A while back, I posted some questions regarding an intermittant problem I'd been having with my motor cutting out suddenly while running, then not starting, ie:<br /> http://www.iboats.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=28&t=035002 <br /><br /> Well, the "cutting out" problem had gone away for several weeks, but after about a week of not going out on the lake, we tried to take the boat out Sunday, and it wouldn't start. I tried for about 45 minutes, but no go. I had one of those little spark testers with me, so I had my wife crank while it was attached, and I couldn't see any spark. Didn't have my voltmeter with me so I went home and went back yesterday with the voltmeter and the repair manual. However before doing any trouble-shooting, I decided to try one crank, to see if it would start..... Yes, it started right up on the first crank.?!?!?<br /> I took the boat out for a while. After about 5 minutes, it died, just like someone turned the key off. Even though it seemed to be electical at this point, I checked the fuel, by disconecting the fuel line, pumping the bulb, which was firm, etc. Cranked the engine.... started right up. So then, I was back to thinking it was fuel related. Drove the thing around for 5 or 10 minutes, no problem. Stopped and fished for about an hour, then decided to head home, and it started right up. Decided to drive it around a bit to charge the battery, but when I tried running at high speed, after about 5 minutes, it conked out again. This time no matter what I did, I couldn't start it. Had to paddle back to the dock. Brought the boat in backwards so I could work on the motor.<br /> The manual suggsted checking a "stop switch". From the circuit diagram, it wasn't clear if this was on the motor, or if it was in the ignition switch. The circuit diagram made it look like it was on the engine, but the diagnostic test seemed to be testing the ignition switch. I took off a 2 wire connector from the ignition module, and checked continuity of one of the wires with the ohmmeter vs ground (on the engine). It indicated that wire was grounded when the ignition switch was on, and open when the switch was off, which is what the manual said should happen, assuming that I was checking the right connector, which I'm not positive of. I don't know what the 2nd wire on that connector does.<br /> So I thought that maybe the problem was intermittent, so I plugged the plug in again, and tried cranking, but it didn't start. At this point, I couldn't figure anything else to check, so I snapped the connectors back in their holders and put the cover back on the motor. I was about to leave, but tried to crank the engine one more time..... yes, it started on first crank.?!?!?<br /> So I drove the thing around a while to charge the battery, and it ran OK. Then, I came back into the dock, however when I tried to STOP the engine, it WOULDN'T STOP?!?!? I turned the key off, pulled the key out, pulled off the emergency stop lanyard.... still running. Disconnected the battery... still running. <br /> I took the cover off the motor again, and since the only thing I had been working on had been the connector to the stop switch, I started to pull the connector out of it's snap in holder, but as soon as I touched this connector, the motor stopped! <br /> I reconnected the battery, and cranked the engine. Started right up, and it stopped when I turned the key off.<br /><br /> I'd appreciate advise on what people think about all this?<br /> I'm thinking that first of all, the symptom of the motor not stopping must be because I had a poor connection in the 2-wire connector, so that it was always in the "open" state, never grounded, so the engine wouldn't stop, although I'm still confused relative to the function of the other wire in this connector? However this connector may not be related to my cut-out problem, unless somehow the connection is getting grounded?<br /> I'm going to go back today and try to hook up a wire to the stop wire in this connector, while it is in place, so that I can monitor the voltage while the engine is running. I'm thinking that when running, there should be power on this wire, since it isn't grounded, but if my problem is a broken or intermittant connection in this circuit, if the engine stops, this wire would go to zero voltage. Does this make sense?<br /> I'm really unsure about how the stop circuit works. The ignition module seems to always be getting power, even when not working, because it goes through it's 4 light check sequence and beeps, each time I try to crank it, so the stop switch doesn't remove power to the module, it must just signal the module not to generate a spark??? <br /> Anyway, I'd appreciate and suggestions, particularly with respect to where to look for likely bad ground connections, broken wires, etc. <br />Thanks.
