Mercruiser no spark - UPDATE 8/28/09 SOLVED

[180shabah]

Re: Mercruiser no spark

Re: Mercruiser no spark

All right I'm catching up now, you have an inboard or v-drive NOT an I/O.

When I said shifter, yes I was referring to the levers at the helm. Although, by your description, I would say that the neutral start is being handled at the transmission, via the wire you disconnected/reconnected.

There is probably no shift interrupt system on your boat, because of the different clutch setup.

 

[Wet Wonder]

Re: Mercruiser no spark

Re: Mercruiser no spark

Not knowing what to test next, I pulled the pertronix ignitor II and put the points setup back into the distributor. Still getting no spark, even with the points reinstalled.

I must be missing something obvious, so I'll start the test and rule-out process from scratch - this time with a points flowchart, which I'll start looking for.

I did the points test you all have previously posted, where I started with the key on, got 12v at the points, than pulled the lever back and put a matchbook cover in there, and than got 0volts. So at least I'm that far.

The wiring that goes to the negative post on the coil - is that what I should be investigating next? Is there a test to rule that out? I'm still getting 12v there with key on.

 

[jtybt]

Re: Mercruiser no spark

Re: Mercruiser no spark

I missed the part where it was an inboard,too.

As long as you have the points back in and it's working and putting the center coil wire near ground and, having points closed tight, flick op[en the points...if you don't get spark from the coil wire, the coil is dead.

 

[Wet Wonder]

Re: Mercruiser no spark

Re: Mercruiser no spark

After just reading through the sticky power point presentation on how points ignition systems work, I realized that tonight when I rehooked up the points that I mistakely wired it to the positive post on the coil - rather than the negative post, as was clear on the points sticky.

I just hope I didn't bust anything when I tried to spark it that way.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Mercruiser no spark

Re: Mercruiser no spark

You may have burnt out your ignition fuse.

 

[Wet Wonder]

Re: Mercruiser no spark

Re: Mercruiser no spark

I missed the part where it was an inboard,too.

As long as you have the points back in and it's working and putting the center coil wire near ground and, having points closed tight, flick op[en the points...if you don't get spark from the coil wire, the coil is dead.

Will do that next. Thank.

 

[Wet Wonder]

Re: Mercruiser no spark

Re: Mercruiser no spark

You may have burnt out your ignition fuse.

Thanks the Gods for fuses. That I can change out.

 

[Wet Wonder]

SOLVED - Mercruiser no spark

SOLVED - Mercruiser no spark

Thanks everyone for your thoughtful help and advice.

Problem is solved. I have the points back in now, and after wiring the distributor lead properly to the coil neg post it sparked right up.

There are probably more tests I can do, but I'm going to take a chance and conclude that the Pertronix electronic ignition was the problem for losing spark, and that I'll send it in for warranty replacement. I suppose they have a way to test it.

Now I need to return to the original issue of timing which I put aside after I lost spark. I'll start a new post for that, and be happy with a thread that leads to a solution. That should help folks.