Need a Signal TracerSuggestions

"I have decided to first try a

"I have decided to first try and debug the short circuit I have in the upper helm before just ripping out the old stuff and running all new wiring from the engines below to the new dash I have built...I stand to learn something I hope. It is going to take me 15 minutes or 2 days to do because that is just the way it works To recap: My port engine died, would not restart, my disconnected warning buzzers on the opposite side engine are buzzing and the opposite side engine is fine. Checked the plugs, no spark. We were inspecting the job of doing this re-wire and had removed the dash a day before but only loosening the panel to look behind it...All ran well for about 25 minutes.

I am in search of a device to put a signal or something on a wire and follow it thru to the source...I saw a few online but some are clearly telephone service with a RJ45 plug and others are alligator clip types but do not necessarily say what they can do.

Can anyone make a recommendation as to which kind of meter/device I should be looking for?"

Just a "WAG" Al

...

Just a "WAG" Al

........ but I had my starboard engine quit once and I had no spark as well..I spent about 15 mintes trying to figure out what happened and finally found the problem.

The coil wire in the centre of the distributor cap had moved up about 1/2 inch and I had lost the connection...probably happened due to not being fully inserted and then possible vibration.

Probably not your problem but that's all I can offer now.

"Appreciate it Don. When this

"Appreciate it Don. When this happened I tried working backwards and put a new cap on so, all of that stuff was in place. I really think it is on the dash panel itself..."

Let's get your requirement

Let's get your requirement a little better defined. Are you asking for a method to excite a wire and then another device to verify that excitation is on that wire? Do you want to detector to be proximity based or contact based?

""my disconnected warning

""my disconnected warning buzzers on the opposite side engine are buzzing"

clearly, they are not disconnected! Seriously, there must be a casual contact to that buzzer wire, somewhere. I think a visual approach is best, not sure I'd use a tracer. And this is from a guy who has used a TDR to find internal defects in coax cable."

"Dave,

That actually will b

"Dave,

That actually will be my first attempt ...visually. However, I did a cursory view on Sunday when this happened and failed to detect anything obvious.

Mark,

I am looking to see that a "red" wire used in the engine or lower helm is the same "red" wire I am looking at upstairs. This is due to a fair number of wires that people over the years, have just spliced at random to anything they could get their hands on INCLUDING "freakin" lamp cord.

By the way..I chose the color "red" only as an example. I feel by mapping a newer legend for my first attempts, may be more fruitful once I get to the actual rewiring stuff."

"Al..
Found this...for what i

"Al..
Found this...for what it is worth....


http://www.moyermarine.com/faq/4.3.html

http://www.nls.net/mp/volks/htm/spark.htm"

"Don,

Thanks much...Interes

"Don,

Thanks much...Interesting reading...I like this ignition FAQ and likely part of my investigation should I not get lucky enough to see something obvious.. IF you have a free day...Jump in the plane of yours and come on down.... AL"

"A TDR, you can tell the new &

"A TDR, you can tell the new "kids" by the tools they use......I learned with a pulse generator and a good o'scope.

You could you a continuity buzzer after you separate the 8-pin connnector at the engine. It's a pain but taking a pair at the helm, removed from the instruments and clipping them together will give you a path. if you just want to check for shorts, just do the same without disconnecting anything.

There are many variations, the big thing is to be careful. As you know, making a good drawing will aid tremendously, too.

On the outboards, the first test when faced with lack of ignition is to pull the tach lead. they are know to go bad and usually eliminate all spark when they go"

"Well Thanks for the tips....I

"Well Thanks for the tips....It is almost 7am and I am on my way,,,I let you all know what happened"

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On t

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On the outboards, the first test when faced with lack of ignition is to pull the tach lead. they are know to go bad and usually eliminate all spark when they go</font>

I lost my "little Boat" for about 6 days this summer. Ran in from the other boat to a marina and when I tried to start it up, (40HP Johnson Outboard)..lots of cranking but no ignition. Got towed back to the other boat and a few "shade tree" mechanics tried to help... all to no avail.

Towed it to a repair marina...$600.00 later they found the stator had a one inch burn mark on it and failed. No stator in stock..had to get one sent up from USA.

Sent a blistering snot-gram to Johnson as the motor only had about 50 hours on it and was in mint condition..their reply "Your warranty is 2 months past...so sorry, have a nice day"

Sorry for the thread creep..Good luck Al."

"posted question 2 days ago ab

"posted question 2 days ago about a 1954 sea king 12hp motor on the fuel mixture rather it is 25 to 1 or 50 to 1 on this motor. could you send me an answer as soon as posible so I'll be able to use this motor. send snswer to [email protected]"

"Al - a tool that I bought rec

"Al - a tool that I bought recently that I wish I bought years ago is a "Power probe". It does a lot more but having the ability to visually detect ground and 12v at the push of a button makes it invaluable.

You can plug into a 12v socket or just connect it directly to the battery to get started. Great tool, about $120 for the full kit.

Bob"