no spark

funin the sun

Seaman
Joined
Nov 3, 2015
Messages
50
Can somebody help me out and tell me step by step on how to test a stator and trigger. I have a 98 120hp force with the red stator. Also could someone tell me the spec readings of a good stator and trigger. I ran my boat with a bad rectifier and im pretty sure it may have taken out the stator. The motor was running great until it died out on the lake and had to get towed back to the loading dock. After i got the boat home about a hour later from the time it died it fired back up but only ran for a few mins then died again and had to wait awhile before it started up again. Well one day i went out and fired the motor up and it ran for about 5 mins and died and that was the end of that. It will not fire up at all. No spit no sputter no cough no nothing. All it does is turn over. I realize there is no spark due to the bad rectifier and the bad rectifier took out the stater. I replaced rectifier and still nothing. The wires that come from the trigger that connect to switchbox were bubbly and sort of melted. Could that be because of the overload and having a bad rectifier. I done did little test such as i disconnected the black wire with the yellow strip from the switchbox still nothing. I disconnected the kill switch wire and ground from key switch still nothing. I bought a digital multimeter from walmart to test stator and trigger. It would be helpful if someone could tell me step by step on how to test them and to know what the normal spec readings are on them. Also is there any way to test stator adaptor. I do know if the stator adaptor is faulty that will cause no spark. Any help would be appreciative. Thanks
 

SkiDad

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Jul 18, 2010
Messages
1,518
Look at outboardignition.com Then look up your engine's stator and trigger. There will be PDFs there.
 

funin the sun

Seaman
Joined
Nov 3, 2015
Messages
50
Thanks ski daddy for the reply. Earlier today i did a resistance test on the stator and trigger and the stator i got a reading of 691 for resistance and the trigger gave me a reading of 7 hundred and something. Dont remember the exact number just that it was 7 hundred something. The websit you sent me that shows the specs show the stator ohms should read 500-700 and the trigger specs show the ohms open. Sense i get a reading of 7 hundred and something on the trigger could it be possible the trigger is bad. I understand there are more ignition components that could be bad but would it be possible that all four coils went bad at the same time.
 
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jerryjerry05

Supreme Mariner
Joined
May 7, 2008
Messages
17,923
CDI ignition also has test procedures.
Outboard Ignitions directions aren't all correct.
I followed their instruct​ions and bought some parts I didn't need.
Ever their techs said I needed the parts but I learned a lesson.
Compare the tests and see what works best.

All 4 bad at once.NO
 

funin the sun

Seaman
Joined
Nov 3, 2015
Messages
50
Thank you jerry for the response. Thats what im trying to avoid is buying unneeded parts here. Im trying to count out the components that may not be faulty by thursday because on thursday i plan on getting a new stator and trigger. Im leaning towards a bad stator here due to running my motor with a bad rectifier. I know a bad rectifier will kill a stator but it puzzles me why the wires that come from the trigger that connect to the switchbox were all looking alittle melted and bubbly. Any ways hopefully on thursday if i get the new stator and trigger my problem will be solved. But here is were im confused. I did research on the internet and i see different specs on on testing stator and trigger. I see a resistance spec saying stator should read 500-600 i seen one that says stator should read 500-700 and one that said 6800-7600. What is that normal resistance spec. Ive checked for voltage on stator and trigger at the switch box while cranking the motor over and theres no volts coming from any of those components. Could it be poosible the trigger and stator are both bad.
 

funin the sun

Seaman
Joined
Nov 3, 2015
Messages
50
I done went through the kill switch wiring. I even put new connectors on them. I disconnected black wire with yellow stripe from switchbox still nothing. I even went through the key switch wires disconnecting the ground wire still nothing i disconnected the black wire with yellow stripe from key switch still nothing. Spark plugs are almost new but gonna get new ones again once i can get motor to fire up. Only thing i can think of is bad stator. I guess if i just replace the stator the trigger and stator adaptor all at the same time problem should be fixed. Hate to spend that kind of money playing the trial and air game i guess imma have to do it. If someone could just tell me step by step on the proper way to test the stator and trigger would be alot of help. And also tell me what the normal specs should read. Thanks for the help guys.
 

funin the sun

Seaman
Joined
Nov 3, 2015
Messages
50
Can somebody tell me if this sounds right. On my 1998 120hp force motor i just conducted a resistance test and on the stator i connected the red meter probe to the green wire with white stripe and the black meter probe to the white wire with green strip and the results show a reading of 683. On the trigger i connected the red meter probe to violet and black probe to white results show 743. I switch the proble from black probe to violet and reb probe to white and get the same results. I the check the other set of wires on trigger red probe to brown and black probe to the white wire with black strip and got a reading of 737 and the switch the probes red probe to white with black strip and black probe to brown and got the same results. Do these readings sound right.
 

pnwboat

Rear Admiral
Joined
Oct 8, 2007
Messages
4,251
Just wanted to mention that if you have a Switch Box ignition system, that would mean that the motor is from around 1990 - 1994. 1995 - 1998 120HP motors did not use the Switch Box ignition.

If your stator is reading 691 Ohms then it looks like it is probably OK.

To test the stator voltage output when cranking, you have to disconnect it from the Switch Box. To get an accurate reading, you have to use a DVA meter. You can kind of get an idea if the stator is putting out some type of voltage by putting your meter on AC volts, and checking across the stator leads with your meter. If you see over 100 volts AC when cranking with a good fully charged battery, then I would suspect that your Switch Box is bad.
 

pnwboat

Rear Admiral
Joined
Oct 8, 2007
Messages
4,251
Those wire colors on the stator are from the later 1995 - 1998 motors. Are you sure you have a Switch Box ignition system? Can you post a picture of the ignition system?

When you're checking the resistance readings, make sure the wires are disconnected to prevent other components in the circuit from affecting the resistance readings. If it is a 1998 120HP motor, you cannot check the trigger with a meter. The trigger on these motors uses a solid state Hall Effect transistor sensor.
 

funin the sun

Seaman
Joined
Nov 3, 2015
Messages
50
Thank you for the response. Heres the deal. My boat is a 1995 maxum. When i bought the boat i didnt know what year the motor was. I did some research on the year of my motor and i was guess a 98 maybe you guys could help me out on finding out the year of this motor. And yes it deffenently has a switchbox ignition. Let me figure out how to post pics and ill get some posted asap. Thank you again
 

GA_Boater

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
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Messages
49,038
Click on Forum Help in the sig below and it will take you to a link on how to post photos.
 

pnwboat

Rear Admiral
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Oct 8, 2007
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OK that makes more sense, I think I'm getting the picture now. Sorry I'm a little slow these days. I suspect that maybe someone has replaced the stator and put the wrong one on. Also wanted to ask....the trigger wire colors were used on the "L" drive outboard. Is this an "L" drive or a regular outboard?
 

funin the sun

Seaman
Joined
Nov 3, 2015
Messages
50
Sorry bout the dumb question. How can i tell if its a L-drive. I been seeing alot about L-drives but not sure how to tell.
 

funin the sun

Seaman
Joined
Nov 3, 2015
Messages
50
The wire colors that come from the trigger are violet. White. White with black strip and a brown wire.
 

pnwboat

Rear Admiral
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Oct 8, 2007
Messages
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OK from the pictures I see it's a regular outboard. So what you have is a 1990 -1994 120HP Switch Box motor, with a stator from a 1995-1998 120HP motor and a trigger from an 1991-1992 "L" drive. I don't think that stator is compatible with the Switch Box. I suspect that having the wrong stator has taken out the Switch Box.
 
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funin the sun

Seaman
Joined
Nov 3, 2015
Messages
50
That makes perfect sense captain. I think you may have hit that on the spot.all the newer motors i have seen have the red stator. And now that you mention 95 and newer motors dont have switch box ignitions. All this time i been thinking my motor was a 98-99. So now that i know this is a 90-94 motor witch stator would be capatible for this motor. Is it the black stator
 

funin the sun

Seaman
Joined
Nov 3, 2015
Messages
50
So captain let me ask you this. The wires from the trigger that connect to the switchbox were i guess you could say kinda bubbly and melted almost like they have been heating up alittle. Could that be because of the wrong stator
 

pnwboat

Rear Admiral
Joined
Oct 8, 2007
Messages
4,251
Well I might have to eat some of my words. It appears that stator (White/Green Green/White wires) WAS used on some of the Switch Box motors WITH the adapter. So at this point, now that we've pinpointed what you've got, it would appear that maybe the Switch Box is bad.

I don't really know of any tests that can be done with a meter on the Switch Box, however, you checked the following:

Stator - 691 Ohms. That is within tolerance. 500 - 700 Ohms for stator w/Green/White White/Green wires.

Trigger - From the color of the wires, this is a unique trigger that was used on motors that had a "dual winding stator. One winding for low speed and a separate winding for high speed. To check the trigger, test from Purple to White and Brown to White/Black. That's it. From your previous post, I see you did that and were reading 740ish Ohms. The tolerance is 800 - 1400 Ohms. While it's just below the tolerance range, I would say that it is probably OK.

You can double check the stator voltage output like I mentioned before just to make sure it's putting out voltage. Just remember to disconnect it from the Switch Box and Adapter and set you meter to AC volts, probably at least 200 volt range if it's not auto ranging.

The L drive set up took a regular outboard and separated the lower unit from the power head. The upper part of the outboard was mounted inside the hull, and the lower unit was mounted outside the hull. They were connected with a drive shaft w/U-joint. Cooling water and exhaust was connected between the two via hoses.

As far as the "bubbling" on the trigger wires, I would suspect that the Switch Box probably caused that. Does the Switch Box look like it may have overheated?
 
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