Help Guys, Coil Wiring

wself

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Apr 3, 2008
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My friend just bought a 1987 BAYLINER 1950 CAPRI CUDDY 3.0 L CHEVY OMC W/ COBRA FOOT and for some reason we can not get no fire to the motor. I was wondering if anyone would have a wiring dia. or know what feeds the coil we are not getting any power there.

Any help will be great.

Will
 

Don S

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Re: Help Guys, Coil Wiring

With the ignition switch in the run position, you should have power to the + terminal on your coil.
Since the boat is new, is the kill switch lanyard on?
 

firehog6305

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Re: Help Guys, Coil Wiring

oooowwwwww, thats a good one Don ha ha, I've done that before
 

wself

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Re: Help Guys, Coil Wiring

Yes he has checked the killl swtich, the motor turns over but does not crank that is why we started looking for a problem with the motor getting fire. We pull the coil wire off and did not get any arcing from it, so he replaced the coil with the same results. that is when we checked the voltage going to the coil and got 0
 

Don S

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Re: Help Guys, Coil Wiring

If it's not firing while cranking either, it probably needs some points. (aka a full tuneup see the summerization post at top of page). Points in a boat get glazed over and won't make contact.

Amazes me the number of GOOD coils that get replaced when there isn't spark, when a set of points would fix it.
 

wself

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Re: Help Guys, Coil Wiring

I will have to check and see if it has points. I know he replaced the plugs, plug wires, distributor cap and rotor button. Didn?t know it had points.
 

bruceb58

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Re: Help Guys, Coil Wiring

that is when we checked the voltage going to the coil and got 0

That is where you need to start. Figure out why you are getting 0V to the coil. I assume you are making your measurement on the + side of the coil right?

I would try putting a jumper across your kill switch(or measure voltage). On the Bayliner I used to have, the kill switch failed and was always open.

If the distributor has not neen switched to electronic points, you should still have points. That is what they came with that year.
 

wself

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Re: Help Guys, Coil Wiring

Yeah i was checking to the + side of the coil. I will try to trace the wires back and see what I find. Does anyone know where I might get a wiring dia. for this boat at. That away i will know what i am looking for and where the wires should be going.
 

bruceb58

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Re: Help Guys, Coil Wiring

You won't find a wiring diagram for the boat. the best you will get is a diagram up to the the connector leaving the engine(looking from the engine side). While on the topic of that connector, you may want to check that eventually to make sure you don't have a corroded contact in there.
 

wself

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Re: Help Guys, Coil Wiring

Do you know where i could get a copy of that. It would help me a lot
 

bruceb58

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Re: Help Guys, Coil Wiring

You should buy the factory manual. Try Ebay. There is a guy on there that sells them usually.

Here is a place for new ones:
http://www.marineengine.com/manuals/omc_sterndrive/order_1980-93.html

I would not bother with the Seloc or the Clymer non OEM manuals.

Make sure you have voltage at your ignition switch output and your kill switch. You won't need the manual to test those two places.

I used to have the exact manual that you need but i sold it with my boat. Maybe someone who has the manual on here can scan that wiring diagram page and email it to you.
 

Boatin Bob

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Re: Help Guys, Coil Wiring

Here is a generic diagram from back then, may have to blow it up a bit but should still try and get an OEM manual

wiring2.jpg
 

bruceb58

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Re: Help Guys, Coil Wiring

That is not going to help him much since it doesn't have the ESA in the diagram. That doesn't look like an OMC diagram.
 

Maclin

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Re: Help Guys, Coil Wiring

Seems to me it could still be the kill switch, maybe corrosion at the terminals or inside...
 

ccmarsh

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Re: Help Guys, Coil Wiring

that is when we checked the voltage going to the coil and got 0

I am working on that problem as we speak.

When I disconnect the wires from the + side of the coil I was getting plenty of power in the wires however, as soon as I connected it back I lost it all. So where was it all going. On the -side of the coil I disconnected the wires that ran to my kill switch and bingo. I got the power back. I have a kill switch in my throttle so I permanently disconnected the one that came with the engine. No sense in having two. I'm not sure if this will work for you but it did for me.
 

Maclin

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Re: Help Guys, Coil Wiring

Hey cc, what do you mean by two kill switches, one in the throttle and one on the engine? Is the one on the engine a low oil pressure cutoff or something?
 

Boatin Bob

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Re: Help Guys, Coil Wiring

That is not going to help him much since it doesn't have the ESA in the diagram. That doesn't look like an OMC diagram.

Bruce...could you explain this to me? I see an ESA in the diagram
 

wself

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Re: Help Guys, Coil Wiring

Thanks guys,

I will look at it tonight and see what i can come up with. I will post what i find.

Great site BTW

Will
 

bruceb58

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Re: Help Guys, Coil Wiring

Bruce...could you explain this to me? I see an ESA in the diagram

If it's in there I can't see it because of the resolution of the diagram.

Edit: Ok...I see it now. I downloaded it and blew it up a bit. I concur that it is an OMC diagram.
 

bruceb58

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Re: Help Guys, Coil Wiring

I am working on that problem as we speak.

When I disconnect the wires from the + side of the coil I was getting plenty of power in the wires however, as soon as I connected it back I lost it all. So where was it all going. On the -side of the coil I disconnected the wires that ran to my kill switch and bingo. I got the power back. I have a kill switch in my throttle so I permanently disconnected the one that came with the engine. No sense in having two. I'm not sure if this will work for you but it did for me.

CC,

You really should start a new thread with this. You have 12V on the wire going to the coil and then it drops when you connect it? If so, you have resistance in the wire to the coil. Some of that is normal because most coils require a ballast resistor or a resistance wire before the coil. If you measure the voltage with the points open, no current will flow through the coil and you should be measureing 12V at the + side of the coil. With the points closed, the current through the coil will cause a voltage drop across the ballast resistor or resistor wire and you will measure less than 12V at the + side of the coil.
 
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