1987 2.3 OMC 18' Capri electrical issue - all guages/ignition loose power

[sph130]

OK - we'll i've tried one suggestion I found for this issue and took it out again for a second tow in two weekends.

I have a 1987 18' Bayliner Capri with the 2.3 OMC i/o. We run it on the lake for around 2 hours starting and stopping to swim a few times. Then after one of those stops it starts up and then immediately dies and we loose all power to the guages/radio and ignition. Like the battery is dead. But the trip and bildge still have power. (and the first time I tested it the battery was still at 90%).

I replaced the ignition coil after reading some posts.

Anyone else have this happen to them. Same this happened the week before. we'd get 2 minutes of power once this started happening and then it would shut down for like 20-30 minutes. and get longer each time.

Vacation is in a week.. and the shops i called will take at least that long to look at it.

Maybe its time to sell...
(or scrap)

 

[sph130]

Re: 1987 2.3 OMC 18' Capri electrical issue - all guages/ignition loose power

Just did some more testing.. more information to add.

(coincidetally before this happened which was the first time I took the boat out this year I bought a new battery - so maybe this is because of a faulty battery? What I don't get would be why the trim/bildge still work if it was the battery and I get no power to the accesories or the radio)

I also just testing the voltage at the switch. Its measuring half of the battery.
(Also not ideal - my battery testing is measuring the battery at 9 volts and my battery charger is showing 12.5 volts so im wondering if the battery tester is bad)
The tester was showing 4 volts at the switch -- so I am guesing 1/2 whatever the battery is.

but still the guages aren't turning on and neither is the radio on the turn to accesory of the switch. where could the ignition switch be loosing half of the voltage at the battery?

 

[NYBo]

Re: 1987 2.3 OMC 18' Capri electrical issue - all guages/ignition loose power

The engine electrical system is what's giving you grief but I have no idea why someone would suggest replacing the coil. You need to check both ends of both main battery cables and make sure the connections are clean and tight. Don't rely on a lack of visible corrosion on the outside of the connections. You also need to determine if the cables themselves have deteriorated, especially where they go into the crimped-on connectors.

Where are you reading the voltage at the switch- the "B" terminal or the "I" terminal? If you get 12V at the "B" terminal and 4V at the "I" terminal, the switch is bad.

 

[sph130]

Re: 1987 2.3 OMC 18' Capri electrical issue - all guages/ignition loose power

The engine electrical system is what's giving you grief but I have no idea why someone would suggest replacing the coil. You need to check both ends of both main battery cables and make sure the connections are clean and tight. Don't rely on a lack of visible corrosion on the outside of the connections. You also need to determine if the cables themselves have deteriorated, especially where they go into the crimped-on connectors.

Where are you reading the voltage at the switch- the "B" terminal or the "I" terminal? If you get 12V at the "B" terminal and 4V at the "I" terminal, the switch is bad.

What is the B terminal vs the I terminal?

I measure a 4v across the black and red larger wires on the panel behind the dash.
I also went out to check a fuse 50a (where the trim still works there are two 50a fuses off the assist solenoid) both of them where fine.

 

[NYBo]

Re: 1987 2.3 OMC 18' Capri electrical issue - all guages/ignition loose power

I was referring to terminals on the ignition switch, which is where gauges, radio, and ignition draw power. They are attached to the "I" terminal, with battery feed going to the "B" terminal.

 

[89 Capri 2.3l]

Re: 1987 2.3 OMC 18' Capri electrical issue - all guages/ignition loose power

There are the two major fuses at the rear of the engine, as you described, one runs the trim power and the other runs the gages and ignition for the engine. I spent all of two weekends trouble shooting my problem and found that the contact inside the inline fuse for the gage / ignition wires was not always making contact. I still have not figured out a permanant solution but if found that if I push the wire towards the fuse, my dashboard lights back up, and I am then able to restart the boat. Good Luck.