CDI Electronics Outboard Ignition Troubleshooting Guide

8 TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE - General Troubleshooting General Troubleshooting charger, 850+ CCA dual purpose or cranking/starting non-maintenance-free battery (NOT a closed-case battery). Make sure the battery is a lead-acid flooded cell (has vent caps on its top). Make sure to charge any battery off of a battery charger BEFORE installing. NEVER allow the stator to charge a battery. The stator is designed to maintain the battery’s voltage at an optimum charge. It’s not designed to charge a dead or weak battery. Recheck all connections, making sure they are corrosion-free and tight. NEVER jump-start a battery while an outboard engine is running. This can cause damage to the rectifier/regulator. Always use a battery charger to charge a battery If no battery charger is available, the rectifier/regulator’s Yellow wires may be disconnected while jump-starting to avoid damaging the rectifier/regulator. 3. If no change, measure DVA voltage across the stator’s battery charge wires (typically Yellow wires) while connected to the regulator/rectifier. At idle, DVA will normally be between 8-25V DVA. If not, disconnect the Yellow wires from the regulator/rectifier and retest for 17-50V DVA at idle. If not, the stator is possibly faulty. Visually inspect the stator for browning, varnish dripping and any signs of overheating. If the stator shows any signs of overheating, replace the stator. 4. If the stator DVA checks and visually looks good, test the regulator/rectifier as given below. Regulator/Rectifiers Tests 1. With all wires connected and the engine running at approximately 1500 RPM, check the DVA voltage from each battery charge wire (typically Yellow wire) to engine ground. The two readings must be within 1.5 volts of each other (i.e. if one is reading 20 volts, the other has to read between 18.5 and 21.5 volts). If the readings are not equal, go to step 3. If they are equal, go to step 2. 2. Check DVA voltage from each of the Yellow wires to the Red wire going to the solenoid. The two readings must be within 1.5 volts of each other. If the readings are unequal, go to step 3. If they are equal on both this step and step 1, the regulator/rectifier and battery charging portion of the stator are good. 3. If the readings are unequal, place a mark across the connection between the stator and regulator/rectifier that measured low. Turn the engine off and swap the stator leads. Crank the engine up and retest. The component (stator or regulator/rectifier) that has the marked wire with the low reading is bad. 4. Disconnect the regulator’s Gray wire. At 800-1000 RPM, check the DVA voltage on the Gray wire FROM THE REGULATOR measured to engine ground. The reading should be at least 8V DVA. If below 8V DVA, see TACHOMETER TESTS below. Regulator/Rectifier Bench Tests 1. Diode plate check: With all wires disconnected from the regulator/rectifier, using a meter set on its Diode scale, test the diodes from each of the two battery charge wires/terminals (typically Yellow wires/terminals) to the Red wire/terminal. You should get a reading one way but not the other. Check the resistance from each of the Yellow wires/terminals to case ground. You should have a high reading, typically in the M range. The Red wire/terminal should not read to ground, but may show a very high reading (25M ohms or more). 2. Tachometer Circuit: With all wires disconnected from the regulator/rectifier, check resistance between the Gray wire and engine ground. You should read approximately 10K (10,000) ohms. Both (Gray to Red) and (Gray to each of the Yellow) wires should be a high reading, typically in the M range. Tachometer Tests 1. Disconnect the regulator’s Gray wire. At 800-1000 RPM, check the DVA voltage on the Gray wire FROM THE REGULATOR measured to engine ground. The reading should be 8V+ DVA. If not, replace the regulator. 2. If at least 8V DVA, run a jumper wire from the Gray wire out of the harness to one of the stator’s Yellow wires. 3. If still no tachometer signal, try a known-good tachometer. 4. If still no tachometer signal, replace the stator.