No Spark, No Start, Motor turns over, 1998 SeaRay MerCruiser 3.0

[byrdman56]

I have no spark all the way back at the Ignition coil. I put an inline sparkplug tester from the coil to a plug and i get no light. I removed the Tach terminal from the Tachameter, i made sure the kill switch is in run mode, the shift cutout switch is open. i followed all the continuity and resistance tests in the service manual on the ignition coil, pickup coil and distributor. All the voltages are where they are supposed to be.

 

[alldodge]

Howdy
Being a 1998 3.0 it should have EST ignition

Have you preformed these checks

 

[byrdman56]

yes, this test passed.

 

[alldodge]

The coil checks out
The dizzy checks out
You have 12V and grounds on appropriate pins, but yet no spark, is this all correct?

 

[byrdman56]

Yes, i've been going over everything over and over, I'm not sure if the kill switch OFF/RUN could be bad, how do i bypass this.

 

[byrdman56]

also it looks like the pickup coil is discontinued for this model, whats the best way to find a compatible replacement.

 

[alldodge]

You said

All the voltages are where they are supposed to be.

Which is telling me you have 12V on at the coil on the purple wire. With 12V at the coil then the kill switch is not the issue because the kill switch disconnects 12V to the coil

 

[byrdman56]

You said


Which is telling me you have 12V on at the coil on the purple wire. With 12V at the coil then the kill switch is not the issue because the kill switch disconnects 12V to the coil

Ill test out the kill switch today and see if the 12v i eliminated.

 

[byrdman56]

Also, what type of tool do i need to remove the ignition coil, its like a reverse torque bolt that bolts into the engine.

 

[alldodge]

reverse torque bolt

It should be a 12 point bolt, just use a 12 point SAE socket

 

[byrdman56]

You said


Which is telling me you have 12V on at the coil on the purple wire. With 12V at the coil then the kill switch is not the issue because the kill switch disconnects 12V to the coil

i tested this today and you are correct. I swapped out the coil today to the new one again and just like before, the 12 volts is there going into the coil and out to the distributor, but no spark. i tested the inline spark plug tester on my lawnmower and the light goes on, so i know that works. What else activates the coil to transform the voltage to the high voltage. Should i just buy another ignition coil?

 

[byrdman56]

It should be a 12 point bolt, just use a 12 point SAE socket

this bolt is so hard to bet to, and the new ignition coil has a different mounting, it sucks.

 

[alldodge]

Coils very rarely go bad, and its very doubtful either is bad.

Remove the distributor cap and check the contacts. Crank motor over with cap off just enough to see rotor turn.

Disconnect the leads going to interrupt switch and try to start

If all checks out, it would have me start thinking its the distributor module.

 

[byrdman56]

the interrupt switch is the one by the throttle? where is the easiest place to disconnect?
is there a way to test the distribution module? is it difficult to remove this module, i might be able to take one from my friends boat and do a test.

 

[alldodge]

The interrupt is on the shaft plate, and should look like the pic. Follow the wires on the switch and they will come to bullet connectors which can be disconnected

The testing of the distributor module is done in previous post. The module can be removed with a couple screws

You can swap with your buddies but remember if something is going on which has not been seen, it could blow it


To test the module

 

[byrdman56]

so swapped the module and i have a spark, but now i get a backfire while cranking. i know the plug order is 1342 but i'm not 100% sure where number 1 is, the cap does not show the numbers on it. i thought 1 is the buttom left if the cable modules are at the bottom, or back left if looking straight onto the engine. do you have a better drawing then what the manual has? thanks.

 

[byrdman56]

From i remember i think this should be #1.

 

[alldodge]

Pay no attention to where 1 is on the cap, it matters where 1 is on the block in reference to the front damper timing mark. Bump the starter to get the timing mark real close to alignment. This will be 1 or 4 (either on target or 180 degrees out).

Check the firing order, and number 1 cylinder is one up front.

If it still backfires then your 180 out and need to the wires 2 positions each clockwise

 

[byrdman56]

i got it, #1 is to the right of the one i pointed to in the pic