1988 200hp evinrude spark problem???

[Adam927]

So I started working on my 200 today to see why it has no spark. I hooked up the battery and controls and started cranking. It seems I do have spark but on the middle 2 cylinders only???? So is the power pack bad or is it something else????

[Aaron43]

Could be wires, coils, plugs, power pack.....u need to start with a spark tester plugged into the plug wire then move through the entire ignition system until the problem is located.

[Adam927]

lol I get that. The odds of me having 4 bad coils or 4 bad spark plugs is very slim. Plus I did use the same plug to check several cylinders to make sure it wasn't just the plugs.

[Georgie]

Next typical step is to start swapping coils/packs to see if the probem moves with the parts.  You can also test the coils and packs with a meter if you have a factory manual to give you the specs.

[baby1]

inspect the coils for damage -- re cracking // I herd one person tell how cranking a motor at night in the dark showed him the spark was shorting throw the wires // cycle the coils throw the cylinder that  is working in turn testing them look at the coils for oxidation of the ground - a metal band below the mounting bolts   

[Adam927]

I have an update. Apparently the engine has to be cranking over 300 rpm's for it to spark properly. I didn't know this until today. By chance I shot some carb spray into the carbs and gave it a crank. To my great surprise it fired rite up!!!  LOL So now a good cleaning of the cabs and a nice long run on the stand tomorrow. Then she will be ready to sell as a running motor.

[Georgie]

Yes, The better the charge on the battery, the better/hotter the spark and the better ignition you'll have.  Just cuz it's turning over doesn't mean it's generating enough spark to ignite the vapors. If the flywheel is barely turning or the starter sounds like its struggling to spin the crank, you may have trouble getting any engine to run.   Also,    don't use carb spray next time (it has no lubricants).  Use a little 50:1 pre-mix fuel if your engine needs a bit of extra "persuasion".

[Adam927]

I know not to use carb spray but I really did not expect it to start at all. Lol. As soon as it started I used a spray bottle of the premixed fuel I had to test run it. It runs excellent now.

[Capt. Bob]

Georgie is spot on with a fully charged battery.
 
My 96 200 was very sensitive to a weak battery. Even with a charged battery, the stator may not supply enough voltage to allow the system to fire the plugs so additional voltage is supplied to power pack via the starter solenoid. I'm not sure your 88 is the same but I looked at an old wiring diagram and it appears similar to my 96 (more do dads on the 96 ).



Note the yellow/red stripe wire from the solenoid to the power pack.

Clean and tight connections, properly sized conductors, a good battery (fully charged) and a mystic starting routine is the key.

Good luck