On water and wont start.......

[joewithaboat]

Boat is 1996, mecruiser alpha 1 gen 2, 4.3 lx 4 barrel, thunderbolt ign
Thanks in advance, sorry for long post...

Last time out I had a failure to start, I thought I would share....and ask some questions at the same time.

After hanging out and relaxing for a couple hours in our favorite cove, boat refused to start. After jumping in the water to keep boat off the rocky shore... yes i pulled anchor before starting... first mistake. :facepalm: I immediately began simple checks... i carry enough tools to rebuild the motor, ha ha

Fuel....seemed ok. Squirted when i looked down the carb and had wife pump throttle. Although i could not hear electric fuel pump coming on, the carb was squirting fuel. I tapped on fuel pump a few times and moved on to spark...

Spark.. again with help of wife, she cranked while i held spark plug wire near ground, weak but we had spark.

Looked for 30 min or so for loose or broken wires. I found two unconnected wires near coil. Do some mercruiser set ups have left over un-used wires for added alarms, gauges or safety features?

Back to the no start.... this thing was starting while key was in cranking position but would not run...pulling my hair out..wondering if distributor had moved??... no, tight as heck... it has fuel and spark and had been running like a champ.... my next thought was to steal speaker wire to make a jumper from battery to coil,
(will add appropriate jumper wire to tool box), I first decide to investigate the kill switch which I already gave the quick visual to earlier... the lanyard was not pulled and appeared to be in the run position. Upon further investigation it must have been disturbed by my 2 year old just enough to cause the problem.

DUH... the over whelming feeling of, I?m an idiot and overlooked the simplest thing was only slightly drowned out by the joy that I wasn?t going to need to be towed back to the marina.

So.... This switch must control ignition voltage for.... key in run position, but still provides it in crank position???? This made for a false, on the water, conformation of engine getting spark. I hope THIS part will help others!

Can someone, who has in-depth knowledge, give a quick summary of the ignition/ fuel safety features?
Or do I just need to buy a manual?

Again boat is 1996, mecruiser alpha 1 gen 2, 4.3 lx 4 barrel, thunderbolt ign
Thanks in again, sorry for long post... sharing and learning.

 

[Bondo]

Re: On water and wont start.......

So.... This switch must control ignition voltage for.... key in run position, but still provides it in crank position???? This made for a false, on the water, conformation of engine getting spark. I hope THIS part will help others!

Can someone, who has in-depth knowledge, give a quick summary of the ignition/ fuel safety features?

Ayuh,... With the key in the Start position, the ignition, 'n fuel pump are powered from the outsideish tiny terminal on the starter's solenoid...
When the key is released, it's all powered through the normal "Running" circuitry...

 

[joewithaboat]

Re: On water and wont start.......

How about the 3 un-used wires i found near coil, all my gauges work and I think all the alarms. Two have small round (to go on post type) conections, one is a gray spade. Spade maybe to set timing? Im thinking i need a manual, which one seloc or mercruiser?
Is the fuel pump always powered, regardless of head pressure, as long as it has oil pressure and the kill switch is not pulled ?

 

[Bondo]

Re: On water and wont start.......

Is the fuel pump always powered, regardless of head pressure, as long as it has oil pressure and the kill switch is not pulled ?

Ayuh,... The pump is self-regulating, 'n is powered as I said above...

i need a manual, which one seloc or mercruiser?

Try this,...

 

[joewithaboat]

Re: On water and wont start.......

Thanks for the link Bond-o, I think that was for v8, is the 4.3 the same #17
That little fuel pump has a regulator built in to it? No wonder it costs so much, Haha

 

[joewithaboat]

Re: On water and wont start.......

While i have you'r attention about the pump do they fail often? I was going to buy a spare to keep on board, do you? Mine is not the original, im guessing because of the butt conectors and different color wires, so i have no idea how old it is. Thanks for all your replies!
p.s. im in texas now but used to live a little ne of you up in maine, so i get your Ayuh..ha ha

 

[Bondo]

Re: On water and wont start.......

Thanks for the link Bond-o, I think that was for v8, is the 4.3 the same #17
That little fuel pump has a regulator built in to it? No wonder it costs so much, Haha

Ayuh,... Sorry,... Try this 1...

While i have you'r attention about the pump do they fail often? I was going to buy a spare to keep on board, do you? Mine is not the original, im guessing because of the butt conectors and different color wires, so i have no idea how old it is. Thanks for all your replies!
p.s. im in texas now but used to live a little ne of you up in maine, so i get your Ayuh..ha ha

Ayuh,.... My pump is original, 'n older than yer's,...
Donno how long it'll last,...
Once had an issue with it startin' 1st time of the week, but cleanin' the connections cured that....

I'm from Old Town, Maine,....
Just been visitin' over here for the last 40 years.....
Another Maineiac in exile...

Where about's in God's Country did ya live,..??

 

[joewithaboat]

Re: On water and wont start.......

Thanks again for your responses.

I lived in Portland for 7 years, 7th Grade thru High School. My mother lived there for another 11 years. So I spent many Summers and Xmas's there for long after I moved away. Alot of fond memories there. There are alot of things I miss about maine, the long winters is not one of them. The boating season is a little longer here as well.