No spark at coil

[bwren]

I've started a new thread because i've done so much work and things have changed so much.

Boat ran great last year, but still haven't got it running this year and season getting close to over!!

Boat details, 1996 thunderbolt 180 with 3.0 mercruiser, alpha one outdrive and electronic ignition.

Boat turns over but has no spark at the coil. Starter was seized up so it has a brand new starter. it needed a tune up anyway so i put a brand new coil, distributor cap and rotor button, spark plugs, and wires. slave solenoid is not new but test good with test light. only thing left is the ignition module, but i dont know how to test that.

i let someone convince me the it was a mechanical which is one reason why i replaced all that stuff. i was originally thinking the problem was in the kill system and starting to think that may have been right. i have bypassed the lanyard kill switch, tried to jump the motor using wire between to big terminals on slave solenoid still nothing!! i am about to run out of ideas!!!

any suggestions would greatly be appreciated!!

 

[salty3rd]

I would run jumpers from the + and - on the battery to to the + and - on the coil and see if that works. If it does you have an issue before the coil. If it doesn't I would put the old coil back in and see if that's your issue.

 

[Scott06]

Do you have 12 v to the + side of the coil when cranking and also when the key is in the run position ?

 

[figaro]

interrupt switch (on the shift plate) may be grounded killing the ignition system

 

[bwren]

There isn't a standard pos neg side to my coil since it's EST it's a wiring harness that's why I said I wasn't sure how to test it. On plug goes from coil to ignition module the other goes to main harness. How do I test that set up since you can just run jumpers from battery?

Figaro: I have thought that too about the interrupt switch too. How do I bypass that to test?

 

[bwren]

Scott06: I don't have a multi meter I need to go get one but according to the test light no power is coming out of coil tower in either case. It's not lighting the test light at all. I did unplug both coil harness plugs and touch them with test light and also nothing

 

[bwren]

Update: I just removed shift interupt switch and still nothing. Still turned over but no fire. I have a bad feeling it may be the neutral safety switch in the controller and not sure if that can be bypassed. I removed the controller to redo the vinyl and afraid something happened to it. But I want to try everything else before I buy a $400 part

 

[Scott06]

https://www.manualslib.com/manual/822660/Mercruiser-Gm4.html?page=47#manual

Link has troubleshooting for est system, neutral safety switch and kill switch are possibilities.

Did this happen when you did the vynl work? If so I'd start there. You should be able to jumper around the neutral safety switch. I'm sureness it's safer but the outboard I learned to boat on didn't have one. I'd have to defer to there but wouldn't the neutral safety not allow engine to turn over?

 

[Bt Doctur]

Get a test light or rig up a panel light to check for power at the + side of the coil
The neutral safety only prevents starting in gear, nothing else.

 

[figaro]

you definitely need a battery + at the coil +,(with ign switch in the on position and cranking) , possible through all your starter replacement, shifter removal and bypassing of various switches you may have blown a fuse or a breaker , retrace your steps especially around the starter , maybe forgot to hook up a critical power .. source , if you begin at the ign switch (while in the on) position should be able to follow the output of power to the ign coil