EFI Outboard Question

Hopefully Pete won't yell at me for asking a question that is not about a CC, but I'm sure someone out there must be knowledgeable about such things.  The 2002 Mercury 4 stroke EFI on my pontoon boat died abruptly.  I've had fuel issues with it before and it coughs and sputters and surges and gives you some warning. While I was idling the other day it just abruptly died, so my first assumption was not fuel.  I may be proven wrong tho.  In doing some diagnosing, it appears my injectors are not injecting.  Two step test.  Pulled injector out and cranked it and new fuel shot out. Second test someone told me to try.  One wire into the injector is hot.  Tested that, yes, hot.  Second wire should pulse hot when cranking.  Nothing.  So it appears my injectors are not getting the signal to fire. So my question.  How do I trouble shoot that. I've read about ECMs (dont even know where/what that is) and capacitors and all sorts of other stuff that is foreign to me. Can any one give me a simple explanation of where to go next?

Don't be cheap Larry, spend 5 bucks on a manual download 

Well Larry

Dam trick questions

If the injector sprayed when pulsed look elsewhere for the problem.  Verify spark.

DVskier wrote: I fixed my Honda 50 hp outboard by having the marina upgrade the engine to a 115 hp Yamaha. The best $13,500 I’ve spent lately. Face it the motor is almost 20 years old, these outboards can be difficult to troubleshoot.

Injectors normally have the 12V supply constant and are pulsed by a earth (-ve) from the ECU. When bench testing injectors just use a 9V square battery as the pulse is normally very short from the ECU.

KENO I bought the pontoon a 1998 Harris with 50 hp Honda for $9k in 2004. Probably put 300 hours on it with no problems. Started having electrical issues a few years ago. Local marina on the lake worked on it a few times to no avail. I do not have a trailer and the boat is at my dock. Marina recommended upgrade to a Yamaha, they made me a good deal and I bought it. I’m having it serviced annually and don’t expect any problems.

KENO I understand wanting to stretch a dollar but some of us live on large lakes and don’t want to be in a precarious situation with darkness approaching in a distant portion of the lake. Everyone is in a different place.

Problem solved

So far, Mercury is ahead.  I threw in the towel and took it to a shop, which is a challenge in itself.  The local shop, right up the road, according to a friend who inquired about servicing his boat recently said there were like 50 boats in the queue ahead of him.  That is typical of that shop, you can usually count on getting your boat in about November.  I followed up another recommendation for an old guy that works out of his garage and backyard, about 1/2 hour away, but surprisingly, he said he was about 8 weeks out.  Greg said there was a good shop up by him, and the owner there said he could get to it this week, So I made the hour trip to haul it up there.  Fingers crossed.  I hated to give in, but I dont have the diagnostic equipment or tools that shops have