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Hamlin 
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Joined: November-19-2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 57 |
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 Topic: Any Sparkys out there?Posted: April-28-2007 at 3:23pm |
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84 Ski Nautique, 351 ford with pointless ignition of some type; not sure. (Ballast resistor near circuit breaker is bypassed. Not sure if this is standard procedure when going to pointless...) Battery is good, all gauges, lights, blower etc. work fine...enough background so now on to the issue:
Nothing happens when moving the key to the Start position. So I pull out my voltmeter and check to see if I have 12V going to the starter solenoid. Nothing. So I move up to the switch to see if I have 12V coming from the switch. I hooked the leads between the start position on the switch and a convenient ground on the tach. Now when I turn the switch to the start position, the engine turns over and starts. Hmmm...disconnect the voltmeter and dead...Didn't believe it so I hooked up again between the starter switch and ground and it fires up as soon as I turn the switch, without the DVM hooked up - nada. Any ideas? |
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jb_dallas
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Joined: December-28-2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 69 |
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Posted: April-28-2007 at 4:45pm |
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I had a similar scenario last year. I thought my starter was going out, so I had it tested...turns out it was my switch. They are about $20 at Boaters World..I would start there. As far as the ballast issue, Vince at Skidim told me you dont need to run a ballast resistor on most electronic conversions. Very long story...I learned this the hard way. My Pertronix conversion doesnt have an external ballast and I havent had any problems.
JB |
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75 Tique
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Joined: August-12-2004 Location: Seven Lakes, NC Status: Offline Points: 6097 |
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Posted: April-28-2007 at 5:05pm |
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Just to add support to that conclusion...same thing for me this season. Thought it was the starter. Had it tested...ok. Was concerned about wiring or points and concerned about doing all that tracking and trouble shooting. My gauges sometimes did and sometimes did not respond to the key turning and there was similar randomness to when there was current at the coil. Also, if I turned the key all the way, the starter did not engage (hence thinking bad starter) but if I backed the switch off just a titch, it started. Got my new switch from SKIDIM (needed some other stuff.... otherewise, west marine)yesterday and the thing starts like a champ. (and a lot cheaper than new starter or starter rebuild)
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Hamlin
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Joined: November-19-2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 57 |
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Posted: April-28-2007 at 8:06pm |
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I guess $20 for a switch will be a cheap gamble. It just doesn't make sense that having whatever small resistance the voltmeter has tying the starter relay to ground makes it work everytime.
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Tim D
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Joined: August-23-2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 2635 |
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Posted: April-29-2007 at 9:03am |
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Have you checked the neutral safty switch on the tranny? The cable might be out of adjustment and not exactly in neutral.
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Tim D
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Hamlin
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Posted: April-29-2007 at 12:03pm |
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Yes- I bypassed the neutral switch early in the troubleshooting.
The best troubleshooting advice I ever received was to 'put a box around the problem', which means to disregard all of the things that seem to contribute to the problem and just focus on the problem alone. If I do this, then I must conclude that the starter switch is defective, because moving it to the 'start' position does not send 12V to the starter solenoid. But I just can't understand why having a voltmeter reading the voltage would cause the switch to work, but it does every time. I have move my attention from my brother's '84 to my '94. No gremlins that I am aware of in the '94 although it does have the Protec ignition so they just might not have escaped yet. |
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