1989 Johnson 175 "no-spark" troubleshooting question

[cmiller]

I have a 1989 Johnson 175 35amp charging with a no-spark issue that I have been troubleshooting. Following the flow chart in my manual I have been able to return spark (and get the engine running) by grounding the "E" terminal (white/black wire) on the powerpack side of the 5 wire connector. The problem is that my manual stops at this point and says that the issue is in the ignition circuit, switch, or kill switch without giving any further guidance.

It's obvious that this white/black wire can't be grounded all the time since it also ties in with the overheating sensors, but what should voltage or resistance be in the start and run positions? Also, when I have the engine running and remove the kill switch clip the motor does shut off, further confusing me as my wiring diagram shows this circuit tied into the circuit also.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Trying to get out this weekend and my shop is booked until the middle of next week....

 

[Joe Reeves]

Re: 1989 Johnson 175 "no-spark" troubleshooting question

Have all of the wiring connected as it should be. Remove all spark plugs. Rig some kind of spark tester so you can observe the spark or lack of it. Crank engine... I assume you will have no spark as you have stated... is this correct? If so................

Disconnect the large RED electrical connector at the engine, then crank the engine over by using a small jumper wire from the battery cable terminal of the starter solenoid to the small 3/8" nut terminal that engages the solenoid. If you now have spark, the problem is normally a shorted ignition switch.

You can test the ignition switch but re-connecting that large RED plug, then disconnecting the Black/Yellow wire from the ignition switch, then crank the engine over with the key.

Let us know what you find.

 

[cmiller]

Re: 1989 Johnson 175 "no-spark" troubleshooting question

Thanks Joe! I'll give it a try when I get home.

BTW- You probably don't remember me, but I bought the powerhead for this motor from you about 10 years ago. It's run flawlessly all these years with absolutely no mechanical issues. I wanted to thank you years ago but lost your email address in a hard drive failure. So, now that I have the chance again- Thank you!

 

[Joe Reeves]

Re: 1989 Johnson 175 "no-spark" troubleshooting question

Ten years? Oh my, the warranty expired just yesterday.

I always glance over to see if your rig is still there just off Mulrennan as I drive towards #60 and wondered how things were going for you. Hopefully you do not have major problems but rather just a faulty switch. I'll send a PM with my email address just in case you need it.

 

[cmiller]

Re: 1989 Johnson 175 "no-spark" troubleshooting question

Joe, I think you have me confused with someone else. I live in inside Tampa city limits. We made contact through the rec.boats newsgroup if that rings a bell.

 

[Joe Reeves]

Re: 1989 Johnson 175 "no-spark" troubleshooting question

Oh okay, sorry about that... same powerhead I think, different boater and location. Getting up in age and it's a battle to keep things straight. I do remember being with the red.boats newsgroup.... that was quite awhile ago. When you get around to answering my PM, fill me in so it'll ring a bell to remind me exactly who you are.

Sometimes in the mornings it takes a few minutes to remember who I am.

 

[cmiller]

Re: 1989 Johnson 175 "no-spark" troubleshooting question

No problem, Joe. I'm only pushing 50 but have more than my share of "brain farts", as my wife likes to call them

BTW- I went ahead and disconnected the large red connector, jumped the solenoid, and had a nice strong spark. The only problem is when I re-connected it and jumped the solenoid with the key in the "on" position I also had a strong spark. I'm going to go ahead and change out the ignition switch. It's hasn't been changed in 15+ years....

Thanks for your help, I'll let you know how it goes.


Thanks again,
Chris

 

[Joe Reeves]

Re: 1989 Johnson 175 "no-spark" troubleshooting question

Glad to hear you got the spark back. Sometimes (usually) disconnecting that RED plug interrupts the intermittent short within the ignition switch and lets it act normally again for a short time (lot of water around that switch over the years). It's normally a bad switch... lets hope so.

 

[cmiller]

Re: 1989 Johnson 175 "no-spark" troubleshooting question

You were right, Joe. The ignition switch was shorting out inside. Took it apart and green chunks fell out....

Thanks again,
Chris.

 

[Joe Reeves]

Re: 1989 Johnson 175 "no-spark" troubleshooting question

Those damn green chunks will do it every time!