Hi all.
I'm trying my best to work through the CDI troubleshooting recommendations for my 50 hp Evinrude Sizzler two-stroke. I cranked it and it started about two weeks ago without it in the water. I adjusted the choke, it ran for a few seconds, and I turned it off. Next day, I tried to start it just before I headed to the lake, and no spark on either cylinder.
Working through CDI:
1. Battery is a year old and I also topped it off with a trickle charge the night before
2. Disconnected the rectifier yellow wires -- still no spark
3. Disconnected the black/yellow kill switch wire from the power pack -- still no spark
4. Used a DVA to check the voltage of the brown stator wire to power pack while cranking the engine -- very low volts at power pack
5. DVA test of brown stator wire disconnected -- 265 volts, so within spec of 150- 400
I stopped my testing here because I've had trouble with the power pack before (think I'm on my fourth one over the years) and the CDI instructions say for the disconnected stator wire test "If the reading is now within spec, the pack is bad." In addition, I've read in these forums that if you keep frying power packs, check for any voltage on the kill switch circuit (yellow/black wire) when the key is turned on and off. I got a small reading doing this, so I shelled out for a new switch as well.
Ordered a new CDI power pack and a new switch, installed them both, topped off the battery with a charge, cranked the engine and still no spark on either cylinder. I figured I got a bad pack from Amazon, so I requested a replacement. Received it the next day, installed it, and still nothing.
Back to the CDI instructions -- checked the timing base resistance (disconnected) black/white to white/black and the reading was very high, but also read these readings can be sketchy. Checked the black/white to white/black on the pack with the DVA and got a trace voltage instead of the desired .6 volts. So I tried the test where you connect two pieces of wire to the timing base terminals on the power pack and then touch the other ends to a 1.5 volt battery to see if that produced a spark on either cylinder. Still nothing.
I'm an inch away from defeated on this. I bought and rebuilt this motor with some skill and a lot of luck about 10 years ago. The coils, stator, timing base wire, spark plugs, battery, rectifier, ignition switch are all within 5 years old and have not received much use. Could I have gone from a running engine to a bad power pack AND a bad timing base overnight basically? Or is it just the power pack after all and I've somehow received two bad power packs from Amazon?
Thanks!
Paul
I'm trying my best to work through the CDI troubleshooting recommendations for my 50 hp Evinrude Sizzler two-stroke. I cranked it and it started about two weeks ago without it in the water. I adjusted the choke, it ran for a few seconds, and I turned it off. Next day, I tried to start it just before I headed to the lake, and no spark on either cylinder.
Working through CDI:
1. Battery is a year old and I also topped it off with a trickle charge the night before
2. Disconnected the rectifier yellow wires -- still no spark
3. Disconnected the black/yellow kill switch wire from the power pack -- still no spark
4. Used a DVA to check the voltage of the brown stator wire to power pack while cranking the engine -- very low volts at power pack
5. DVA test of brown stator wire disconnected -- 265 volts, so within spec of 150- 400
I stopped my testing here because I've had trouble with the power pack before (think I'm on my fourth one over the years) and the CDI instructions say for the disconnected stator wire test "If the reading is now within spec, the pack is bad." In addition, I've read in these forums that if you keep frying power packs, check for any voltage on the kill switch circuit (yellow/black wire) when the key is turned on and off. I got a small reading doing this, so I shelled out for a new switch as well.
Ordered a new CDI power pack and a new switch, installed them both, topped off the battery with a charge, cranked the engine and still no spark on either cylinder. I figured I got a bad pack from Amazon, so I requested a replacement. Received it the next day, installed it, and still nothing.
Back to the CDI instructions -- checked the timing base resistance (disconnected) black/white to white/black and the reading was very high, but also read these readings can be sketchy. Checked the black/white to white/black on the pack with the DVA and got a trace voltage instead of the desired .6 volts. So I tried the test where you connect two pieces of wire to the timing base terminals on the power pack and then touch the other ends to a 1.5 volt battery to see if that produced a spark on either cylinder. Still nothing.
I'm an inch away from defeated on this. I bought and rebuilt this motor with some skill and a lot of luck about 10 years ago. The coils, stator, timing base wire, spark plugs, battery, rectifier, ignition switch are all within 5 years old and have not received much use. Could I have gone from a running engine to a bad power pack AND a bad timing base overnight basically? Or is it just the power pack after all and I've somehow received two bad power packs from Amazon?
Thanks!
Paul