Help Me Get My Dumb Boat Running - Could Be a Prize

[John I.]

There is some great information accumulating in this thread!

I only hope I can remember at least a fraction of it.

[Baddog]

There is some great information accumulating in this thread!

I only hope I can remember at least a fraction of it.

You don't have to remember it, the server will do that for you.

[Baddog]

Update:

Sprayed copious starter fluid while cranking --> nothing!

Which leads me back to electrical.

Triple checked the plug wire locations and they are correct.

Checked the four plugs that I could do by myself for spark and only 1 had spark. That's weird.

Purchased a new whateveryoucallit module that goes on the base of the distributor plate and will change that out tonight. Thinking good things about this as a fix.

Found where they hid the relays on the bottom of the ECM plate but couldn't get access to them with the tools I had, plus it was dinner time.

It is going below 32F here this coming week, so I better have success tonight, dang it.

And, yes, while I was there I did at least drain all the water just in case.

[Levi900RR]

Oh man, you are close!!!

[Baddog]

Grrrrrrrr!!!!!

Changed the Ingnition module --> no dice

Changed the coil --> no dice

Still no stinkin' spark

Could not get to those silly relays

I may have to take it in but don;t really want to because they cost serious $$

Any last ditch thoughts out there??

[Relic]

When I was a young lad not knowing much about anything (now I am old and still do not know anything) I had a problem with a car that sounds something like what you are going through, After trying everything every body said try a old man walked by and had a look. He said sounds like the distributer to me. He was right seems the bushing inside the unit had worn . Might not be the problem but who knows , wisdom comes with age. good luck

[nuttyskier2002]

Find the + side of your coil. With the ignition switch on check the voltage on that post. It should be ~12 volts. If good here get a 12 volt test light and connect it to the + side of the battery........touch the tip of the test light to the - side of the coil. Have a friend crank the engine. The test light should flash. If you get a flash here there is something wrong with in the coil or the way it is connected or it's circuitry (a flash here is normal and indicates that you ignition module is working). If you don't have 12 volts on the + side of the coil you need to trace back to the voltage source and troubleshoot. If all checks above are good.....disconnect the coil spark cable from the distributor and place near (1/2" away) from any metal on the engine. Crank the engine over. If you get spark then your spark is grounding out inside the distributor through an abnormal path.

Edited October 18, 2013 by nuttyskier2002

[Walter]

Can you post a picture of your distributor? A no spark condition could be a couple different things depending on what ignition system is in your boat.

[Parrothead]

I know I am late in this game of repair the engine, but help me here. Does this engine model/year use a crankshaft position sensor? If so this is the prime example of a bad crank sensor. Just a thought.

Update... Sorry to derail. Searched Bakes for Crankshaft position sensor and does not apply to your year apparently.

"Crank position sensors are on engines with distributorless ignition systems."

Thanks for the clarification NuttySkier.... feel a little less intelligent after re-reading some of the posts..

Edited October 19, 2013 by Parrothead

[nuttyskier2002]

I know I am late in this game of repair the engine, but help me here. Does this engine model/year use a crankshaft position sensor? If so this is the prime example of a bad crank sensor. Just a thought.

Crank position sensors are on engines with distributorless ignition systems.

[shawndoggy]

Grrrrrrrr!!!!!

Changed the Ingnition module --> no dice

Changed the coil --> no dice

Still no stinkin' spark

Could not get to those silly relays

I may have to take it in but don;t really want to because they cost serious $$

Any last ditch thoughts out there??

dang it bad dog, if a relay is dodgy, nothing you do downstream of it will help.

My last ditch thought is get a multimeter and start making sure that you are getting power to the ignition circuit.

[WakeGirl]

When I was a young lad not knowing much about anything (now I am old and still do not know anything) I had a problem with a car that sounds something like what you are going through, After trying everything every body said try a old man walked by and had a look. He said sounds like the distributer to me. He was right seems the bushing inside the unit had worn . Might not be the problem but who knows , wisdom comes with age. good luck

Just to springboard off of this (because it made me remember something), maybe check to see if there's any play in your distributor. I seem to recall a few issues reported like this over the years related to a bad distributor & sometimes there is play present if you try to wiggle it forward & back. Just something else to try.

[skurfer]

Easiest to hardest....

Coil Wire

Relay

Distributor (Expensive, if this isn't it save receipt and take back

[Baddog]

When I was a young lad not knowing much about anything (now I am old and still do not know anything) I had a problem with a car that sounds something like what you are going through, After trying everything every body said try a old man walked by and had a look. He said sounds like the distributer to me. He was right seems the bushing inside the unit had worn . Might not be the problem but who knows , wisdom comes with age. good luck

Do you mean a problem with the distributor shaft? The distributor overall is not loose, and the rotor does not seem to have any play in it if I manually twerk (is this what twerking is?) it back and forth.

I did replace the coil and it made no change. However, here's a question: I could not find the exact coil at O'Reilly's because of the special brackets used to mount the coil to the engine, so I just plugged the new one in and let it hang on the wires. Does the coil itself need to be mounted to the engine to work correctly?

Once today's rain stops I will go back and try harder to get to those pesky relays.

Thanks all.

[edwin]

Based on all the clarifying questions you've been asking baddog, I have the answer - NO WAKE MARINE! Just take it in, it'll cost a couple hundred bucks and you're done.

[Baddog]

Based on all the clarifying questions you've been asking baddog, I have the answer - NO WAKE MARINE! Just take it in, it'll cost a couple hundred bucks and you're done.

Yeah I know, I tried to call them yesterday but they were closed. Today I guess. I was saving that couple of hundred bucks for a bottle of Johnny Blue.

[EchelonMike]

Yeah I know, I tried to call them yesterday but they were closed. Today I guess. I was saving that couple of hundred bucks for a bottle of Johnny Blue.

I like working on Bu's and i am in Cincy - happy to come check it out with you and see if another set of "Crew" eyes can help! 513-706-53eight-eight is my cell.

-- Mike

[edwin]

Yeah I know, I tried to call them yesterday but they were closed. Today I guess. I was saving that couple of hundred bucks for a bottle of Johnny Blue.

I'll be driving to Dayton in the next few weeks. I've got half a bottle of Johnny Green that I can bring. I know, it's not Blue, but we can put an end to the bottle and pontificate on what's causing the issue!

[vlong]

Do you mean a problem with the distributor shaft? The distributor overall is not loose, and the rotor does not seem to have any play in it if I manually twerk (is this what twerking is?) it back and forth.

I did replace the coil and it made no change. However, here's a question: I could not find the exact coil at O'Reilly's because of the special brackets used to mount the coil to the engine, so I just plugged the new one in and let it hang on the wires. Does the coil itself need to be mounted to the engine to work correctly?

Once today's rain stops I will go back and try harder to get to those pesky relays.

Thanks all.

I think the coil needs to be grounded (mounted) to work. I bought the same one and had to use a drill to make it work on the old bracket.

After all you have done, seems like the ECM. That's what mine was but my 05 340 ran funky for a couple of weeks before going out (wouldn't crank, same symptoms' as yours). I ordered an ECM from the local dealer who told me they start going out around 8 to 10 years or 800 hours. I plugged it in and ShaBam, she cranked right up and runs great. Good luck. Please let us know what it was when you get her fixed up.

Edited October 22, 2013 by vlong

[Baddog]

I like working on Bu's and i am in Cincy - happy to come check it out with you and see if another set of "Crew" eyes can help! 513-706-53eight-eight is my cell.

-- Mike

Message sent, thanks.

[Baddog]

I'll be driving to Dayton in the next few weeks. I've got half a bottle of Johnny Green that I can bring. I know, it's not Blue, but we can put an end to the bottle and pontificate on what's causing the issue!

I'm in for that Edwin, let me know when.

[Baddog]

I think the coil needs to be grounded (mounted) to work. I bought the same one and had to use a drill to make it work on the old bracket.

After all you have done, seems like the ECM. That's what mine was but my 05 340 ran funky for a couple of weeks before going out (wouldn't crank, same symptoms' as yours). I ordered an ECM from the local dealer who told me they start going out around 8 to 10 years or 800 hours. I plugged it in and ShaBam, she cranked right up and runs great. Good luck. Please let us know what it was when you get her fixed up.

I wondered about that. Someone else said it didn't have to be mounted. How much are the ECMs? Any way to test before hand?

[vlong]

I wondered about that. Someone else said it didn't have to be mounted. How much are the ECMs? Any way to test before hand?

It depends on the model of ECM, $900 to $1,500 (Mine was $1,500 for an 05 340 Monsoon). Make sure they get your motor serial number to order it, they are set up with different drivers/software for each motor. For me it was a no brainer to go ahead and make the purchase since mine was 8 years old with 700 hours on it. After I replaced it the motor ran much better at top end, take off and was much more fuel efficient. It also had a bad (rich?) smell before replacing the ECM, Im assuming it was dumping too much fuel, that also went away after replacing the ECM. As far as testing, there is a way to test it but I never pursued that route as it is not easy. I would however check the plugs on each side of the ECM to make sure they are getting a good connection, not corroded and are snapped in all the way.

[skurfer]

To check ECM, take ECM out of another boat. Same year, same motor and swap to your boat. Really easy. Maybe a crew member can help you out or your local boat storage facility

[Bozboat]

To swap the ECM, is it just plug and go or does the ECM or timing have to be programed or set?