No Spark on Mercruiser Please Help !!!!!

[chicubs08]

I bought a 1984 Rinker that has been sitting for the past 2 years. I tried starting it but it gets no spark from the spark wires or the coil. The engine is a 4 cylinder, 3.0 L, Mercruiser 140. What could it be? The ignition coil looks new. and i replaced the spark plugs. Thanks

 

[Anchor Management 1]

Re: No Spark on Mercruiser Please Help !!!!!

Is the lanyard in? neutral safty switch?power up the coil and crank it now does it have spark?

 

[chicubs08]

Re: No Spark on Mercruiser Please Help !!!!!

Is the lanyard in? neutral safty switch?power up the coil and crank it now does it have spark?

I don't know what a lanyard is. The boat is in neutral when i crank the engine. I don't think it has a switch. if it does where would it be located?

 

[Don S]

Re: No Spark on Mercruiser Please Help !!!!!

I don't know what a lanyard is. The boat is in neutral when i crank the engine. I don't think it has a switch. if it does where would it be located?

It may not have a lanyard switch, if it did, it's hard to say where it's located. It could be anywhere.
Just get a jumper wire that will go from the positive battery teriminal to the small + terminal on the coil and see if it will start or if it has spark.
You probably just need new points.
They get corroded from sitting after sitting for a long time

 

[boatguya1]

Re: No Spark on Mercruiser Please Help !!!!!

If that does not do it try disconecting the shift interupt switch.

James

 

[chicubs08]

Re: No Spark on Mercruiser Please Help !!!!!

I will try that and post results. Thanks for your help.

 

[PNW Driver]

Re: No Spark on Mercruiser Please Help !!!!!

I just went thru this. After replacing the coil and the condenser and running every test I could I finally took out the points( that "looked great") on a hunch they were some how grounding out. They were coated in oil and after a good cleaning the boat fired on the first try.

 

[ziggy]

Re: No Spark on Mercruiser Please Help !!!!!

They were coated in oil and after a good cleaning the boat fired on the first try.

cool. back on the water.

ya should just go ahead and replace the points. they're not that expensive. along with the capacitor too. and cap, rotor and sparkplugs too. these are all a part of summerization. just these new parts will give ya a good headstart on having a fun filled summer on your boat on the water. i do all these every spring. along with setting dwell 1st then timing (a minor tune up). i also go through every wire connection i can find and easy take apart. these all get emery clothed to shiny clean. you'd be amazed at the amount of film that devolopes on connections just in one year..

go read the summerization thread in the adults only sticky at the top of the i/o fourm. it's a good read..

 

[SeaVue]

Re: No Spark on Mercruiser Please Help !!!!!

Same problem here.

I changed EVERYTHING that i could afford
and it ended up being the points. Change them first!

 

[chicubs08]

UPDATE: No Spark on Mercruiser Please Help !!!!!

UPDATE: No Spark on Mercruiser Please Help !!!!!

I changed the points and that was it. Now i have another problem. The Engine wont stay running.. Could it be because of bad fuel? The boat has been sitting for at least 3 years.

 

[Limited-Time]

Re: UPDATE: No Spark on Mercruiser Please Help !!!!!

Re: UPDATE: No Spark on Mercruiser Please Help !!!!!

I changed the points and that was it. Now i have another problem. The Engine wont stay running.. Could it be because of bad fuel? The boat has been sitting for at least 3 years.

Have you at least added fresh gas to the 3 year old stuff?? If your trying to run straight 3 year old gas your asking for trouble. In fact I'd get rid of as much of the old gas as possible before putting fresh gas in the tank.