Re: 1988 Johnson 140 looper CRAZY IGNITION ISSUE.....
Ok, read your PM, and I will give you my thought's for what they are worth. Not much if you listen to my kids..... lol
Now you say you have a 1988, Does this motor have the separate power packs for both sides or one big common one for both banks of plugs/coils?
If it has separte like my 1987, swap packs from side to side. If the condition moves with the packs then there is your problem.
If you have the big common, 1 power pack for both sides, then swap the leads that go to the coils around. If the problem moves, then it is your power packs.
If not then swap around the coils. if the problem moves it is your coils.
When I rebuilt mine last year, I bought all new coils off Ebay but one. Motor worked great untill half way thru the year. That one coil I did not change out would get hot and start missing every once and while. I bought a new one and problem fixed.
Also anoth thing I had to do, I have to tear apart the plug wires and cut off a 1/4"-3/8" of the wire and re set the coil insert into the wires. Corosion got in there after 20+ years and the wires where not transfering the juice enough. I also used my trust Toco bell hot sauce to clean the coil inserts before putting them back together. Just like cleaning a penny when you where younger.
If none of this works then play with moving you plugs and wires around. But this is after you check the wires like Fast bullet said to do. He is the expert here on these motors. Most likely this is the issue. Check every wire going into the plugs from the trigger back to the plug to see if it is in the right location in the plugs and to see if it is sticking out enough to make contact with the sockets in the mating plugs. Then go thru the sockets the same.
Had a buddy that has a 2004 Yamaha 200 HPDI that won't come out of fast mode. One of the wires are backwards in the haness,but can not find it. Every sensor is reading good, but the polarity is backwards somewhere. If this an issue here?????? Might be.
Also last thing, unhook the main harness after you have it running. See if the issue clears up. Remove the boat and controls from the equation. If that does not fix it. Then you are back to cleaning every ground in the electrical system. Not fun but a nessity. Start at the coils and work your way thru each component. You'll find it, I will probably take a case of beer or two to find it though. And it will noramlly be around the 20th beer in the evening that the idea of where to look will hit yah!
Have fun and hope this helps.
