The dash christmas lights issue has been a bit confusing for me as my research doens't match up with Ducati's explanation, which blames the issue on the magnetic field that exists where the voltage is able to jump and take out the dash (and possibly the ecu) and sometimes both.

I will still replace both coils as the only logical explanation for the voltage spike is from a primary source that passes the secondary high voltage in the first place through induction. As it has been noted here and on other forums, the ecu could still be affected by a defective coil since it sits at the end of the canbus chain.

As for the software update, I noticed it had affected the throttle response; it seemed a bit more twitchy down low, but race mode is improved to a usable degree. I tested the new software with my heated grips just to make sure I wasn't feeling the difference between a new throttle spring in the new assembly, and it still felt a bit more twitchy in the low rpm region compared to before pre-software update. I noticed the same issue on my 16 hyperstrada after the sotfware update, but ymmv.

One thing I wanted to note is the improvement in clutch operation. After changing the oil and lubing the clutch cable, the grabby feeling has been drastically reduced, almost eliminated if I'm not paying attention to it. I actually noticed it right after the oil change first, then more so after the clutch cable lube. I will not mention the oil brand here as I don't know if it will work for everyone, but if you like, pm me and I'll let you know.

That is correct Mike; from what I recall when first looking into this issue, it's possible the coil(s) develop a short internally, possibility caused by moisture on the horizontal cylinder, that releases the high voltage to nearby wires. I could not obtain agreement on that specific cause from the mechanic I spoke with, but I guess Ducati's side of the story is that by shielding the nearby wires, the stray field could be isolated. Ducati assumes the field always exists under normal operating conditions (actually according to the mechanic), and sometimes more voltage "leaks out," and by shielding and adding a resistor to protect the dash, ample protection from the normal field will be achieved.

I have a hard time buying that story line, but then I have no physical proof either way, only what I have learned, and what you have eluded to, that if a high voltage short could create that type of stray field, no amount of shielding could eliminate it. So again, we are left to wonder about the source, which only supports bad coil(s) or erosion inside the coil, well, that still makes it a bad coil.

One other item is to cross-reference the old and new coil part numbers. I will bet it's a new part number, why change expensive production costs just to put a "B" at the end of a part number.