engine stopped running!

you should have 12v before the ballast resistor then around 9 or so at the coil terminals for a point style system, otherwise you should have 12v at the coil.

To test the coil if you have 12v at the terminal is disconnect the coil wire from the cap and see if you have a 1" spark when you jump it to a grounding source. inother words Hold the tip of the wire 1" or so away from the intake and have someone else crank the motor

Back in school I was taught a rule of thumb...
98% of all electrical problems are from bad or poor connections, over the years it seems pretty true.

also is there any way to check the coil to make sure it is working properly?

Hey, sorry to raise this thread from the dead but I am having trouble starting my '84 SN. I had it running 2 days ago and I went to winterize it and couldn't get it to run. I have spark which looks weak (yellowish) and so I checked the voltage at the coil and I was showing 2.5 volts! Where could I check next to find such a drop? I have a brand new battery in there so that shouldn't be the problem. Let me know what you think.

Thanks,

Noah

Hyper:

I agree with other posts, since you have electronic ignition, you should be getting at least 10 volts or so at the coil. 5 volts is too low. Check for loose or corroded connections and shorts. It is possible that your electronic ignition module has failed. Check for spark!

i only have 5 volts at the coil. do i just need a new coil or what? ive got 12-13 at the battery. it is fine. should i replace the cap, rotor, plugs, etc.?

thanks,
chris

thanks for the response david. i called SKIDIM and they told me the samething.

a few more questions. what should the voltage be at the coil? you said to check the condensors and points. i have an electronic ignition. does that change anything?

any other help would be great.

thanks a bunch,
chris

took the boat(86 SN 2001) to the lake the other day. i was pulling a skier for a bout 20 minutes until he fell. went around and gave him the rope. when i started up again it seemed like a cyliner was misfiring. i pulled the throtle back and let it idle. the idle was rough. checked the guages then turned it off and checked prop, trans fluid, oil, plug wires. tried to turn it back on and it took about 10-15 seconds to start, and i had to pump the gas. it was still idling rough. i gave it a little gas in nutral and it seemed ok without a load on it. when i put it in gear to go back to the dock the engine got rough again. i tried to make it back to the dock, but after about 5 min. the engine died and would not start again. i let it cool off while we swam the boat back to the dock for 30 minutes!!!(that was fun) once back at the dock, i tred to start it up again with no luck.

i was thinking that it is either the ignition or fuel delivery. anyone elses thoughts as to what it might be. i have had this boat about a month now. it is the first one i have owned. it is also the first carb engine i have owned. i am thinking that it might be the carb making the engine act like it is misfiring, but im not sure.

what do i check first? how do i check to make sure im getting proper fuel pressure? how can i check the carb( the carb is only about a year old). does the carb need to be rebuilt? how can i check the ignition? i am pritty good mechanically, so i think i can get it fixed. i jsut need to know where to start because i have never delt with a marine engine or one with a carb. also, i have a Fake-a-Lake but, i cant put the engine under load because im an hour from the lake, so i can i tell if i fixed the problem?

sorry for the long post, but i wanted to be detailed so i could get good answers.

any help would be great
thanks,
chris