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No Spark

tcmers

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"I've got a spark problem

"I've got a spark problem with my 77 Volvo 225e. (GM 305) The boat has been running fine, and starting easily. I started it the other day, and it ran for a couple seconds then stopped, as if the key had been switched off. As I started troubleshooting, I found no spark at the plugs or from the coil. It cranks easily, and I am getting fuel. Here is what I have done:

New cap, points, rotor, condensor(tried two new condensors), coil(X2), plugs, wire from coil to cap.

I have 6 volts from ground to thepositive side of the coil with the key on. (runs through resistor)
I have 6 volts across the coil with the key on.
I have a good ground to the condensor and points. The voltage from the coil to these check at 6 volts.

With the key in the run position, I can open the points by hand and get no spark.
I've run a direct wire from the battery to positive side of coil with no results.

Any suggestions on where to go next?
There is a Bosch relay on a smallbracket attached to the coil bracket. I've been unable to trace where the wires go. Any idea what this is? Thanks in advance for any help."
 
"Run a wire from the + of

"Run a wire from the + of the battery to the + of the coil, then try to start the engine. If it starts, you probably have a defective ignition switch or the neutral safety switch (if installed) may be acting-up.

If it still does not work, we will try something else."
 
"Does your coil have 1.5 or 3

"Does your coil have 1.5 or 3 ohm resistance? If 3 ohm or more, you should not run it with an external resistor."
 
"Verify that the purple wire &

"Verify that the purple wire (ignition) goes to the + of the coil and the grey (tachometer) goes to the -. Then, make sure that one side of the points is connected to the (-) of the coil, and that ther other side is well grounded."
 
Another question: is the rotor

Another question: is the rotor touching well the middle graphite contact in the cap?
 
"Thanks for the input. The co

"Thanks for the input. The coil has 1.5 ohm resistance, and is marked "use with external resistor". I'll recheck the wiring at the coil. There is no purple wire. Perhaps it was rewired? I have black, grey and red. The red wire is powered (positive) when the key is on."
 
"Yes the rotor seems to be mak

"Yes the rotor seems to be making good contact. Going out to check the wiring now.
Another question: When I ran power directly to the coil, the engin kept cranking even after I shut the key off. I had to pull the wire to get it to stop. Is that normal?"
 
"Yes the rotor seems to be mak

"Yes the rotor seems to be making good contact. Going out to check the wiring now.
Another question: When I ran power directly to the coil, the engine kept cranking even after I shut the key off. I had to pull the wire to get it to stop. Is that normal?"
 
"It depends on the installatio

"It depends on the installation. If you have a ballast resistor, then there is usually a wire going from the starting solenoind to the (+) of the coil, in which case the starter will also crank if you hotwire the + of the coil. Sorry, I should have warned you of that.

Here is something else you can do. Disconnect the middle lead from the rotor (the one that comes from the coil), place it close to ground, and crank the engine. If you see sparks, then the problem could be the rotor or the cap. If you don't see sparks, then the problem could be the points or the coil.

Once you solve the problem, I recommend that you should consider upgrading to Pertronix electronic ignition."
 
Another question: is your engi

Another question: is your engine well-grounded to the (-) of the battery?
 
"I'll pull the bolt with t

"I'll pull the bolt with the ground wire from the block and clean the connection. I'll clean the connection at the battery as well, and give it a try. I've tried checking the wire directly from the coil. No spark. I've since replaced the coil and points with the same result. I've tried replacing the condensor with two new ones just to be sure I didn't get a bad one. I'll go clean all of the connections, and see what happens. Thanks for you help."
 
"Does the distributor shaft ro

"Does the distributor shaft rotate?
Disconnect the grey tach wire from the coil. If tach is shortened out, no spark."
 
"I recall time ago seeing a pr

"I recall time ago seeing a problem very similar to yours on a friend's boat (coincidentally on an AQ225 as well) that drove us nuts for a few days. The end result was that the rotor and the cap were not compatible, and the rotor would end not touching the center graphite contact. I don't know whether or not this is the case, and that is why I suggested to remove the center lead, place it close to ground (about 1/4") and try for spark while cranking the engine."
 
I see you tried all the obviou

I see you tried all the obvious changes but have you checked the coil to distributer wire to ensure that it is good? Not the wire running to the condenser but the actual coil wire?
 
"Yes, I've tried checking

"Yes, I've tried checking and replacing the coil wire. I'm throwing in the towel. It goes in to the shop tomorrow. Thanks for all of the help."
 
"Sorry you did not find a solu

"Sorry you did not find a solution to your problem. We must be overlooking something realy simple, as there is no rocket science here and I think we have covered all the basics. Can you borrow a used distributor from a marine shop and try again? Failing that, you may want to try a new set of points, it will be cheaper than taking it to the shop. Also, I'm sure you must have checked that your distributor is not 180º off and sparking happening between the end of the exhaust and the beginning of the intake cycles."
 
"If Your engine keeps cranking

"If Your engine keeps cranking when You put 12Volts on the coil, Your starter is either wrongly connected or the starter solenoid is defective!
Disconnect the wire going from the starter to the coil, and run as test a seperate 12 volt to the resistor/coil. If it starts, do NOT run long vith charge voltage 14Volts direct at the coil!"
 
"I'm sure that the distrib

"I'm sure that the distributor is not 180 off. The boat has been running and in use all summer, and the distributor hasn't been out. I agree that this should be an easy one to fix. I'm sure there is something simple that I have overlooked. However, I've had enough. lol Dropped it off at the marina this morning. Have vacation plans at towards the end of August. Don't want to keep messing with it and risk the family vacation. Thanks for all of the help."
 
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