? for ODDD1 and anyone else who can help

[Bobby Powell]

It's me, the guy with the '84 90hp IL6 merc with the ignition problem. After buying a new stator I am still not getting voltage out of the blue leads, thus producing no spark. So far I have replaced the ignition switch,rectifier, stator, and battery. <br /><br />The ohms test on the new stator and rectifier are good. The Starter does crank the motor over and a good cranking speed.<br /><br />I had my voltmeter on the continuity setting and was poking around to verify good grounds (as if I would know what one is). What I found was when I had 1 lead on the engine block (or any ground ie, Screw, starter neg lead..etc)and the other lead on the startor selonoid's postive terminal (the lead going to the positive side of the starter) got continuity. <br /><br />I dont know if this is is the way it is supposed to be(doesn't seem right to me) or if this is the effect of my disfuctional ignition system. if so, could the powerpacks be causing this?<br /><br />any suggestion would be GREATLY appreciated.<br /><br />Thank You in advance-<br /><br />I would love to get into boating...only if my motor would start.<br /><br />Bobby Powell

 

[dcsjr]

Re: ? for ODDD1 and anyone else who can help

Hey Bobby Powell, I don't know much about Mercs actually nothing to be frank. About your starter the positive end as you call it connects to a brush which makes contact to the armature which is nothing but a long, long, long wire wrapped around a metal bar and comes out to a brush which is grounded. So my guess is it would have continuity. Your starter is working so I would"t worry about that. The stator I would guess would have 3 sets of wires coming out of it. The voltage should be across each set (eg 400 volts across a Blue and yellow set). Not from blue to ground. If thats what I think you are saying. I would need more info to try and help. Remember I do not know much about Mercs. If you could tell me the wires out of the Stator I might be able to help.

 

[Bobby Powell]

Re: ? for ODDD1 and anyone else who can help

DCSJR: thanks for the reply-<br /><br />The way I was testing the voltage out of the stator was both meter leads on both blue wires, should get 200+ volts but I am only getting 7.5 volts and accross the red leads I am getting no volts when I am supposed to be getting 20+ volts. <br />I am testing with all stator leads to switchboxs disconnected. I had the yellow leads connected to the rectifier and the black ground lead grounded to the engine block while testing....did not think of removing the yellow wires for testing.<br /><br />hope this info helps you to help me!<br /><br />Bobby

 

[dcsjr]

Re: ? for ODDD1 and anyone else who can help

BP is it two blue wires or one blue and oneblue with a white stripe? Same for the red? If I remember its 200v blue wire to plus side of meter, minus side is connected to ground. Red to plus side, ground minus side of meter should produce 20volts... If only blue and blue stripe.

 

[dcsjr]

Re: ? for ODDD1 and anyone else who can help

BP I forgot to ask are you using a meter that registers peak voltage or rms voltage?

 

[Bobby Powell]

Re: ? for ODDD1 and anyone else who can help

It is blue and blue with white stripe, red and red with white stripe. I am usng a digigtal multimeter by wavetech. I dont beleive it is a peak reading. I am not sure what rms is but I do know it can read ohms and DC/AC voltage.<br /><br />do I need to have the blue with white stripe lead connected to an engine ground?<br /><br />Thanks-<br />Bobby

 

[lonewolf5347]

Re: ? for ODDD1 and anyone else who can help

WELL THER IS ONE THING LEFT TO CHECK. THE TRIGGERS. HAVE YOU CHECK THE TRIGGERS.I HAVE A FORCE 120. HAD 2 DEAD CYLINDERS. RUNNING ON 3 @ 4 ONLY.I DON;T KNOW IF YOU HAVE THE SAME SETUP ON THE MERC.THE SWITCH BOX ON MINE HAVE 4 WIRES THAT GO TO THR RIGHT SIDE OF THE BOXON MINE YOU CAN SWAP 1 FOR 3 AND 2 FOR 4 IF THE DEAD CYLINDER MOVES TO ANOTHER CYLINDER IT IS THE TRIGGER ARB BAD . GOOD LUCK

 

[lonewolf5347]

Re: ? for ODDD1 and anyone else who can help

ONE THING I FORGOT TO ADD DID YOU CHECK THE COILS YOU SWITCH THE COIL WIRES FROM FROM GOOD TO BAD OR SWITCH THE COIL

 

[dcsjr]

Re: ? for ODDD1 and anyone else who can help

BP - connect all the wires where they belong. Put a dc volt meter (400 volt scale) from the blue wire on the switch box to ground, should be around 200 volts. This is your low speed coil outlet. The red to ground is your high speed which is about 20 volts. Once again, I'm not tha familier with merc to know if you need a peak voltage meter to read the 200 and 20 volts. Hopefully, someone who knows mercs will help you. Good luck and get on the water soon.

 

[ODDD1]

Re: ? for ODDD1 and anyone else who can help

Bobby, sorry to hear yer not on the water yet...i am concerned the equipment used to troubleshoot this prob may be leading you astray...the ONLY meter i have ever used reliably to check voltages in these systems is mercs meter [DVA meter]......if the stator OHMs out ok assume it is....what else will kill ALL the ignition? a grounded kill wire [the black/yell wires] disconnect them from the boxes an see if you have spark...triggers? are 3 separete trigger coils, each firing 2 cyl....to have all 3 fail is unlikely...mercs triggers very durable,and almost never fail...<br />so what have you got?<br />a new stator that ohms ok <br />trigger that at LEAST some cylinders should work on<br />switch boxes..also known to fail...but to take out all 6 cyl? unlikely...<br />something dont add up....<br />no spark on anything??

 

[MercilessMike]

Re: ? for ODDD1 and anyone else who can help

I went through the same head banging wrench throwing prop kicking situation!!! It drove me nuts, replaced stator, trigger, ALL 6 coils, new wire harness. In MY situation it was the darned SWITCHBOX, replace BOTH, If 1 is bad. The gentlemen replying to you are FAR more knowlegable than I. So follow there advice, as I have on many occasions. I just thought you might enjoy knowing your not the only one to scratch your head!!!<br /><br />GOOD LUCK,<br /> You will prevail.......Mind over matter!

 

[Bobby Powell]

Re: ? for ODDD1 and anyone else who can help

To everyone:<br /><br />Thanks for the replies, I will troubleshoot more this weekend using the advice given on this thread. <br /><br />I thought I was going to have some extra money to take it in the shop this month but home maintience comes first....even the wife liked me for that!<br /><br />I really want to get her going again and hopefully with the advice i have read I will come up with something to report back on either on saterday or sunday.<br /><br />I took a motorless option tonight and went on a sailboat race on my brother-in-laws 27' catalina. really neat to see how mother nature can pull us along... but all that the boat was good for was drinking beer. I guess that's not a bad thing..unless your the designated captian

<br /><br />....ok I'll stop yapping and go to bed...I'll report back this weekend..Thanks guys and Gals!!!<br /><br />Red skies...sorry J.B. for taking your tagline but we really saw red skies tonight

<br /><br />Bobby Powell

 

[Bobby Powell]

Re: ? for ODDD1 and anyone else who can help

OK here's an update from this weekend's testing. Found that the number 3 cylnder was the only one to have good, strong spark. <br /><br />so I took the known good output from the switchbox and routed it to some diffent coils and was getting spark...all coils are good.<br /><br />reroute the known good trigger lead up a lug on the switch box and tested that coil...no spark.<br /><br />Is it safe to say that both switch boxes are bad?

<br /><br />Anyone have 2 (good) switchboxes laying around that they want to sell cheap??<br /><br />Thanks to everyone that has replied, this mesg board is great!<br /><br />Bobby Powell