Reaching out to others because I have not been able to work through this one. And yes, I have had many calls with Nick at Jabiru, as well as sending him this same query this morning. Just hoping I can find some help from someone who has solved a similar problem or find someone in the San Antonio, Texas area (or reasonable commute) to help solve this and get her back in the air. TIA

Jabiru 3300 Gen 2: Right ignition not working – steps taken to repair

  • The engine fires right up but when conducting a mag check there is no drop in RPM when switching the ACS Key Switch from BOTH to L. When switching to R, the engine dies immediately.
  • I have checked the key switch on each post with a multi-meter and validated it is working.
  • To simplify the problem, I have removed the Rotec E-Ignition that was on the right and replaced with a brand new Honda Coil (PIO525N). I have checked it for resistance on the ground and terminal sides and they are within the tolerances listed in the Jabiru Maintenance Manual JEM002-12 [3.13].
  • I have pulled the lead from the coil to the distributor, placed a spark plug in it, grounded it on the engine and can see that it visibly produces a spark when cranking the starter.
  • I have pulled the ground wire from the coil to validate there was no short in the ground wire. The engine still stops immediately when I select R.
  • The left ignition system still has the original Honda Coil, Jabiru Distributor Cap (Black) and Bosch (Australia) Rotor.
  • The right ignition has a brand new (red/orange) distributor cap and rotor. The rotor was installed per Service Bulletin JSA-009, and measures 25mm from tip to center. I have also validated the height of both rotors are the same and they are set on the same rotation.
    • Of note: I do still have the original (black) distributor cap and Bosch (Australia) Rotor. Both appear to be in good condition, but the rotor slipped off the shaft easily. I can see that there was epoxy inside but perhaps whomever applied it did not put enough). I could reinstall these items if you think it would help.
    • I have also installed all new, properly gapped, spark plugs.

Help, I am completely out ideas and have not been able to find any other mechanics to work on this in the San Antonio area.

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Did this just suddenly occur or was there any maintenance or other work done on the engine and then it occurred?

It suddenly occurred. I was using the Rotec E-Ignition, and it was functioning well. While on a flight, I noticed I was losing EGT in the #3 cylinder, dropped RPM, and running rough. I landed as quickly as I could. During post-flight inspection, I saw the #3 lead from the left distributor cap had slid off. Closer inspection showed that the right ignition was not working. I disconnected it and reinstalled the coil to simplify the setup. (Not to mention, it will take some time to get a replacement part from Australia)

FWIW, here's a post about a similar problem: Ignition System Problem  Solution there was that the coil was incorrectly oriented.

Thank you

I read the article, and I can confirm my coils are correctly oriented, although there is a good point about crossing the high-tension lead over to the opposite side as a test. I can try that this weekend

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