engine stopped running!
Printed From: CorrectCraftFan.com
Category: Repairs and Maintenance
Forum Name: Engine Repair
Forum Discription: Engine problems and solutions
URL: http://www.CorrectCraftFan.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=861
Printed Date: November-27-2024 at 4:36pm
Topic: engine stopped running!
Posted By: hyper1685
Subject: engine stopped running!
Date Posted: September-27-2004 at 1:58pm
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
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Replies:
Posted By: David F
Date Posted: September-27-2004 at 2:23pm
Well, you are right...it is either a fuel or ignition problem. That is the easy part. The harder part is to figure out which one. First, eliminate fuel. Crank the engine over a few times, then remove the spark arrestor and look down the throat of the primaries. Reach over (or have someone else) open the trottle fully. If the engine is getting fuel, you should have seen fuel being squirted from the primary venturies down into the intake manifold. If no fuel is delivered, then I would suspect a bad fuel pump. Try priming the engine with fuel by hand and see if it will fire.
If fuel does not seem to be the problem, then you can start looking for ignition problems. First thing to check is the ceramic resistor located at the back of the engine under a plastic cover. With the key on, you should have 12 volts or so on one side and 10 volts or so on the other side. If no voltage on one side or the other, then you found your problem. Test by using a jumper wire connected across the resistor. If the engine runs, replace the resistor. Next check for voltage at the coil to eliminate a broken or grounded wire. If there is voltage at the coil, then The problem most likely exists with either the coil or the condensor within the distributor. Coils, condensors and points are all very inexpensive, so just consider replacing all to see if your problem is resolved.
If you have spark and fuel and the engine still does not want to run, then maybe you are getting too much fuel. If so, try starting the engine at fuel throttle to introduce more air and clear the excess fuel. If the engine starts, then you will need to rebuild the carbutor as the needle valves are sticking open from either debris or varnish.
Good luck.
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Posted By: hyper1685
Date Posted: September-27-2004 at 5:01pm
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
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Posted By: mrese
Date Posted: September-27-2004 at 6:46pm
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If you have the electronic ignition then the ceremic resistor should be bypassed. when you turn the key to start, the coil needs to be getting at least 7-8 volts min. Pull a spark plug wire off and insert a screw driver, hold the screw driver about an 1/8 inch from a good ground. turn the key and look for a good blue color spark. No spark to a yellow or orange color spark indicate a lower than needed voltage. Trouble shoot backwards. i.e if you have 9 or 10 volts at the coil and poor sparks at the plug end, check dist cap and wires.
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Posted By: hyper1685
Date Posted: September-28-2004 at 7:46pm
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
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Posted By: mrese
Date Posted: September-29-2004 at 12:40am
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Start trouble shooting backwards toward the ignition switch to find the point you are getting low voltage. 5 volts sounds kinda low. You should be reading 12 at the coil until you crank and then it will drop. What color spark are you getting at the plug end of the wires. Rule of thumb is you need 9 but I have seen several start fine with with 7. If you have 12 volts all the way to the coil, than the coil very well may be the culprit. I would go ahead and replace the cap, rotor tab, plugs, and wires as part of a tune up.
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Posted By: David F
Date Posted: September-29-2004 at 1:09pm
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!
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Posted By: hyper1685
Date Posted: September-30-2004 at 7:12pm
thanks for the help everyone. i had a loose wire going to the coil, andi found a big crack in the dist cap. i am thinking that they both played a part in my trouble. i ordered all the parts to do a tune up. i hope this fixes the problem because i only have a few more weeks of ski time before it gets cold!
thanks,
chris
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Posted By: doubleup16
Date Posted: January-09-2007 at 6:58pm
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
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Posted By: Tim D
Date Posted: January-09-2007 at 9:03pm
hyper, my cap cracked this summer and trying to figure it out, I cranked and cranked. Enough that it shorted out the electronic module inside the distributor. The little black box had an 1/8" bulging crack near the center on the side.
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Tim D
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Posted By: doubleup16
Date Posted: January-09-2007 at 11:14pm
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also is there any way to check the coil to make sure it is working properly?
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Posted By: David F
Date Posted: January-10-2007 at 9:20am
Just work backward all the way to the battery. If you still using a ballast resistor, check that first.
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Posted By: eric lavine
Date Posted: January-10-2007 at 12:31pm
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.
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"the things you own will start to own you"
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Posted By: backfoot100
Date Posted: January-10-2007 at 2:07pm
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The believe the coil gets power from that terminal strip on the back end of the engine. I agree with Eric, I've seen a number of connections at that terminal strip work loose or corrode over time. In fact, one of my yearly routines that I do is just run through each of those connections and make sure none have worked loose. Saves a lot of headaches in the long run. Think of it like preventive maintenance, just like changing the oil or the raw water impeller.
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Posted By: 79nautique
Date Posted: January-11-2007 at 10:23am
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
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http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=756&sort=&pagenum=1&yrstart=1979&yrend=1979 - 79 nautique
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Posted By: doubleup16
Date Posted: January-11-2007 at 2:06pm
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Thanks 79, I headed over to the boat now to try and remedy the problem.
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