Page 1 of 2

Ignition switch and starting issue.

Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2016 2:36 pm
by jmonday
This is a very hard one to put into words but the three seasons I have owned and ran my boat the way the boat starts is very odd. When cranking the boat it seems to only start when the key is returning to the run position(in the short time and the motor is still turning over ) meaning I think I could crank on it all day but as soon as it is returned if everything is good I.e. the springs in the distributor, coil, wires and plugs in the correct firing order cap and rotor good the motor start and runs well. This is the second year on a pertronix test distributor and had to clean the cap this spring putting it in. I think it needs it again. Only when the boat start hard you can tell the key problem. Does anyone else know of this and have the same issues??

Re: Ignition switch and starting issue.

Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2016 3:43 pm
by jralbert
Perhaps I misunderstand but did you try replacing the switch?

Re: Ignition switch and starting issue.

Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2016 4:24 pm
by Busia
This happens when the starter is using most of the battery power so you have a very weak spark. You can put a voltmeter at the coil and see you don't have anywhere near 12 volts. You can help by putting big clean wires to the starter and check that the starter not drawing more power than it should. Dirty brushes, bad bearings in the starter, bad contacts in the solenoid, dirty connections, small wires, long wires, weak battery, dirty spark plugs, bad plug wires, poor quality gas, all make the engine harder to start. So you fix what you can and see if it helps. Good luck, Ed

Re: Ignition switch and starting issue.

Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2016 8:23 am
by jmonday
Thanks Ed

Re: Ignition switch and starting issue.

Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2016 11:13 am
by barkleydave
A common source for this problem is poor engine ground.
Clean ground contacts. CONNECT
V meter coil hot and grnd. Turn over look for V drop below 11.5 if it does the E module will be unhappy.

Safe HARBORS
Dave

Re: Ignition switch and starting issue.

Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2016 11:37 am
by jmonday
Thanks Dave I did this last year when I installed the pertronix unit to make sure everything was good. But like I reported back to Roger at pertronix this spring boat would not run well until I cleaned the cap had a lot of build up on the inside. How the motor would fire was odd. I still have to winterize it so i'll check again.

Re: Ignition switch and starting issue.

Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2016 8:40 am
by barkleydave
I am completing season 4 with the test units. I have had no issues with them. I do clean the inside and wipe the caps but have not experienced any significant moisture or residue on the caps. My boat runs much better with the Pertronix units and Rodger has been very helpful.

dave

Re: Ignition switch and starting issue.

Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2016 11:03 am
by jmonday
I agree 100% and I installed a new one in a friends boat this year. He also is very happy with it. I'm going to take photo's for Roger tonight if the cap is in poor shape again. I would also question the bosch plugs high end performance plug that's in it. I will change everything next year with new. I did put an electric fuel pump in last year nad a pressure switch and was thinking some of my low end idle running was due to it not letting the pump stay on and I need to follow up on that as well. As for Roger and the Pertronix people they are for sure on the BIG M side and a great help and a good cost.

Re: Ignition switch and starting issue.

Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2016 5:43 am
by Fastjeff
That happened to mine as I was on the way to meet up with Joel A. many years ago. Drove me batty until I found out what it was: The ballast resistor's crappy connector was loose and making a bad contact. In this case it would fire up while cranking, then die when I let go the switch.

Here's the deal: When you are cranking her over, the ballast resistor is bypassed to send a full 12 volts to the coil. Let go the 'key' and the usual 9 volts arrives, which is the normal run voltage. It sounds like your problem is that the 12 volts isn't getting there and it's easy to detect: put a volt meter on the + terminal of the coil and see if 12 volts arrives as someone cranks her over. If you see only 7 to 9 volts, that's the 'run' voltage which means there's something wrong in that 12 volt, cranking only circuit. The motor may start on the 'run' voltage, but not as well since the act of cranking her over 'steals' voltage from the battery.

You need to see if the 12 volts leaving the 'S' terminal of the solenoid is getting to the coil. If not, look for a bad connection somewhere in that circuit.

Good sleuthing!

Jeff

Re: Ignition switch and starting issue.

Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2016 10:33 am
by jmonday
That's one of the things pertronix tells you to take out. Mine never had one with the old setup so its not an issure. I did keep it in on the friends boat just to see if it would make a problem and so far 1st year on his everything still running strong. Here is what the cap looked like I really think my problem is moisture.