1986 Bayliner Capri AQ131A/275 ignition issue...

basssearcher

Cadet
Joined
Jun 5, 2012
Messages
7
Hopefully someone can lend me a hand... Just ran my boat yesterday (9/30/12) after just replacing the ignition coil. Boat ran perfect for about three to four hours, then lost most of my power. I limped back to the dock to find two spark plug wires arching and replaced them, then let the boat sit for 20 minutes as I also refuelled. The boat fired right up. It then ran fine for about 15 seconds at idle, then died and wouldn't restart. I checked the ignition coil and it was completely dead no voltage to the ignition wire for the distributor, but had approx. 10 volts still coming off of the purple lead wire. Anyone out there have an idea as to what could be frying the ignition coil as this is now the second one? Points? Maybe the condenser? As far as dwell setting, I'm really not sure of it as I do not have a dwell meter. I thought maybe the arching wires could have been the cause too but why would it still restart for that moment after replacing them? Thank you very much to anyone that can assist me.
 

krazykorean85

Recruit
Joined
Jun 8, 2012
Messages
4
Re: 1986 Bayliner Capri AQ131A/275 ignition issue...

have you checked the shutoff button ?? (red button, its below the carb)
 

basssearcher

Cadet
Joined
Jun 5, 2012
Messages
7
Re: 1986 Bayliner Capri AQ131A/275 ignition issue...

Yes I did and it was ok. The original ignition coil that was in the boat fried once before and that's why I had replaced it with a new one before that run on 9/30. I had thought that maybe the original coil was just old and worn out, or that it had gotten wet but I was wrong because the new one fried after 3-4 hours of constant run-time w.o.t. and idling.
 

Don S

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
Aug 31, 2004
Messages
62,321
Re: 1986 Bayliner Capri AQ131A/275 ignition issue...

Replace the coil, start the engine on muffs. Run at about 1500 to 1800 rpm and measure the voltage going to the + terminal of the coil.

Red test lead of your meter on the + terminal of the coil, black test lead from your meter on a good clean ground. NOT the - terminal of the coil.
 

basssearcher

Cadet
Joined
Jun 5, 2012
Messages
7
Re: 1986 Bayliner Capri AQ131A/275 ignition issue...

Hi Don; thanks for your help. Well, replaced the coil today and now I have no spark out of the distributor; but I have power coming from the coil again. The positive terminal on the coil was reading between 8.75 and 9 volts (not running of course)... Think maybe the points are fried out also now?? There was roughly the same voltage coming from the coil to the distributor when the engine was cranking too.
 

bruceb58

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 5, 2006
Messages
30,454
Re: 1986 Bayliner Capri AQ131A/275 ignition issue...

Things that can cause coils to fail....Spark plugs with too large a gap, points not set correctly(dwell) and bad spark plug wires can all cause coils to fail.

What happens with each of these causes is that the coil secondary voltages get so high that they have to discharge somehere and sometimes that means right through its internal insulation.

You need to buy a dwell meter and set it(after changing your points) followed by timing your engine with a timing light.
 

basssearcher

Cadet
Joined
Jun 5, 2012
Messages
7
Re: 1986 Bayliner Capri AQ131A/275 ignition issue...

Ok thanks a lot for the info. I'll replace what needs to be and check those causes. Do you perhaps know what the dwell is supposed to be set at? If not I'm sure it's on the internet somewhere. Thanks again.
 

captmello

Captain
Joined
Jun 30, 2008
Messages
3,826
Re: 1986 Bayliner Capri AQ131A/275 ignition issue...

Dwell 62 deg +/-3, timing 10 deg btdc @ idle.
 

Don S

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
Aug 31, 2004
Messages
62,321
Re: 1986 Bayliner Capri AQ131A/275 ignition issue...

I would try to get it in the 62 to 63? range, takes a bit more work, but a lot better starting. With no choke, every little bit helps.
 
Top