No spark on any cylinder - 1998 Johnson Oceanrunner

[Jim Lloyd]

J175EXECD

No spark on any cylinder.

I used the CDI Troubleshooting Guide and pullled the following peak voltage readings (using a DVA).

Disconnected Stbd connector at power pack.

Brown - Brown/Yellow = 160v
Brown/White - Brown/Black = 129v
Orange - Orange/Black = 60v

Looks like one of the charge coils is toast...correct?
I hate throwing parts at any sort of repair and based on the threads I searched on this site, this type of ignition takes no prisoners. Thanks in advance.

- Jim

 

[boobie]

Re: No spark on any cylinder - 1998 Johnson Oceanrunner

Next thing I would do is an ohmmeter test on it but the one reading is low.

 

[Jim Lloyd]

Re: No spark on any cylinder - 1998 Johnson Oceanrunner

I did an ohmmeter test, too. None of the coils are open as best as I can ascertain. I get readings of .553 K-Ohms on the charge coils and 55 Ohms on the power coil.

Edit: I just brushed up on my metric and those readings are in spec. So, I have good ohmmeter readings on both charge coils and the power coil, but out of spec voltage on one charge coil. Can anything else affect the charge coil output? Regulator/rectifier perhaps?

 

[boobie]

Re: No spark on any cylinder - 1998 Johnson Oceanrunner

Unless the stator is fried the reg/rect shouldn't bother it as they are two different systems.

 

[Jim Lloyd]

Re: No spark on any cylinder - 1998 Johnson Oceanrunner

I went out in the garage and re-ran every test. This time I made sure I had the leads on the right connectors. I have a good stator. I have a good (new) power pack. I have a bad shift interrupter switch. It's open with no continuity when I press the plunger. However, the shift interrupter should not cause a loss of spark in neutral..only when shifting and only on one bank.

What about the optical sensor?

 

[Faztbullet]

Re: No spark on any cylinder - 1998 Johnson Oceanrunner

Looks like one of the charge coils is toast...correct?

That is low but you still should have spark on one bank. Disconnect the kill wires from port connecter and retest. Also check that you have 12v on yel/red going into pack when cranking as this is what powers the pack and eye till engine starts and power coil takes over.You can also test the packs internal diodes on the kill circuits with a meter set to read a diode/ For the odd bank kill measure from the port pack connecter pin(G) with blk meter lead to the starboard pin connecters(C & D) with meter red lead , you should measure a diode drop of 1.0~1.2v, reverse lead and there should be no readings.For the even banks is same test just different pins, port connector pin (B) and strb connectors (A & F). If readings are off the pack is bad.

 

[Jim Lloyd]

Re: No spark on any cylinder - 1998 Johnson Oceanrunner

Voltage is a bit low on the yellow/red. Only hitting about 10.5v when cranking (with the connector unplugged). The charger is on it now. Is a low reading purely battery or can something else cause it? For what it's worth, she cranks over "normally" and does not sound at all weak.

 

[Faztbullet]

Re: No spark on any cylinder - 1998 Johnson Oceanrunner

Pull the plugs to free it up and spin faster.

 

[Jim Lloyd]

Re: No spark on any cylinder - 1998 Johnson Oceanrunner

The pack is good - read new. Motor spins at 11.6v with the plugs stil in it and the charger connected. Still no spark.

 

[Faztbullet]

Re: No spark on any cylinder - 1998 Johnson Oceanrunner

Check the LED in photo eye, unplug connector to eye,set meter to read diode, on sensor attach red meter lead to (B) pin(org/red) wire and blk to pin (A) blk/org wire , should read a double LED volt drop of 2.2~2.4v....

 

[Jim Lloyd]

Re: No spark on any cylinder - 1998 Johnson Oceanrunner

Update:

I replaced the optical sensor and the motor fired up the even cylinders only. I checked the stop and shift interrupter circuits and they tested good. I rechecked the charge coil that powers the odd cylinders and the output was good. The day before yesterday, I had installed a brand new CDI power pack, but that didn't cure it. Although I had been proceeding this morning on the assumption that I had a good pack, I went ahead and put the original 14-year-old power pack back on the motor and she lit off perfectly.

A lot of these threads seem to end with no resolution, so I wanted to post this as it might help someone else who has a problem.

 

[Faztbullet]

Re: No spark on any cylinder - 1998 Johnson Oceanrunner

Did you get the pack or the kit, the kit is just a few dollars more than pack but it comes with new eye and the grey spark plug wire updates, this is the only way I offer it to my customers

 

[Jim Lloyd]

Re: No spark on any cylinder - 1998 Johnson Oceanrunner

Just the pack. The optical sensor is BRP and I picked it up locally. The wires are already the stock grey inductive type.

 

[Jim Lloyd]

Re: No spark on any cylinder - 1998 Johnson Oceanrunner

Oh, this is getting interesting.....


I sent the CDI pack back to the manufacturer and they said it tested “good”. CDI even went so far as to install in on an outboard just to make sure. They said it might be a charge coil on the stator going bad or perhaps a loose terminal at the stator-to-power pack connector.

A very good BRP tech told me I probably had a cooked stator and to look for pools of black goop under the stator when I removed it. I did this and sure enough the melted goop was hanging off the bottom of the stator and had pooled on top of the engine block. I installed a new BRP stator this morning, which also erased any and all doubt about the connector. I cranked the motor and I have no spark whatsoever coming from my CDI pack. Again, I swapped it out and re-installed the original OMC pack and the motor starts and runs without issue.

The question is weighing heavily on me, the guy who regularly takes this boat waaaaaay offshore. Is the CDI pack bad, or is there something else going on in my electrical system that is causing the CDI pack not to light off? Any suggestions on what to check?

 

[Faztbullet]

Re: No spark on any cylinder - 1998 Johnson Oceanrunner

Mark the pack in a non noticeable place and send it back to CDI, and if your talking to Clark every problem is the stators fault in his opinion. It is a defective pack....