Very nice walk through, I’ve seen people just start buying parts and never walk through the check list and it cost them so much money before they figure it out.
I can’t say 100% sure but I’m pretty confident the switch box is bad. I didn’t check each of the coils but i did test the rectifier and that was good. It’s a pretty good bet I found the problem. I’ll know tomorrow. The new switch box arrived tonight.
@@LivetofishOutboardRepair yeah I always start from the plug wires and work backwards but I believe you’re right. I do that because it’s cheaper going that way and the no spark on all cylinders is normally way up the line.
Unsalted Life ... well it’s fixed, it was the switch box after all. Now I have a overheating problem with the same motor even after installing a new water pump impeller. I’m thinking it’s the nylon insert under the powerhead. I’m getting a tell tail stream but it’s weak and coming out super hot. What are your thoughts?
was watching your video. My 85 hp Yamaha would not fire. When you checked the kill switch, I remembered i had broke my kill switch wire when the seat fell on it. I hooked kill switch up. engine started. :)
Great video. For me, it was blue to blue/white on stator. Would crank cold, but when warmed up, would not crank. Would get an ohms resistance reading intermittantly on blue to blue/white. Found this article online for an explanation of why this could happen. I am no expert, but it makes sense. It's like ghosts living in your engine. From an old post in 2007. One more thought with regards to the dual winding on a Mercury stator. It would make sense to me also that the main purpose was to give a better, higher amperage charge at lower RPM. However, when reading posts on a Mercury outboard specific site, one of the first indications of a problem with the lower speed winding is weak spark when cold, but enough that the motor will start. Of course, the motor started so, like me, you'd go off on your merry way and forget about it taking a few more cranks than usual. Once the throttle is down and the RPM increases you've unknowingly switched to the high winding on the stator. Your second clue to a bad low speed side is when the motor is now warm, and you shut it off. The malfunctioning low speed winding is now also warm and has become an open circuit, so the motor won't restart. Sometimes, as in my case, the circuit closes when it cools, allowing the motor to start once again, but giving you an intermittent issue that is by nature hard to diagnose. I got this clue about three times, but was too bull headed to investigate before it finally quit altogether. So, while I'm sure the low speed winding helps with low RPM charging, it apparently also has the primary role in supplying spark to the motor. jandrewg posted 05-23-2007 11:47 AM ET (US) Profile for jandrewg Send Email to jandrewg
Chris Forbes…. Thank you for posting that fantastic explanation. I’m sure this will help many people troubleshoot similar ignition problems. Thanks again for watching.
I worked on these since 1970s up until 1990s Salt water corrosion nightmare. Often had power pack low speed charge coils went bad when hot. Sone older Mercury had a tilt kill switch with mercury liquid in them hooked to kill wire and a dead man switch in control by box . The older 6 cylinder had distributor cap with trigger and a belt. I have a 1990 Yamaha 50 all original electrical ignition . Nice channel 👍 Thanks
@@FatGuyInALittleCoat1 CRC spray oil . I always tell people spray entire power head alot with WD-40 In Salt. Electric stuff also. Zinc on lower housing above prop is supposed to slow down corrosion under water. Salt inside block water covers often rotted out engine from inside out. In 1980s they changed Aluminum to be much much better. Charge coil is 350vac may be hooked up to a cathode.anode and shock all the fish clams out of bay . Mercathode was a unit used on Mercruiser out drives to stop electrolysis for drives kept submerged at marinas .
@@Nudnik1thanks! I have some 656 spray I can use on the power head areas like you’re saying. I haven’t used WD-40 in addition to that - makes sense to displace water after use.
@@Nudnik1thanks! I have some 656 spray I can use on the power head areas like you’re saying. I haven’t used WD-40 in addition to that - makes sense to displace water after use.
@@FatGuyInALittleCoat1 salt stays behind even when water evaporates. Sets up a electrical cell to eat away at metals especially when different metals are combined . Good luck Check water pump rubber impeller.. I said that millions of times 😂
Hey that’s great if my video helped you diagnose and find your issues. I’m very happy for you if you were able to get your motor running again. Thanks for watching and commenting.
This helped me out alot. I've a 78 50hp merc with the 4 wire stator. Read all pairs good skipped the dva voltages and went directly to cranking voltage reads, found a black box in between the stator and switchbox that read open, so i bypassed it. Couldn't find a drawing or part number on the net. Started right up. Thank you so much for clear concise information.
Cy Lon… I’m very happy the video helped you out. Try finding your part on www.marineengine.com they have very good drawings and parts listings for your motor. Good luck and thanks for watching and commenting.
@@LivetofishOutboardRepair yes but it can interrupt the signal on these motors when it goes bad. One of the tests for no spark is removing the yellow leads to it.
If you get a chance, or even want to, I got this, no DVA tester, just an old fluke multi-meter; Testing the Stator; Rd/wht to Rd : 67.5 ohms Blu/wht to Blu: 7460 ohms Rd/wht to Rd; 21.86 volts AC while turning over Blu/wht to Blu; 253 volts AC while turning over Trigger wiring; White to Purple; 846 ohms (while disconnected from switchbox) Why w/blck to Brown 850 ohms (also disconnected from switchbox) All connections to ground were "OL" or 0 ohms. Blue wire on right side to white on left side; 300 volts Blue on right to ground 136 volts Red to Blue 112 volts Red to Ground 25 volts Since I don't have a "DVA" tester, not sure I can trust my results for the rest of the test...It may be my next purchase. Thanks for all the help livetofish Outboard Repair!
Mary fifthen. … that’s awesome. I’m so glad the video helped and gave you some direction. I hope you’re back on the water soon. Thanks for commenting. It’s very much appreciated.
Hello, really enjoyed your videos. You provide some of the best detailed videos I’ve watched. I have a 2001 Mercury 125hr with no spark. I just moved from high elevation to lower. I cleaned 4 carbs and replaced the jets. Put all back together and she would not start. I would like to try diagnosis myself and follow your detailed video testing stator, trigger and rectifier/ regulator. I purchased a 12 volt remote starter switch from harbor freight. I have looked online how to connect to my motor but found nothing very educational. Can you do a video on how to install a remote started switch. I am working on this motor by myself. Thank you so much
@kerryaustin4651 … Thank you very much for watching and commenting. I don’t currently have a video installing a key or push-button switch but will work on it.
Thank you for your reply. I am just looking to install a temporary remote start switch so that I can crank the engine while at the outboard instead of constantly crawling in/out of boat. Thanks again
This is what I use. Just connect one alligator clip to the hot side of starter Solinoid and the other to hot lead to the starter. Hope this helps.www.amazon.com/INNOVA-3630-Remote-Starter-Switch/dp/B000EVU8MK/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=XTSJLJNEJZ4G&keywords=starter+bypass+switch&qid=1702850995&sprefix=starter+bypass+%2Caps%2C2043&sr=8-3
Thanks for the great video, How to get a troubleshooting sheet for a particular brand engine? Also, is the "Trigger" an adjective to describe what happens regarding the Switch Box or a device/part that I somehow am missing?
TheSilverSurfisher…. Great questions. Thanks for posting them. To find your specs for your specific model you should go to www.cdielectronics.com Then Click on the Technical Support tab, then click Technical Documents, then click DVA charts. This will give you the information you are looking for by year and model number. The trigger is located under the Stator under the flywheel. It’s function is to provide the correct timing of the motor by using electrical impulses to the switchbox to fire each spark plug at the correct moment. I hope this helps answer your questions. Thanks again for watching and commenting.
Very useful process and informative. I would add at the start (if you haven’t already) to check the plug wires and coils. Pretty simple to test before checking/changing the expensive parts. Looking for a good blue spark instead of a weak orange spark can help with diagnosis. The l last time I had a power pack go I had a a sudden quit and no start. Have you experienced an engine that still runs with a bad power pack? Thanks for sharing
@jimdrech …. Thanks for watching and commenting. Your experience is very helpful. I have never seen a motor run with a bad power pack at least not yet.
Personally if the engine has known to have X amount of hrs 9x’s out of 10 it’s going to be the power box. And ya might as well get new coils and plugs. It’s not a lot of money and what the hell .. if your fixin one thing might as well do a overhaul. Last thing anyone wants is to be out on the water and have to get a tow. Thanks for the run down, it’s always good to know the sequence of operations none the less
@@LivetofishOutboardRepair I ask because I think my rectifier is faulty, my tach goes crazy most of the time, and had no sparks in all plugs, changed the power box, and the engined fired back up, to be without sparks again some weeks later. Was wondering if the rectifier could have burned it? Do you know how can a stator burn it?
great tutorial sir. I have the exact same engine. I tested my trigger to your specks same as you did. Cranking with the DVA hooked up you got 6v or more. Mine only puts out 1v. Is that low enough to assume that it needs to be replaced you think. Engine is lacking power at higher RPM's. Thanks for any info that you pass along.
Anthony sloan … it depends on which wires on the trigger you are testing. The purple, white, brown and white/black wires when checking to engine ground should be 1v or more. Checking purple to white and brown to White/black wires should produce 4v or higher. If your trigger is producing these values then you might want to look at checking the Stator. Do you have strong spark on all cylinders or only spark on some cylinders? If one or more cylinders lack spark then it could be bad coils, SP wires or a bad switchbox.
@@LivetofishOutboardRepair I checked the stator exactly the way you showed and I actually got better numbers than you got so it should be fine. The switchbox is new. On my trigger test exactly as you explained on the DVA cranking voltage test of purple to white and brown to black and white you got a little over 6 volts on both. I got only 1 volt on both of those. So my trigger passed the ohms tests but failed the voltage according to your specs. unless 1 volt is sufficient enough. What do you think om that. My coils and wires passed resistance tests.
I have a Yamaha 115HP V4 from 1984-1988. Having the same issue, no spark on any cylinder. It seemed like the CDI troubleshooting guide you used in the video was worth the money. Would you say it was helpful? I found their specs documents for free but it looks like you have to pay for the troubleshooting guide. It's a shame I live so far away from you (northwest Washington), none of the mechanics around here want to tackle this issue, just because it's and older motor. I'm going to try replicate what you do in this video and see if it'll help.
Jared Feig ….. the CDI DVA are like you stated free charts and are very useful, however I did not purchase the troubleshooting guide. I am not a professional mechanic but just used a systematic approach to isolate the problem. Good luck with your 115 Yamaha. If you keep digging you will solve it yourself.
having some problem myself with my old engine, is it possible for you to send me the link for that sheet with all the powerbox/trigger/stator values? Much appriciated
I can't attach the documents because they are copywrite protected but if you go to www.cdielectronics.com then click on the Technical Support tab at the top of the page then click on Technical Documents then click on DVA Charts to find the information your looking for. Thanks for watching and commenting. Good luck with your project
I am working on a 1977 85hp Mercury 4cyl. for a friend. I don't have a DVA. It is a red flywheel and the stator is black. When I check the red to red white I get 67.5 ohms. The blue to blue white is 7.46 @ 20k. The yellow wires are loosing insulation where they go into the stator. The trigger is violet to white 750 ohms and brown to white black is 735. Are these readings ok? The stator seem high on one and low on the other. Please write back.
Lee Murphy… make sure your getting the proper resistance reading from the Stator. It might be that your Stator is bad. That’s why you need a DVA adaptor or a meter that reads peak AC voltage to check and see if your delivering the proper voltage to the switchbox from the Stator.
If I disconnect the kill swich connector and it runs, can I run the motor without the killswitch connected until I get the killswich replaced? Thanks so much for this video, I learned a lot.
@kevdmiller5150… it’s a safety issue and is up to you. The kill switch is designed to shut the motor off if you hit something in the water like a log that raises the motor out of the water.
I have a 1975 Merc Outboard 2 stroke four cyl 50hp. It has a Mercury 333-3213A3 ignition switch, which the mechanic said went bad (the boat wouldn't start). I can't find an off-brand (new version replacement) for this. 2 or 3 original styles are available for 450 USD +... i already bought 2 for close to a hundred... Does anybody know if this ignition box only deals with the boat starting? I ask because after one company never shipped me a used replacement, another one did and mechanic installed it. My issue before the replacement was boat wouldnt turn over. Now, with used replacement, boat starts, but its idling really fast (in forward and neutral), and when i give throttle on the controls, boat only goes a touch faster and maxes out just a touch mlre than trolling speed. REALLY SLOW. Feels like I have a 4hp motor insteaf of a 50hp. My mechanic thinks there's something to do with the ignition switch box and timing in the way that the motor is running really bad and revving really high. But I was thinking this ignition box only took care of ignition and not the way the motor runs once the boat is started. I'm now trying to find yet another ignition switch box in case the one that I got in is defective in a different way. Even though my boat is now starting, something is really wrong with it. Plus, oil is dripping from the bottom of my propeller now into a little pail since using the boat for the first time yesterday. If anybody knows I would appreciate any help I can get cuz I buried so much money into this old motor I'm losing my mind. Ps - i can't find a replacement for my model. Thanks for your time!
Start with the basics. Do you have good spark on all 4 cylinders? What is your Compression values on each cylinder? The oil may be coming from unburned fuel out the exhaust. This means you may be lacking spark on 1 or more cylinders. Give it the sniff test and see if the oil smells like fuel if not check your lower unit to see if you have water intrusion if not then back to a missing cylinder. If all that checks out ok then you may have a fuel delivery problem. Carbs, Fuel Pump, Fuel Line, Primer Bulb and make sure you vent your gas tank too.
@@LivetofishOutboardRepair appreciate the reply! Although I understand the items you mentioned, I don't understand how to do most of these tests myself . I had my boat for a month at the mechanic and it's a long story but he said everything it's fine but he thinks I need another ignition switch. I find that weird because the boat seems to fire up no problem, but doesn't go much faster than idling and forward my hunch feels like it's a fuel issue but he claims it's not. So I figured I would ask around on UA-cam if anybody has ever seen the ignition switch box, affect how the motor runs with the throttle
@@mikecorazza the motor should run with the throttle cable disconnected. If you can throttle it up normally with it disconnected then you know something is wrong with the control box or throttle cable. The ignition switch only controls power to the starter. Once the motor is running the stator provides power to the motor.
@LivetofishOutboardRepair appreciate the reply. I'm not a boat mechanic and embarrassingly, I'm not sure where stator is located? It's not in the ignition box on the 1975 merc? I just heard from somebody that the 1975 merc was the only year this was made, and that the ignition switch box was notorious for issues. In any event, since replacing my original ignition box with a used one off Ebay, motor went from not starting at all to motor now starts instantly after turning key, but a) idles super loud, and when I put it in gear (forward), it trolls much faster in fwd gear (pre throttle) than before as well. So you're thinking the ignition box is OK if motor is starting OK? The moment I give throttle, motor only speeds up a tad more, then either does nothing, or bogs down then cuts out. I figured maybe fuel wasn't getting into the system but mechanic checked everything with that, also replaced fuel pump. Where would stator be? Thanks !
@@mikecorazza The stator is located under the flywheel and connects to the switchbox. My video shows how to check peak voltage readings and resistances for the Stator, Trigger and Switchbox. If these values are not within specification will cause running issues or even a no start condition as you have stated. If you now have a good strong spark at each spark plug then I would be looking at your carbs as the problem.
So I was wondering if you ever had a problem getting readings with your DvA. I bought a new DVA and it seems that I don't see any readings of any kind when it's hooked up to my multimeter. When I follow your procedure on my 80 horsepower Mercury I'm going to try another meter. I just hope that it's not my DVA and I have to order another one. The initial problem was instead of no spark on all cylinders. It's only no spark on number one cylinder. All the other ones light up. However, I can't do any direct voltage testing with the meter and DVA that I have
I just watched this vid of testing the stator, trigger, and pack. Do you have a vid showing a stator and trigger you tested and replaced? I am trying to help my nephew get an 1985 75 merc 4-cyl 2-stroke running (no spark at all.) I gifted him the boat and when I put it up (20 yrs ago) she ran fine. We paid a tech to diagnose it to a bad box (I got him a CDI and he replaced, but no change.) He even tried another used CDI box thinking maybe the new one was bad. I had him disconnect both the kill switch and tilt kill switch wires. I am thinking the diagnosis was bad but the guy who supposedly did it owns a large shop and supposedly "is good" -- I don't know him (I'm not local to there) but I am questioning that and wondering if he just tested the box output and not the inputs!! So I think he may have to get into the flywheel and looking for a vid of that just in case they test out bad (I need to get him a DVA.) so he can see what he would be getting into and feel comfortable about it. I'd have no problem but I live a day away. Is there any known issues with Merc flywheels/magnets around that vintage perhaps?
@knan2308…. First thing I would do is disconnect the wires from the Stator and check resistance. Then the do the same for the Trigger. If ok then get the DVA adapter or a good Fluke meter that reads peak AC voltage to see the inputs and outputs. If you pull the flywheel you will need the specific puller and inspect to see if the magnets are strong and not missing or damaged. Also make sure the Woodruff key has not been sheared. Sorry but i don’t have a video on replacing a bad Stator and Trigger at this time. Good luck chasing down your Nephew’s issue. Thanks for watching and sharing your experience.
I've seen magnets that had come off a Mercury flywheel. They're powerful so they transfer on to the stator. Some will remain attached so the flywheel will push the loose magnets round when cranking. It makes quite a rattle but hard to detect. They're very powerful so even when detached are hard to wiggle with your finger tips. A quick check is feel under the flywheel for any magnets touching each other.
Great job explaining this ! I have an issue where im getting spark on all cylinders but it seems like some cylinders are doing more work, i removed the plugs while running and there is one cylinder that it doesnt really affect the motor when plug is out, i test compression and all cylinders are good, coils are also tested to be good, could this possibly be an electrical problems thats not the coils ?
It’s still possible that one of the coils is bad under load even if it checks out with the resistance test. Did you check the switch-box, Stator or trigger outputs for resistance and peak voltage? Process of elimination.
@@LivetofishOutboardRepair im waiting on the dva adapter to test the rest but I switched the coils around and the same cylinder is giving me issues im thinking the coils are good ima do like you said but im thinking the switch box could be it. Thanks !
@@LivetofishOutboardRepair sorry i know I asked a lot of questions but I am kind of stuck, I found that two coils are recieving low voltage at 140 and the other two are borderline in spec at 160, I tested everything according to my manual and everything checked out except the high speed stator wires (red and red-white) read 100ohms and the manual wants it at 56-76, do you think that could be causing the engine to run rough at idle? thanks!
@@omarnazzal2134 I would make sure you don’t have a fuel issue first by cleaning the carb. The idle circuit might be clogged. If your still having problems then revisit the Stator. If you were having problems at high speed then it might be a Stator problem but if your not then it sounds more like a carb problem.
Where is the kill switch wire located on the motor or what color is the wire been trilingual to get parts for mine they say they don't make them nomore
The Killswitch is a salmon wire that leaves from the ignition switch to the switchbox and from the switch box to the tilt/ Killswitch on the motor. You can try getting parts that are hard to find on a Facebook group called Vintage Mercury outboard Fanatics. There’s lots of parts available from people on that group
Great video!!! I have a 1985 Mercury 75 HP. Idles and runs like a top up to 4100 rpm’s then runs rough, spits, sputters etc. when I back off it runs great. Checked everything I could think of concerning fuel but no change. Electrical? Any thoughts?
Bobbyvee20…. Did you remove the carbs and thoroughly clean the carbs. It sounds like you might have a high speed jet plugged or partially plugged. If you have already cleaned the carbs you might want to verify the resistance values for the Coils, Stator and Trigger and if that all checks out ok use a DVA adapter to verify your peak voltage outputs for both the Stator and Trigger as well. If the voltage and resistance outputs check out then you may have a bad switchbox.
@@LivetofishOutboardRepair carb’s thoroughly cleaned. Stator and Trigger resistance good. I need to check the coils and do the DVA adapter tests on the stator and trigger. I didn’t understand how until I came across your video! One question, on the resistance tables, OEM (original equipment manufacturer) and CDI is an aftermarket manufacturer? Thanks for the quick reply!
what if the new trigger has ground .55 or more? how will it ground itself? i have no spark tested trigger and it failed . replaced with a new one and still shows ground on all 4 wires its a 90 hp merk power sport cdi red stator.... help it was running on 2 befor replacement of new trigger .. now nothing.. replaced old trigger and still i have no zero spark.. and dont run at all .. HELP..
I’m not sure about that. You would need to look up the specs for your particular motor. You should be able to find those specs at www.CDIelectronics.com
Is there a way you can attach the pages you used for troubleshooting?? I have a hearing issue, and I have a hard time decerning exactly what you are saying a lot of the time during this video.
I can't attach the documents because they are copywrite protected but if you go to www.cdielectronics.com then click on the Technical Support tab at the top of the page then click on Technical Documents then click on DVA Charts to find the information your looking for. Thanks for watching and commenting. Good luck with your project.
I have a 115 hp mariner 1989. My readings between the stator blue to blue white was 8.50 x 1000 and my manual calls for 6.0 to 7.0 x 1000. Is that too high and i need a new stator? Btw. Great video.
@@LivetofishOutboardRepair I have the flywheel off and wanted to ask before I put it back together and test voltage. So now I will do that and check the switch box as well. Thank you for a quick response. I will let you know what happens.
Walleye Slayer … I found the information by going to www.CDIelectronics.com Click on the Technical Support tab then Technical Support Documents and finally DVA charts. You should be able to find the information you need for your motor. Good luck!
Hi I have the same problem but 2 of the plugs have spark but 2 dount Could it be the stator or the CDI Box.? It ran an I turned it off and and stopped working the trigger I also ok.
Blue - white = 70 v Blue - ground = 120 v Red - blue = 94 v Red - ground 16 v Brown - white 1 v I didn't really understand what was on the paper so can you help 😕
Lazy Games… The numbers you provided above for voltage look low. Did you use a DVA (digital voltage adapter) connected to your volt/ohm meter? You can get the specs on your motor at www.CDIelectronics.com
You might want to check out your switchbox. I have heard that when you change your Stator, you should also replace your switchbox as well. If you didn’t this might be why your Stator is failing so often. It might also explain the low rpm. Are you getting spark on all cylinders?
Houser fishing…true sometimes when the rectifier goes it also affects the Stator too. In this video all the testing pointed to the switchbox and proved to be the case shown in part 2. ua-cam.com/video/ZpauudyAKas/v-deo.html Thanks for watching and commenting.
@japisme2343… The purpose of the DVA adapter is to convert the average voltage reading to peak voltage output. Most top end multimeters are capable of reading peak voltage but lower end meters are not capable.
OK thanks, I have a 1988 Blackman 150 xr4 not sure if I just have foul plugs or what it won't go faster than 6 mph , starts and idols fine but when idols sounds little to Quiet not as loud as it used to be? Any thoughts
Also if I give it full throttle it wants to stall I just back off throttle a bit it runs but won't go faster than 6mph I'm really trying to get back on the river ,
Low Power may indicate that you’re not getting good spark on all cylinders. Check the spark gap by using a variable, adjustable, spark tester. Check compression at all cylinders as well. You may have low compression on one cylinder or more. Could be plug the carburetor or worn out fuel lines, or pump check for fuel leaks where you have fuel leaks you can have air getting in check all fuel fittings as well. If you squeeze the primer bulb while attempting full throttle and the rpm’s increase you most likely have a bad fuel pump.
so where exactly do you get the manual with step by step instructions. It helps if one understands how exactly to use the electrical test tool too! what kind of remote starter switch are you using? can you show it? Not many old timers out there with this kind of patience and diagnostic skills.
Charles Shahan… the information can be obtained at www.CDIelectronics.com You will need to look up your particular model number. Click on the Technical Support then Technical Support Documents then click on DVA charts to find the voltage and resistances for your components. The hand held switch can be purchased on Amazon for under $12. Just type in trigger switch 12v. You should also purchase a service manual at www.marineengine.com for your motor.
@@LivetofishOutboardRepair I got the DVA and made several measurements based from your test. My Mariner 100hp is a 1986. All ohmn tests pass on stator and trigger. Looks to be a trigger issue but not 100%. Stator volt on blue/white was at 180v a bit low compared to the others at 193v. Trigger voltage on the 6v tests all were around 3.0vdc. Making sure it’s supposed to be 6v based on a different year engine. 5 Thanks for the help
Where did you get the technical information for testing the electrical components? I am having a similar issue with a 1981 Mercury 40 hp 2 cyl 2 stroke. How far up into Michigan are you located?
James saylor… you can find the technical information on www.CDIelectronics.com Click on the Technical Support Tab then click the Technical Support Documents, then click DVA Charts to find the information for your motor. I am located in the South East Side of Michigan. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Check out a parts list for your model /serial number on www.marineengine.com then search those part numbers on EBay for your parts. You should be able to find them much cheaper. I found the switchbox for this 45hp Merc for only $45.00.
Prassman… I didn’t test your theory but my understanding is that the DVA adapter allows the meter to read peak voltage and without it you can only read the average volts. Therefore you might not be getting the proper results (on the low side) and believe what your testing is bad when in fact it could be ok. Thanks for watching and commenting.
@@dennaa7322 it may work with more expensive meters but I’m not sure. Mine was fairly inexpensive with limited capabilities and needed the DVA to read peak voltage.
@@LivetofishOutboardRepair wouldn't it be easier for a beginner like me too just see if there is any power coming out of the powerpak and replace it if not?..like how do u fix a powerpak if u do all the stuff u did and found out its defective?
@Scott Dempsey the reason for doing all this diagnostic work is to pinpoint the problem and not just replacing parts randomly. This helped me to target the switchbox as the problem by process of elimination. If the Stator and Trigger were bad I would have replaced them as well but why just throw money away by replacing good parts and seeing if that fixes the problem? Remember a no Spark condition can be caused by many different things. Usually on these old outboards it comes down to the Stator, trigger or switchbox.
Wonder why switchbox failed. Bad coils will damage seitchbox. You dhould replace every coil before sttaching a new switchbox. Otherwise the new switchbox will fail very much the same as the old one.
I suppose the switchbox failed from the owner overheating the motor. I have never heard until now that coils can damage a switchbox. Thanks for watching and commenting.
@LivetofishOutboardRepair I think that coils are very delicate devices. Thoy will not handle vibrations forever. They are very difficult to be tested unless you have a good inductometer available. The secondary winding inside is very easy to be checked with a simple ohmeter and I have never seen any reading too far away from 1,000 ohms. On the other hand I have measured very low inductances (and very low impedances) at 120Hz, which is a frequency close to the maximum rpm which is limited to 6,000. A too low inductance, and impedance, on the primary circuit may overload the limits of any switch box. Two day ago I had the opportunity of measuring a dozen of coils. I found incredibly low values from 0.9 to 0.2 mH while I have read that a good coil may have an inductance as high as 8 mH. I do think that all 12 coils were bad. All these 12 coils were sparking alright because the ratio between primary and secondary was higher than ever. The number of turns of a new coil at the primary might be only 100 or 200 turns of thick wire and more than 20,000 turns of a much thinner wire sit inside at the secondary. A bad coil, an old one having suffered lots of vibrations for too many hours during several years, might get very many turns in shortcircuit at the primary winding. The lower the number of working turns at the primary the higher is the voltage at the secondary, assuming that the switchbox can handle 20 or 30 ampere of current instead of only 5 or 10 amps. Replacement of all coils every so often is.... mandatory, just to avoid the switchboxes to fail. In fact I do think that all coils AND switchboxes should be replaced every 500 hours or every 5 years... just in case! All old bad coils wouldn't avoid the engine to bring us back to the shore at very low rpms, but a single bad coil is able to kill the switchbox, which in turn might overheat the engine up to the point of having to buy a new engine!
@josemariatrueba4568 I've owned my Boston Whaler now for over 20 yrs with the original 115 hp Mercury and have only ever replaced the spark plugs and water pump impeller. I must be very lucky.
I guess you meant 20 years not 20 hrs. Not carbonated calcium deposits nor salt clogged the internal passages? Your poppet valve diaphragm still alive? You are not only lucky, you probably know how to take good care and never overheated your engine. Mine is a Pursuit 2550 with a single 1997 Mercury 135 v6 2.0. It used to have two of them, cw on starboard and ccw on port, but the later got completely destroyed from running a new set of three pairs of carburators because one of the 6 bowls didn't get any gasoline and one cylinder didn't survive running with no oil. The starboard engine has been reinstalled amidship and is powerful enough to get more than 25 knots the 3000 pound hull plus the 200 gallon tank half empty plenty of stuff, a 9.9 hp auxiliary 4 stroke and 6 persons onboard. It gets too hot after a couple of minutes. I'm sure that the passages are full of salt because we the broken engine looks terribly dirty inside. @LivetofishOutboardRepair
@norwajjohnson8726…. Yes it was OK because the meter was set at 20K Ohms scale the value was 6.45K Ohms or 6450 Ohms. The acceptable range was 5K - 7K Ohms (5000 - 7000. Ohms).
@ norwajjohnson8726… Yes the trigger was good having a resistance of 793 Ohms. The spec is 800 - 1400 Ohms. I think my meter might have been off a little because the trigger still worked fine.
Very nice walk through, I’ve seen people just start buying parts and never walk through the check list and it cost them so much money before they figure it out.
I can’t say 100% sure but I’m pretty confident the switch box is bad. I didn’t check each of the coils but i did test the rectifier and that was good. It’s a pretty good bet I found the problem. I’ll know tomorrow. The new switch box arrived tonight.
@@LivetofishOutboardRepair yeah I always start from the plug wires and work backwards but I believe you’re right. I do that because it’s cheaper going that way and the no spark on all cylinders is normally way up the line.
Unsalted Life ... well it’s fixed, it was the switch box after all. Now I have a overheating problem with the same motor even after installing a new water pump impeller. I’m thinking it’s the nylon insert under the powerhead. I’m getting a tell tail stream but it’s weak and coming out super hot. What are your thoughts?
was watching your video. My 85 hp Yamaha would not fire. When you checked the kill switch, I remembered i had broke my kill switch wire when the seat fell on it. I hooked kill switch up. engine started. :)
That would cause it. I'm glad if the video helped.
Great video. For me, it was blue to blue/white on stator. Would crank cold, but when warmed up, would not crank. Would get an ohms resistance reading intermittantly on blue to blue/white. Found this article online for an explanation of why this could happen. I am no expert, but it makes sense. It's like ghosts living in your engine.
From an old post in 2007.
One more thought with regards to the dual winding on a Mercury stator. It would make sense to me also that the main purpose was to give a better, higher amperage charge at lower RPM.
However, when reading posts on a Mercury outboard specific site, one of the first indications of a problem with the lower speed winding is weak spark when cold, but enough that the motor will start. Of course, the motor started so, like me, you'd go off on your merry way and forget about it taking a few more cranks than usual. Once the throttle is down and the RPM increases you've unknowingly switched to the high winding on the stator. Your second clue to a bad low speed side is when the motor is now warm, and you shut it off. The malfunctioning low speed winding is now also warm and has become an open circuit, so the motor won't restart. Sometimes, as in my case, the circuit closes when it cools, allowing the motor to start once again, but giving you an intermittent issue that is by nature hard to diagnose. I got this clue about three times, but was too bull headed to investigate before it finally quit altogether.
So, while I'm sure the low speed winding helps with low RPM charging, it apparently also has the primary role in supplying spark to the motor.
jandrewg posted 05-23-2007 11:47 AM ET (US) Profile for jandrewg Send Email to jandrewg
Chris Forbes…. Thank you for posting that fantastic explanation. I’m sure this will help many people troubleshoot similar ignition problems. Thanks again for watching.
The screenshots I've taken from your videos of how this all goes back together are priceless. Thank you good sir🙏🔥
Watching this, I found myself wanting to be the other hand you needed. GREAT VID,VERY HELPFUL.
Rick Snowden…. 😂 thank you. I could have used a cameraman on this video.
Great work! Just went through this on a Mariner 80. Same readings that you had. Time for a new switch box.
I worked on these since 1970s up until 1990s Salt water corrosion nightmare.
Often had power pack low speed charge coils went bad when hot.
Sone older Mercury had a tilt kill switch with mercury liquid in them hooked to kill wire and a dead man switch in control by box .
The older 6 cylinder had distributor cap with trigger and a belt.
I have a 1990 Yamaha 50 all original electrical ignition .
Nice channel 👍 Thanks
Anything that can be applied to the stator/charge coils to help slow saltwater erosion?
@@FatGuyInALittleCoat1 CRC spray oil .
I always tell people spray entire power head alot with WD-40
In Salt.
Electric stuff also.
Zinc on lower housing above prop is supposed to slow down corrosion under water.
Salt inside block water covers often rotted out engine from inside out.
In 1980s they changed Aluminum to be much much better.
Charge coil is 350vac may be hooked up to a cathode.anode and shock all the fish clams out of bay .
Mercathode was a unit used on Mercruiser out drives to stop electrolysis for drives kept submerged at marinas .
@@Nudnik1thanks! I have some 656 spray I can use on the power head areas like you’re saying. I haven’t used WD-40 in addition to that - makes sense to displace water after use.
@@Nudnik1thanks! I have some 656 spray I can use on the power head areas like you’re saying. I haven’t used WD-40 in addition to that - makes sense to displace water after use.
@@FatGuyInALittleCoat1 salt stays behind even when water evaporates.
Sets up a electrical cell to eat away at metals especially when different metals are combined .
Good luck
Check water pump rubber impeller..
I said that millions of times 😂
Thank You. My switch box and stator were both bad. Sparking like crazy now :)
Hey that’s great if my video helped you diagnose and find your issues. I’m very happy for you if you were able to get your motor running again. Thanks for watching and commenting.
This helped me out alot. I've a 78 50hp merc with the 4 wire stator. Read all pairs good skipped the dva voltages and went directly to cranking voltage reads, found a black box in between the stator and switchbox that read open, so i bypassed it. Couldn't find a drawing or part number on the net. Started right up.
Thank you so much for clear concise information.
Cy Lon… I’m very happy the video helped you out. Try finding your part on www.marineengine.com they have very good drawings and parts listings for your motor. Good luck and thanks for watching and commenting.
You mean the rectifier?
@TheOffCycle ... no the rectifier just charges the battery.
@@LivetofishOutboardRepair yes but it can interrupt the signal on these motors when it goes bad. One of the tests for no spark is removing the yellow leads to it.
@TheOffCycle..... Excellent advice thank you for your knowledge and experience
excellent video, I have a customers 8 hp that drops a cylinder but will come back with a little rev of the throttle, I need to do all theses tests.
This helped, a lot! Thanks for not skipping the small stuff!!
Dominik Zaleski… I really appreciate your kind remarks
I just did all this. My black wire on the trigger didnt make any volts while cranking I’m assuming it’s bad. Very helpful video sir
Great in depth demonstration. Thank you.
Great video I didn't know what it was and to avoid having emotional Damage I just bought everything brand new
Gilfredo Oquendo… Thanks for watching, I just hope you didn’t have to spend to much on all those parts.
Great job on the troubleshooting breakdown, 👍
Nice work .Process of elimination .Very professional. Brilliant.
Crafter … thank you for your kind response and for taking the time to watch.
@@LivetofishOutboardRepair Your very welcome Sir.Always a pleasure to watch a professional at work
Installed Amazon 54$ switch box and it runs perfect now.
That’s awesome! So glad the video helped. Thanks for the feedback and letting us all know.
If you get a chance, or even want to, I got this, no DVA tester, just an old fluke multi-meter;
Testing the Stator;
Rd/wht to Rd : 67.5 ohms
Blu/wht to Blu: 7460 ohms
Rd/wht to Rd; 21.86 volts AC while turning over
Blu/wht to Blu; 253 volts AC while turning over
Trigger wiring;
White to Purple; 846 ohms (while disconnected from switchbox)
Why w/blck to Brown 850 ohms (also disconnected from switchbox)
All connections to ground were "OL" or 0 ohms.
Blue wire on right side to white on left side; 300 volts
Blue on right to ground 136 volts
Red to Blue 112 volts
Red to Ground 25 volts
Since I don't have a "DVA" tester, not sure I can trust my results for the rest of the test...It may be my next purchase.
Thanks for all the help livetofish Outboard Repair!
Very good information everything you needed nothing you didn't
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks so much found out it was trigger now it runs good
Mary fifthen. … that’s awesome. I’m so glad the video helped and gave you some direction. I hope you’re back on the water soon. Thanks for commenting. It’s very much appreciated.
Best explainatiin yet!
Hello, really enjoyed your videos. You provide some of the best detailed videos I’ve watched. I have a 2001 Mercury 125hr with no spark. I just moved from high elevation to lower. I cleaned 4 carbs and replaced the jets. Put all back together and she would not start. I would like to try diagnosis myself and follow your detailed video testing stator, trigger and rectifier/ regulator. I purchased a 12 volt remote starter switch from harbor freight. I have looked online how to connect to my motor but found nothing very educational. Can you do a video on how to install a remote started switch. I am working on this motor by myself. Thank you so much
@kerryaustin4651 … Thank you very much for watching and commenting. I don’t currently have a video installing a key or push-button switch but will work on it.
Thank you for your reply. I am just looking to install a temporary remote start switch so that I can crank the engine while at the outboard instead of constantly crawling in/out of boat. Thanks again
This is what I use. Just connect one alligator clip to the hot side of starter Solinoid and the other to hot lead to the starter. Hope this helps.www.amazon.com/INNOVA-3630-Remote-Starter-Switch/dp/B000EVU8MK/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=XTSJLJNEJZ4G&keywords=starter+bypass+switch&qid=1702850995&sprefix=starter+bypass+%2Caps%2C2043&sr=8-3
Thanks for the great video,
How to get a troubleshooting sheet for a particular brand engine? Also, is the "Trigger" an adjective to describe what happens regarding the Switch Box or a device/part that I somehow am missing?
TheSilverSurfisher…. Great questions. Thanks for posting them. To find your specs for your specific model you should go to www.cdielectronics.com
Then Click on the Technical Support tab, then click Technical Documents, then click DVA charts. This will give you the information you are looking for by year and model number.
The trigger is located under the Stator under the flywheel. It’s function is to provide the correct timing of the motor by using electrical impulses to the switchbox to fire each spark plug at the correct moment.
I hope this helps answer your questions. Thanks again for watching and commenting.
nice vid, l have a 85 50hp, no spark. l will walk through and see if spot a faulty one (stator, trigger or CDI).
I hope you find the issue. Good luck! Thanks for watching and commenting.
Very useful process and informative. I would add at the start (if you haven’t already) to check the plug wires and coils. Pretty simple to test before checking/changing the expensive parts.
Looking for a good blue spark instead of a weak orange spark can help with diagnosis.
The l last time I had a power pack go I had a a sudden quit and no start. Have you experienced an engine that still runs with a bad power pack? Thanks for sharing
@jimdrech …. Thanks for watching and commenting. Your experience is very helpful. I have never seen a motor run with a bad power pack at least not yet.
Personally if the engine has known to have X amount of hrs 9x’s out of 10 it’s going to be the power box. And ya might as well get new coils and plugs. It’s not a lot of money and what the hell .. if your fixin one thing might as well do a overhaul. Last thing anyone wants is to be out on the water and have to get a tow. Thanks for the run down, it’s always good to know the sequence of operations none the less
Can anything else cause a no spark in all plugs scenario?
@mikesolns1364… Yes a bad kill switch or if all the coils were bad or if the wiring harness was rotted.
@@LivetofishOutboardRepair Is it true that a bad regulator/rectifier can burn a power pack? Thanks, I appreciate it
@@mikesolns1364 ….from my understanding the rectifier just charges the battery but a faulty Stator can cause a power pack to go bad.
@@LivetofishOutboardRepair I ask because I think my rectifier is faulty, my tach goes crazy most of the time, and had no sparks in all plugs, changed the power box, and the engined fired back up, to be without sparks again some weeks later. Was wondering if the rectifier could have burned it? Do you know how can a stator burn it?
Thank you
that Crider was a Dirt Dobber nest. FYI:)
Thanks for clarifying. I’ll keep my eyes open for those critters in the future. Thanks for tuning in and commenting.
great tutorial sir. I have the exact same engine. I tested my trigger to your specks same as you did. Cranking with the DVA hooked up you got 6v or more. Mine only puts out 1v. Is that low enough to assume that it needs to be replaced you think. Engine is lacking power at higher RPM's. Thanks for any info that you pass along.
Anthony sloan … it depends on which wires on the trigger you are testing. The purple, white, brown and white/black wires when checking to engine ground should be 1v or more. Checking purple to white and brown to White/black wires should produce 4v or higher. If your trigger is producing these values then you might want to look at checking the Stator. Do you have strong spark on all cylinders or only spark on some cylinders? If one or more cylinders lack spark then it could be bad coils, SP wires or a bad switchbox.
@@LivetofishOutboardRepair I checked the stator exactly the way you showed and I actually got better numbers than you got so it should be fine. The switchbox is new. On my trigger test exactly as you explained on the DVA cranking voltage test of purple to white and brown to black and white you got a little over 6 volts on both. I got only 1 volt on both of those. So my trigger passed the ohms tests but failed the voltage according to your specs. unless 1 volt is sufficient enough. What do you think om that. My coils and wires passed resistance tests.
Anthony Sloan… If the voltage is showing only one volt and it needs four or more then I would say the trigger failed the test and needs replaced.
I have a Yamaha 115HP V4 from 1984-1988. Having the same issue, no spark on any cylinder. It seemed like the CDI troubleshooting guide you used in the video was worth the money. Would you say it was helpful? I found their specs documents for free but it looks like you have to pay for the troubleshooting guide. It's a shame I live so far away from you (northwest Washington), none of the mechanics around here want to tackle this issue, just because it's and older motor. I'm going to try replicate what you do in this video and see if it'll help.
Jared Feig ….. the CDI DVA are like you stated free charts and are very useful, however I did not purchase the troubleshooting guide. I am not a professional mechanic but just used a systematic approach to isolate the problem. Good luck with your 115 Yamaha. If you keep digging you will solve it yourself.
having some problem myself with my old engine, is it possible for you to send me the link for that sheet with all the powerbox/trigger/stator values? Much appriciated
I can't attach the documents because they are copywrite protected but if you go to www.cdielectronics.com then click on the Technical Support tab at the top of the page then click on Technical Documents then click on DVA Charts to find the information your looking for. Thanks for watching and commenting. Good luck with your project
I forgot to say but it has a new switchbox and no spark at all.
If the trigger readings aren’t in spec would it make the switch box not read correctly?
@nathanhuckabee8015… Yes that is my understanding. If the Peak Voltage or Resistance readings are out of spec replace it.
I am working on a 1977 85hp Mercury 4cyl. for a friend. I don't have a DVA. It is a red flywheel and the stator is black. When I check the red to red white I get 67.5 ohms. The blue to blue white is 7.46 @ 20k. The yellow wires are loosing insulation where they go into the stator. The trigger is violet to white 750 ohms and brown to white black is 735. Are these readings ok? The stator seem high on one and low on the other. Please write back.
Lee Murphy… make sure your getting the proper resistance reading from the Stator. It might be that your Stator is bad. That’s why you need a DVA adaptor or a meter that reads peak AC voltage to check and see if your delivering the proper voltage to the switchbox from the Stator.
If I disconnect the kill swich connector and it runs, can I run the motor without the killswitch connected until I get the killswich replaced? Thanks so much for this video, I learned a lot.
@kevdmiller5150… it’s a safety issue and is up to you. The kill switch is designed to shut the motor off if you hit something in the water like a log that raises the motor out of the water.
I have a 1975 Merc Outboard 2 stroke four cyl 50hp. It has a Mercury 333-3213A3 ignition switch, which the mechanic said went bad (the boat wouldn't start). I can't find an off-brand (new version replacement) for this. 2 or 3 original styles are available for 450 USD +... i already bought 2 for close to a hundred... Does anybody know if this ignition box only deals with the boat starting? I ask because after one company never shipped me a used replacement, another one did and mechanic installed it. My issue before the replacement was boat wouldnt turn over. Now, with used replacement, boat starts, but its idling really fast (in forward and neutral), and when i give throttle on the controls, boat only goes a touch faster and maxes out just a touch mlre than trolling speed. REALLY SLOW. Feels like I have a 4hp motor insteaf of a 50hp. My mechanic thinks there's something to do with the ignition switch box and timing in the way that the motor is running really bad and revving really high. But I was thinking this ignition box only took care of ignition and not the way the motor runs once the boat is started. I'm now trying to find yet another ignition switch box in case the one that I got in is defective in a different way. Even though my boat is now starting, something is really wrong with it. Plus, oil is dripping from the bottom of my propeller now into a little pail since using the boat for the first time yesterday. If anybody knows I would appreciate any help I can get cuz I buried so much money into this old motor I'm losing my mind. Ps - i can't find a replacement for my model. Thanks for your time!
Start with the basics. Do you have good spark on all 4 cylinders? What is your Compression values on each cylinder? The oil may be coming from unburned fuel out the exhaust. This means you may be lacking spark on 1 or more cylinders. Give it the sniff test and see if the oil smells like fuel if not check your lower unit to see if you have water intrusion if not then back to a missing cylinder. If all that checks out ok then you may have a fuel delivery problem. Carbs, Fuel Pump, Fuel Line, Primer Bulb and make sure you vent your gas tank too.
@@LivetofishOutboardRepair appreciate the reply! Although I understand the items you mentioned, I don't understand how to do most of these tests myself . I had my boat for a month at the mechanic and it's a long story but he said everything it's fine but he thinks I need another ignition switch. I find that weird because the boat seems to fire up no problem, but doesn't go much faster than idling and forward my hunch feels like it's a fuel issue but he claims it's not. So I figured I would ask around on UA-cam if anybody has ever seen the ignition switch box, affect how the motor runs with the throttle
@@mikecorazza the motor should run with the throttle cable disconnected. If you can throttle it up normally with it disconnected then you know something is wrong with the control box or throttle cable. The ignition switch only controls power to the starter. Once the motor is running the stator provides power to the motor.
@LivetofishOutboardRepair appreciate the reply. I'm not a boat mechanic and embarrassingly, I'm not sure where stator is located? It's not in the ignition box on the 1975 merc? I just heard from somebody that the 1975 merc was the only year this was made, and that the ignition switch box was notorious for issues. In any event, since replacing my original ignition box with a used one off Ebay, motor went from not starting at all to motor now starts instantly after turning key, but a) idles super loud, and when I put it in gear (forward), it trolls much faster in fwd gear (pre throttle) than before as well. So you're thinking the ignition box is OK if motor is starting OK? The moment I give throttle, motor only speeds up a tad more, then either does nothing, or bogs down then cuts out. I figured maybe fuel wasn't getting into the system but mechanic checked everything with that, also replaced fuel pump. Where would stator be? Thanks !
@@mikecorazza The stator is located under the flywheel and connects to the switchbox. My video shows how to check peak voltage readings and resistances for the Stator, Trigger and Switchbox. If these values are not within specification will cause running issues or even a no start condition as you have stated. If you now have a good strong spark at each spark plug then I would be looking at your carbs as the problem.
So I was wondering if you ever had a problem getting readings with your DvA. I bought a new DVA and it seems that I don't see any readings of any kind when it's hooked up to my multimeter. When I follow your procedure on my 80 horsepower Mercury I'm going to try another meter. I just hope that it's not my DVA and I have to order another one. The initial problem was instead of no spark on all cylinders. It's only no spark on number one cylinder. All the other ones light up. However, I can't do any direct voltage testing with the meter and DVA that I have
I've had no problems getting voltage readings from my DVA adapter. Some Meters may not be compatible or capable of reading peak voltage.
Make sure your Digital MultiMeter is set to read DC Volts not AC Volts.
I just watched this vid of testing the stator, trigger, and pack. Do you have a vid showing a stator and trigger you tested and replaced? I am trying to help my nephew get an 1985 75 merc 4-cyl 2-stroke running (no spark at all.) I gifted him the boat and when I put it up (20 yrs ago) she ran fine. We paid a tech to diagnose it to a bad box (I got him a CDI and he replaced, but no change.) He even tried another used CDI box thinking maybe the new one was bad. I had him disconnect both the kill switch and tilt kill switch wires. I am thinking the diagnosis was bad but the guy who supposedly did it owns a large shop and supposedly "is good" -- I don't know him (I'm not local to there) but I am questioning that and wondering if he just tested the box output and not the inputs!! So I think he may have to get into the flywheel and looking for a vid of that just in case they test out bad (I need to get him a DVA.) so he can see what he would be getting into and feel comfortable about it. I'd have no problem but I live a day away.
Is there any known issues with Merc flywheels/magnets around that vintage perhaps?
@knan2308…. First thing I would do is disconnect the wires from the Stator and check resistance. Then the do the same for the Trigger. If ok then get the DVA adapter or a good Fluke meter that reads peak AC voltage to see the inputs and outputs. If you pull the flywheel you will need the specific puller and inspect to see if the magnets are strong and not missing or damaged. Also make sure the Woodruff key has not been sheared. Sorry but i don’t have a video on replacing a bad Stator and Trigger at this time. Good luck chasing down your Nephew’s issue. Thanks for watching and sharing your experience.
I've seen magnets that had come off a Mercury flywheel. They're powerful so they transfer on to the stator. Some will remain attached so the flywheel will push the loose magnets round when cranking. It makes quite a rattle but hard to detect. They're very powerful so even when detached are hard to wiggle with your finger tips. A quick check is feel under the flywheel for any magnets touching each other.
@daithiosioradain3380 ....So true. Thanks for watching and commenting
Great job explaining this ! I have an issue where im getting spark on all cylinders but it seems like some cylinders are doing more work, i removed the plugs while running and there is one cylinder that it doesnt really affect the motor when plug is out, i test compression and all cylinders are good, coils are also tested to be good, could this possibly be an electrical problems thats not the coils ?
It’s still possible that one of the coils is bad under load even if it checks out with the resistance test. Did you check the switch-box, Stator or trigger outputs for resistance and peak voltage? Process of elimination.
@@LivetofishOutboardRepair im waiting on the dva adapter to test the rest but I switched the coils around and the same cylinder is giving me issues im thinking the coils are good ima do like you said but im thinking the switch box could be it. Thanks !
It sounds like your on the right track by diagnosing before just buying parts for trial and error. Keep looking and you’ll find the problem(s).
@@LivetofishOutboardRepair sorry i know I asked a lot of questions but I am kind of stuck, I found that two coils are recieving low voltage at 140 and the other two are borderline in spec at 160, I tested everything according to my manual and everything checked out except the high speed stator wires (red and red-white) read 100ohms and the manual wants it at 56-76, do you think that could be causing the engine to run rough at idle? thanks!
@@omarnazzal2134 I would make sure you don’t have a fuel issue first by cleaning the carb. The idle circuit might be clogged. If your still having problems then revisit the Stator. If you were having problems at high speed then it might be a Stator problem but if your not then it sounds more like a carb problem.
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Dominik Zaleski …. Thank you so much for your donation.
Where is the kill switch wire located on the motor or what color is the wire been trilingual to get parts for mine they say they don't make them nomore
The Killswitch is a salmon wire that leaves from the ignition switch to the switchbox and from the switch box to the tilt/ Killswitch on the motor. You can try getting parts that are hard to find on a Facebook group called Vintage Mercury outboard Fanatics. There’s lots of parts available from people on that group
Great video!!! I have a 1985 Mercury 75 HP. Idles and runs like a top up to 4100 rpm’s then runs rough, spits, sputters etc. when I back off it runs great. Checked everything I could think of concerning fuel but no change. Electrical? Any thoughts?
And I sure hope it’s not the reeds………..
Bobbyvee20…. Did you remove the carbs and thoroughly clean the carbs. It sounds like you might have a high speed jet plugged or partially plugged. If you have already cleaned the carbs you might want to verify the resistance values for the Coils, Stator and Trigger and if that all checks out ok use a DVA adapter to verify your peak voltage outputs for both the Stator and Trigger as well. If the voltage and resistance outputs check out then you may have a bad switchbox.
@@LivetofishOutboardRepair carb’s thoroughly cleaned. Stator and Trigger resistance good. I need to check the coils and do the DVA adapter tests on the stator and trigger. I didn’t understand how until I came across your video! One question, on the resistance tables, OEM (original equipment manufacturer) and CDI is an aftermarket manufacturer?
Thanks for the quick reply!
@@bobbyvee2043 you are correct CDI is aftermarket.
@@LivetofishOutboardRepair Thank You!
what if the new trigger has ground .55 or more? how will it ground itself? i have no spark tested trigger and it failed . replaced with a new one and still shows ground on all 4 wires its a 90 hp merk power sport cdi red stator.... help it was running on 2 befor replacement of new trigger .. now nothing.. replaced old trigger and still i have no zero spark.. and dont run at all .. HELP..
Steve Damico…. Make sure your Stator has the proper resistance as well. It’s your Stator that acts like an alternator and produces the AC current.
Would those numbers work on a larger 150?
I’m not sure about that. You would need to look up the specs for your particular motor. You should be able to find those specs at www.CDIelectronics.com
Is there a way you can attach the pages you used for troubleshooting?? I have a hearing issue, and I have a hard time decerning exactly what you are saying a lot of the time during this video.
I can't attach the documents because they are copywrite protected but if you go to www.cdielectronics.com then click on the Technical Support tab at the top of the page then click on Technical Documents then click on DVA Charts to find the information your looking for. Thanks for watching and commenting. Good luck with your project.
@@LivetofishOutboardRepair
Than You Sir!
I have a 115 hp mariner 1989. My readings between the stator blue to blue white was 8.50 x 1000 and my manual calls for 6.0 to 7.0 x 1000. Is that too high and i need a new stator? Btw. Great video.
I think that resistance is OK but check the peak voltage outputs as well.
@@LivetofishOutboardRepair I have the flywheel off and wanted to ask before I put it back together and test voltage. So now I will do that and check the switch box as well. Thank you for a quick response. I will let you know what happens.
Where did you find the specifications for your engine? I can’t seems to find anything for mine.
Walleye Slayer … I found the information by going to www.CDIelectronics.com
Click on the Technical Support tab then Technical Support Documents and finally DVA charts. You should be able to find the information you need for your motor. Good luck!
Hi I have the same problem but 2 of the plugs have spark but 2 dount Could it be the stator or the CDI Box.? It ran an I turned it off and and stopped working the trigger I also ok.
Blue - white = 70 v
Blue - ground = 120 v
Red - blue = 94 v
Red - ground 16 v
Brown - white 1 v
I didn't really understand what was on the paper so can you help 😕
Lazy Games… The numbers you provided above for voltage look low. Did you use a DVA (digital voltage adapter) connected to your volt/ohm meter? You can get the specs on your motor at www.CDIelectronics.com
I need one of these for a 1970 110 9.8!
I keep having a problem losing stators and engine won't rev over 3k rpm under load
You might want to check out your switchbox. I have heard that when you change your Stator, you should also replace your switchbox as well. If you didn’t this might be why your Stator is failing so often. It might also explain the low rpm. Are you getting spark on all cylinders?
Rectifier and then switchbox in my experience are the first to fail
Houser fishing…true sometimes when the rectifier goes it also affects the Stator too. In this video all the testing pointed to the switchbox and proved to be the case shown in part 2. ua-cam.com/video/ZpauudyAKas/v-deo.html
Thanks for watching and commenting.
What does that adapter to the meter do?
@japisme2343… The purpose of the DVA adapter is to convert the average voltage reading to peak voltage output. Most top end multimeters are capable of reading peak voltage but lower end meters are not capable.
Now if I omhed my stator like you said should have 5000 to 6000 ohmes I have 4000 would that be a problem
I would not assume it’s bad with that high resistance. I would confirm it using a DVA adapter measuring the peak voltage output of the stater.
OK thanks, I have a 1988 Blackman 150 xr4 not sure if I just have foul plugs or what it won't go faster than 6 mph , starts and idols fine but when idols sounds little to Quiet not as loud as it used to be? Any thoughts
Also if I give it full throttle it wants to stall I just back off throttle a bit it runs but won't go faster than 6mph I'm really trying to get back on the river ,
Low Power may indicate that you’re not getting good spark on all cylinders. Check the spark gap by using a variable, adjustable, spark tester. Check compression at all cylinders as well. You may have low compression on one cylinder or more. Could be plug the carburetor or worn out fuel lines, or pump check for fuel leaks where you have fuel leaks you can have air getting in check all fuel fittings as well. If you squeeze the primer bulb while attempting full throttle and the rpm’s increase you most likely have a bad fuel pump.
Is there any way to test the switch boxes
so where exactly do you get the manual with step by step instructions. It helps if one understands how exactly to use the electrical test tool too! what kind of remote starter switch are you using? can you show it? Not many old timers out there with this kind of patience and diagnostic skills.
Charles Shahan… the information can be obtained at www.CDIelectronics.com
You will need to look up your particular model number. Click on the Technical Support then Technical Support Documents then click on DVA charts to find the voltage and resistances for your components. The hand held switch can be purchased on Amazon for under $12. Just type in trigger switch 12v. You should also purchase a service manual at www.marineengine.com for your motor.
Great video. Can the test for checking voltage been done without the DVA adapter? Or will the readings be different?
You must use a DVA adapter to get peak voltage otherwise theVoltmeter will just average the number and you’ll never know if your component is in spec
@@LivetofishOutboardRepair ok thank you
@@LivetofishOutboardRepair I got the DVA and made several measurements based from your test. My Mariner 100hp is a 1986. All ohmn tests pass on stator and trigger. Looks to be a trigger issue but not 100%.
Stator volt on blue/white was at 180v a bit low compared to the others at 193v.
Trigger voltage on the 6v tests all were around 3.0vdc.
Making sure it’s supposed to be 6v based on a different year engine.
5
Thanks for the help
Im working on a 50 hp 4 cylinder classis fifty
Where are you from what state? I wish i could get you to work on my motor 89 Mercury 50hp 2 stroke
Thanks I live in Michigan.
Where did you get the technical information for testing the electrical components? I am having a similar issue with a 1981 Mercury 40 hp 2 cyl 2 stroke. How far up into Michigan are you located?
James saylor… you can find the technical information on www.CDIelectronics.com
Click on the Technical Support Tab then click the Technical Support Documents, then click DVA Charts to find the information for your motor.
I am located in the South East Side of Michigan. Thanks for watching and commenting.
How much is the stator and switch box need to locate them
Check out a parts list for your model /serial number on www.marineengine.com then search those part numbers on EBay for your parts. You should be able to find them much cheaper. I found the switchbox for this 45hp Merc for only $45.00.
Have nothing on the stator Blu and blue white no reading on those 2wires
@@brianpelcher3198 It sounds like you found your problem.
The problem I'm having is can't find parts for the classic fifty nowhere needing a stator
@@brianpelcher3198 Try joining a Facebook group called Vintage Mercury Outboard Fanatics. There are people who might have the parts you need.
May I ask, what is that manual you are screencapping? I have a similar aged merc and would kill for a decent shop manual.
Tuomas… I purchased a Solec Manual from www.marineengine.com but the screen shots are found at www.cdielectronics.com
When i check white to ground and crank i get nothing
Mary fifthen …. If you are checking white to ground peak voltage using a DVA for the trigger it should be 1 volt or more.
@@LivetofishOutboardRepair wile you are cranking? White wire connected or not
Yes connected, while you are cranking white wire to ground. 1 V or greater.
The other vidoes give me the option to download but not this one.
I don't know why not. Maybe somethings wrong on UA-cam
You can just set your multimeter to AC volts instead of using the adapter.
Prassman… I didn’t test your theory but my understanding is that the DVA adapter allows the meter to read peak voltage and without it you can only read the average volts. Therefore you might not be getting the proper results (on the low side) and believe what your testing is bad when in fact it could be ok. Thanks for watching and commenting.
On some multimeters there are a max setting. Thatll work right?
@@dennaa7322 it may work with more expensive meters but I’m not sure. Mine was fairly inexpensive with limited capabilities and needed the DVA to read peak voltage.
@@LivetofishOutboardRepair😅😊
Just wondered was yours a 15/16" socket on the flywood nut?
Sorry I can’t remember. I sold that motor for parts for the owner since it had scored cylinders.
Bro whistles when he talks
Where r u at
Suburb of Detroit
Clear as mud,,lol
Sorry if it’s unclear. Hopefully you’ll find a solution. Good luck and thanks for watching and commenting.
@@LivetofishOutboardRepair wouldn't it be easier for a beginner like me too just see if there is any power coming out of the powerpak and replace it if not?..like how do u fix a powerpak if u do all the stuff u did and found out its defective?
@Scott Dempsey the reason for doing all this diagnostic work is to pinpoint the problem and not just replacing parts randomly. This helped me to target the switchbox as the problem by process of elimination. If the Stator and Trigger were bad I would have replaced them as well but why just throw money away by replacing good parts and seeing if that fixes the problem? Remember a no Spark condition can be caused by many different things. Usually on these old outboards it comes down to the Stator, trigger or switchbox.
Wonder why switchbox failed.
Bad coils will damage seitchbox. You dhould replace every coil before sttaching a new switchbox. Otherwise the new switchbox will fail very much the same as the old one.
I suppose the switchbox failed from the owner overheating the motor. I have never heard until now that coils can damage a switchbox. Thanks for watching and commenting.
@LivetofishOutboardRepair
I think that coils are very delicate devices.
Thoy will not handle vibrations forever.
They are very difficult to be tested unless you have a good inductometer available.
The secondary winding inside is very easy to be checked with a simple ohmeter and I have never seen any reading too far away from 1,000 ohms.
On the other hand I have measured very low inductances (and very low impedances) at 120Hz, which is a frequency close to the maximum rpm which is limited to 6,000.
A too low inductance, and impedance, on the primary circuit may overload the limits of any switch box.
Two day ago I had the opportunity of measuring a dozen of coils. I found incredibly low values from 0.9 to 0.2 mH while I have read that a good coil may have an inductance as high as 8 mH.
I do think that all 12 coils were bad.
All these 12 coils were sparking alright because the ratio between primary and secondary was higher than ever.
The number of turns of a new coil at the primary might be only 100 or 200 turns of thick wire and more than 20,000 turns of a much thinner wire sit inside at the secondary.
A bad coil, an old one having suffered lots of vibrations for too many hours during several years, might get very many turns in shortcircuit at the primary winding.
The lower the number of working turns at the primary the higher is the voltage at the secondary, assuming that the switchbox can handle 20 or 30 ampere of current instead of only 5 or 10 amps.
Replacement of all coils every so often is.... mandatory, just to avoid the switchboxes to fail.
In fact I do think that all coils AND switchboxes should be replaced every 500 hours or every 5 years... just in case!
All old bad coils wouldn't avoid the engine to bring us back to the shore at very low rpms, but a single bad coil is able to kill the switchbox, which in turn might overheat the engine up to the point of having to buy a new engine!
@josemariatrueba4568 I've owned my Boston Whaler now for over 20 yrs with the original 115 hp Mercury and have only ever replaced the spark plugs and water pump impeller. I must be very lucky.
I guess you meant 20 years not 20 hrs.
Not carbonated calcium deposits nor salt clogged the internal passages?
Your poppet valve diaphragm still alive?
You are not only lucky, you probably know how to take good care and never overheated your engine.
Mine is a Pursuit 2550 with a single 1997 Mercury 135 v6 2.0.
It used to have two of them, cw on starboard and ccw on port, but the later got completely destroyed from running a new set of three pairs of carburators because one of the 6 bowls didn't get any gasoline and one cylinder didn't survive running with no oil.
The starboard engine has been reinstalled amidship and is powerful enough to get more than 25 knots the 3000 pound hull plus the 200 gallon tank half empty plenty of stuff, a 9.9 hp auxiliary 4 stroke and 6 persons onboard.
It gets too hot after a couple of minutes. I'm sure that the passages are full of salt because we the broken engine looks terribly dirty inside.
@LivetofishOutboardRepair
Why not just throw parts at it LOL
😂
excuse me (stator) ,blue /blue white 6.45 ?? value ok ? or not??
@norwajjohnson8726…. Yes it was OK because the meter was set at 20K Ohms scale the value was 6.45K Ohms or 6450 Ohms. The acceptable range was 5K - 7K Ohms (5000 - 7000. Ohms).
@@LivetofishOutboardRepair thank you very much you have been very kind🙂👌
trigger ok value 793 ? or not ?🙄
@ norwajjohnson8726… Yes the trigger was good having a resistance of 793 Ohms. The spec is 800 - 1400 Ohms. I think my meter might have been off a little because the trigger still worked fine.
Scale was set at 20K