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No Spark on Starboard and weak intermittent spark on Port

543svet

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"My Story,
Fishing in Lake Er


"My Story,
Fishing in Lake Erie hammering walleye's on planer boards with my wife and kids. My boat is a 1996 Baha Cruiser 285 weekender with 5.8FL twin gas volvo pentas. Port motor just quits without any warning. Temp is fine, battery power a plentiful. Fuel tank full, seperate fuel tanks for both motors. Both motor ran out about 11 miles with no problems. I was trolling with a drift bag with the Port Motor before it quit about 45 minutes. Port Motor turns over but will not fire. I then proceed to start the Starboard motor runs fine altenator gauge is low volts though. Attempt to run it back in and again sadly the motor quits without warning. Their again temperature is fine, a power aplenty to turn over and again nothing in both motors. Tow service thought the carbs were sucking air from spare tank. filled up third tank and again both motor turn over but no ignition. Tow Mechanic Sprayed starting fluid down the carbs. Turn Key motors turn over fine but no spark they will not fire up. Late night in and had plenty of fish to clean. Next day went out and pulled plugs on the starboard motor no spark. Pulled the coil on starboard motor and again no spark. On the port motor had weak spark and it was intermintant. On the no spark motor Starboard I have replaced the ignition module, coil, distributor, rotor and plugs. I have ran down every conection and have cleaned them up on both motors. I have new batteries and have new negiative cables to the batteries. I have checked voltage to the coil and it has aplenty. I have checked both ignition modules with a light tester and it is getting power and flashing on the negitive side on both motors. I have checked the ignition switch at the dash and again has plenty of volts to run the motor. I replaced the starter assist selnoid on both motors brand new parts. Checked and watched the rotor turn on both motors. Again Port weak intermittent spark and the Starboard is no spark. If you turn the Key to the off position then the Starboard coil is the purfect blue spark. I have no other idea's left i have checked all the books I know. I have a two battery system the batteries are not seperate from each motor. Battery 1 goes to box and battery 2 also goes to a select box. My brother thinks it could be the altenator on the starboard messing up the ignition systems. I am going to pull the cables on it tomorrow to see if its it. Has anyone else had this happened to you? If you have any suggestions it would be helpful. Thanks John"
 
"Wow! Einstein would have ah

"Wow! Einstein would have aheadache figuring that one out! You'll have to isolate things, get good spark on both motors, then reconnect until they screw up again. Sounds to me like ignition volts are going somewhere they ain't supposed to be going.

Jeff"
 
"are you running a combiner fo

"are you running a combiner for your batteries? if you are watch out and check them, also you might want to just check the guages on the volt meter they sometimes will be crossed if something isn't hooked up right, just check!"
 
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