Dead key

[nhuyck]

Have a 2002 four winns 298 with twin VP 5.0 GXi with DP outdrives. Intermittently, when I try to fire the STB engine, I have a dead key. The fuel pump will initialize and the engine alarm will beep, but nothing when I go to fire the engine. Things that I have tried when it happens: jiggling the throttle to make sure it is neutral, check all connections on ignition switch, pulled apart throttle to check wires, Swap out relay with spare on engine fuse panel. All of the sudden out of the blue, it will fire up, completely randomly, and not linked to anything I try above. It happens very intermittently, probably three times so far this season, but once it forced me to limp home on one screw. 20 minutes after I docked, the darn thing started, without any pattern. Where should I start my diagnostics?

 

[papyson]

do you hear the starter solenoid click when and if it picks?check your battery connections first...feel for any heat right at the posts etc..heat means resistance and a voltage drop...could be a flaky battery..the fuel pump and engine alarm take very little current relative to the starter requirements so dont assume because they work that the voltage system is ok..

the place to start your no fail approach is with a multi meter at the starter if the solenoid picks and stays picked...if it dont pick start at the wire on the pick coil...