Starter turns, won't start, and a whole range of other questions ...

You should check to see if you have voltage feeding your ignition coil,There should be voltage at the coil with the key in the run position. If you have voltage feeding the coil and no spark then it is a bad coil but if you find there is no voltage then there a problem up stream.Making sure you have voltage at the coil will tell you where to look next.
 
For some reason I don't have any reading on neither coil. My meter is good since I do have readings on other places, such as from the solenoids right up top to the port side of the distributor caps.

The coil bracket is all the way to the back. Is there any tip in removing them? Right now I'm planning to just jump the cables across to test the good coil instead.

Thanks again
 
Never mind. I was looking at the wrong screw. Hehehe.

Man i really wanna pull the engine out to do a clean up job :).
 
Ok, I got some updates, not so promising though.

- I tested bare wires (remove off of the coils) going in the coils (both sides): both read 13-14V +
- but when wires still connected, nothing. I did try touching the test probes at various places: the nuts, the coils' studs, and the wire rings.
- I swapped the coils: working stbd coil still doesn't have spark on port engine. Port coil works on stbd engine. So both coils work. I also test the cables using continuity test. I even swapped the stbd cable over just to make sure. Still no spark at coil. Just to make sure my tester still works: it generates sparks when hooked up on stbd engine coil.
- Again, i know I should focus on the spark problem first, but the fuel pump does not run when cranking. Fuel injectors don't spray fuel down.
- the boat is plugged in at home now so batteries are on chargers. But stbd starting battery is a 2008 Amg marine. Port side is hooked up to a new deep cycle (14 months old), 750 cranking rating. If that matters.

I ran out things to check now :)
 
Ok just to sum things up some. You don't have power to the coil correct? You also have no power to the fuel pump, correct? Have you tested the battery that starts and powers that engine? I'm not asking if it's new or not, have you tested it? Next, have you got a safety interrupter on you shifter? Shift the engine into gear then back to neutral, give it a wiggle while turning the key. That switch will shut all power to the motor if it's tripped. Also my old engines have a breaker at the location where the wiring harness plugs into the engine. See if that has tripped.

just my thought here, you need to find the power issue. Once you do that then I will bet you everything else will fall in line. The pump is electric and the coil needs power to fire. If the battery is good and up to full power, check the connections at the battery.
 
Well, I think I do have power to both. As mentioned above, when testing the 2 wires going to the coils directly (meaning remove the wires off of the coils to test), it shows about 14V on both sides. But when connected, none of them show any reading. So I assume both act similarly & normally, as far as getting the power to the coils.

i unplugged the power connection to the battery on port engine and crank: verified that the fuel pump does get turned on in cranking mode as well. It's probably too loud I couldn't hear it running before. But no fuel sprayed at the fuel injections.

Batteries: actually the 2008 amg is dead and is currently not set as any cranking (probably house then, right? It's on the #2 switch). I tested both the other 2 interstate deep cycle, yielding 13-14V. I swapped the battery connections: both batteries can start the stbd ok. None would the port engine.
 
What do I look for? I shifted in gear then back to neutral a couple of times.
 
when I do that it stops cranking. Shifting back to neutral would let me crank again. So that's functional, right?I'm just stunned that I don't have any reading off of the coils, neither one.
 
Have you pulled the main wire harness plug apart and make sure there is no corrosion or broken wires ?
 
From the coil the Purple wire comes from starter solenoid and the gray wire gets ground threw the shift interupter. Work you way back from the coil till you find power and or ground .
 
Excellent point about the wiring harness connector. A fellow dock mate had this problem last spring. After countless hours of diagnostic time, he cut off both ends and butt-spliced all the wires together and covered them with heat shrinks. Problem solved.
 
I think I found the problem. I swapped the sensor assembly (distributor) over and it sparks, fuel sprayed. I'm getting an extension to my water hose from HD real quick and try to start it. :)

As mentioned before, this sensor is different from the stbd side. I think it's got replaced before. I saw one piece of silicon fell out from under side of the circuit board, which suppose to connect the two little circuits together or something. Hahaha.
 
YEAH IT STARTS!!! :). Much thanks to everyone to help me for the FIRST EVER job auto/boat engine related. More to come for sure :)Now on the other stuffs. I plan to work on the outdrives and trim switches, then change engine oil & filters.
 
I'm glad you got it worked out congrats
 
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