Courtholl

Prob was not the ignition. Still having a prob. The prob is somewhere between the ignition and the selinoid. He said the MSD system is not partof the prob. Any ideas. He is saying somethingmaybe wrong with the wire, and he is going to try to trace it down (wiring under the dash is so tight, that he is having a prob tracing the wire). Any ideas. basically, boat was winterized, sat in our yard, and then won't turn over. he can overide the system and get it started.

Wally

iTrader: (1)

ok heres how i would start...get a volt meter and hook the black lead to known good ground and then hook the positive to the ylw/red wire off the back of the ign switch and have someone crank...if you get 12v then the switch is good.
Now go to the engine and find the solenoid and put the volt meter on the ylw/red wire and crank again....if you get 12v then the wire is ok and now you need to check the solenoid. It should make a "click" everytime you try to crank. Make sure you have good contacts all the way around...take them off and clean them just to be sure....and make sure the ground on the solenoid is good most of all....if all checks out and still no cranking then hook the volt meter to the thick red wire from the solenoid going tot he starter and crank again...if you get 12V then the solenoid is good and you need to move onto the cable going to the starter. Go to the starter and hook the volt meter to the red cable end again and try cranking....if your get 12v at that poinnt its most likely the starter. Take it off and clean all the contacts and either put back on to try again or take it over to a local Murrys or Napa or Pep Boys to have them hook it up and check it out on their bench test unit.
If all this checks out and still no crank then you have a bad ground wire running from the batt to the engine block

ziemer

iTrader: (1)

Sounds like it's either the wiring between the switch and the solenoid, the power into the switch or a bad ground. Since the ignition switch is new and the solenoid is new, maybe there's a loose connection somewhere in between.

Do you have power to your guages and such (any acc. wired off the key switch) when the key switch is in the "On" position?

Courtholl

It was the wire harness going into the engine. Finally fixed. Will finally get boat back and hopefully get it on the water on Sat or sunday.