90elpto was perfect now cranks but no exhaust

Shorewood22

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Joined
Aug 2, 2022
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4
I have a 1999 90ELPTO. I was taking my time going around the lake the other day and the motor cut out with no warning, just stopped. On restart it cranked but but did not start and did not produce any smoke/exhaust. After 4 or 5 cranks it finally smoked and started but died right away. I then started it in neutral with the motor throttled up a bit, back to idle and into drive quickly before it would die. Once it was in forward it was like it had two personalities. A normal smooth one and a heavy but not too rough one. For the first 15 min I did not give it much gas and kept it below 3000 rpm. I finally gave it gas but it did not respond right away, eventually it would

Take off to match the throttle position. This happened a few times. Once I was home I took the cowling off to find the yellow wires from the rectifier were fused together at the butt connections. I have replaced the rectifier and fuel filter. While replacing the rectifier many of the bullet connectors also showed signs of hi heat. Now it cranks with no sign of combustion taking place, any ideas?
 

jimmbo

Supreme Mariner
Joined
May 24, 2004
Messages
13,446
Welcome to iboats
Have you verified that it has Spark to all Cylinders, and it is strong enough to jump a 3/8" gap?
Compression Test needs to be done
Is fuel getting to the carbs?
 

Dave1027

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
May 25, 2010
Messages
1,080
Those yellow wires come from the stator. Wondering if the stator burned up? Do you have spark?
 

flyingscott

Fleet Admiral
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Apr 8, 2014
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8,092
Did you check the tether switch? If that has the toggle they are very easy to bump.
 

roscoe

Supreme Mariner
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Oct 30, 2002
Messages
21,739
Never ceases to amaze me how many people will continue to run a boat for 1 - 2 or 5 hours after it has told them something is wrong.
Kind of like my wife who's truck started acting "a little funny" 5 minutes after she left the house. But it went better if she gave it more gas. So she continued to drive another 100 miles until the transmission disintegrated.
When she called and asked me to come get her, and help her find a new truck, I told her it would be cheaper to get a divorce.
 

Shorewood22

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Joined
Aug 2, 2022
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Thanks for the replies everyone. Only ran it for about 20 minutes slightly above idle after it initially cut out and began my problem. Anyways I had spark, it wasn’t the tether and there was gas in the tank. I replaced the rectifier with an OEM that has a built in fuse and the sections of wire (both yellow, purple, brown, green with white and white with green) that melted from the old rectifier. After replacements and repriming the fuel system it fired right up several times with ease. Took it for a spin on the water and it was like my old boat again. While idling home in a channel it cut out. I reprimed the bulb and cranked it three times, no more than a few seconds at a time and didn’t fire up but was turning over. I didn’t want to chance anything so I threw in the trolling motor. Once home and on the lift I removed the cowling. All of the new butt splices looked good except the white wire with green strip. The connection showed signs of heat that weren’t from my heat gun. There was no blackening but a few bubbles in the shrink connector. Any ideas? Was it my splicing skills or lack there of?
 

Dave1027

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
May 25, 2010
Messages
1,080
If it's still burning the wiring, that would indicate too much current is going through. Does the motor have a voltage regulator? Does your boat have a volt meter and if so have you noticed anything unusual? How is the condition of the battery and what is your battery setup?
 

Shorewood22

Recruit
Joined
Aug 2, 2022
Messages
4
I replaced the rectifier and the voltage gauge was holding steady around 14volts while the motor was running. The battery is a few years old but retains a full charge and the contacts are clean. I believe the white with green wire in questions runs from the trigger to cdm #1. Is it possible there is a bad connection from the trigger into the wire or is it more likely my butt connection is insufficient?
 

Dave1027

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
May 25, 2010
Messages
1,080
Unless I'm way off base, the rectifier does not have anything to do with the trigger. The rectifier is for the charging system not the ignition.
 

Shorewood22

Recruit
Joined
Aug 2, 2022
Messages
4
Unless I'm way off base, the rectifier does not have anything to do with the trigger. The rectifier is for the charging system not the ignition.
You are on base, the rectifier issue has been resolved. Part of the calateral
Unless I'm way off base, the rectifier does not have anything to do with the trigger. The rectifier is for the charging system not the ignition.
You are on base, the rectifier issue has been resolved. Part of the collateral damage from the rectifier going bad was the white with green wire. When the rectifier failed and caused a melt down all of the butt connectors for the stator and trigger were zip tied together. Now all of the wires have been reconnected but after the test drive the connector for W/g showed signs of heat. More so then when I put it on.
 
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