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Chrysler outboard only running on one cylinder

cswygart

New member
I have a 1983 Chrysler 35 HP outboard. It ran fine until a couple weeks ago when it started running on only one cylinder. I checked the spark and it is only getting spark on the bottom cylinder (its a 2 cyl engine). I used my DVA adapter for my multi meter and the stator and trigger are providing the correct voltage to the CDI module, but I am only seeing voltage coming from the CDI module to the coil on the cylinder that is functioning properly. The ignition coil on the cylinder that isn't running is showing 0 volts. I then flip flopped the ignition coils to see if I had a bad coil, but that didn't change which cylinder didn't have spark. I assumed this meant that I had a bad CDI module, so I bought a new one from CDI. I just put the new one on and I still don't have spark on the top cylinder.

I don't have a ton of experience with outboard ignitions and at this point I don't really know what else to try. If anyone has any input, I would greatly appreciate it.
 
What ignition system do you have? Picture of the components?
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Prestolite ignition? or the original Chrysler ??
 
This is the ignition system where you have 4 wires coming to the cdi module from the trigger, and two wires from the stator.

Also, I dont think that the coil labeled "bad" is actually bad. I just labeled it that way so that I could keep track of which was which when I was switching the coils to check if they were the problem.

 

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Last edited:
NO FIRE OR INTERMITTENT ON ONE CYLINDER:

  1. Check the stator resistance, you should read 680-800 ohms (factory) and 400 —500 (CDIIRAPAIR) DVA 180V or more from blue to yellow (Note — On some two cylinder engines, the stator has two blue wires and no yellow wire. The stator will read from blue to blue). All stator wires should read open to engine ground.
  2. Check the trigger resistance, trigger wire sets read approximately 50 ohms between the wire sets (DVA-5V or more), and open to engine ground.
  3. If readings are good, disconnect kill wire from one pack. If the dead cylinder starts firing, the problem is likely the blocking diode in the other pack.
 
I already did all of that. I have 380 V from the stator and 2.5 volts from each pair of trigger wires (the CDI sheet that Im looking at says that I should have 0.5 V or higher, not 5 V). The only part that I don't fully understand is what it means is in point 3 where it says to disconnect the kill wire from the pack. What is the "Pack"?
 
Ok. Well I only have one cdi module and the first thing I did was disconnect the kill wire in order to make sure there wasnt any issues with my kill wire circuit that were causing this issue.
 
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