[dcgragg]

i have a 96 shabah 200. engine is a 350 with a 2bbl carb thunderboltV ignition. i absolutely love this boat until it makes me use my phone for a tow.... this thing runs strong most of the time, and all of a sudden it will die. sometimes restarting is not a problem sometimes you wait a while and it will start. sometimes let your fingers call in a tow. i have had my lower shift cable replaced thinking it was wearing and kept shift interupter engaging. still no fix. i have bypassed the kill switch. still no fix.
question is... what is between the ignition switch and the coil? besides the neutral safety switch and the kill switch.
it will run fine if you run a jumper wire from hot side of battery to the coil, will this do any damage? and what are my options to correct this problem?
i know it has got to be something simple, i dont have a lot of hair to pull out so any input would be greatly aprreciated

[dcgragg]

by the way.....when the boat refuses to start it has 0 volts at the coil. when all is working well the coil has 12 volts on it.

[Double D]

Look for a 20amp fuse under the drivers dash. Good Luck

[dcgragg]

thanks, i am working this weekend but i will check it out first thing monday morning...just an inline fuse i take it? thanks again for input

[Double D]

There should be a 10 spot fuse block and there is a 20 amp main fuse and I found over the years that mine was cracked do to heat, looked a little melted. I could be going across the lake at 15 30 45 mph and then everything would go dead, cool down and then it would take right off.

My 20 amp main is upper left hand end of fuse bloock. I order a new fluse block 10ga for 24 bucks pretty easy swap, unplug two white connectors and two screws that holds the block in place. removed the spade wires and installed on new block and reinstalled. Hope this he10 fuse.jpglps.

[dcgragg]

ok, heres what i have found....off of the ignition switch the purple wire that should be going to the coil there is 8.5 volts when in the on position. and at the coil there is only 1.5volts in the on position. and the positive coil wire is very warm to the touch. i can still jump a wire from the battery to the pos. side of the coil and it starts right up...
what is between the ignition and the coil? it seems to me that i have either got a wire grounded out somewhere, or broken, or....idk.
my thoughts are, why cant i run a new purple wire from the ignition switch to the coil? or is the shift interupter in between the ignition and the coil....any thoughts please. i am out of ideas and memorial day weekend is fast approaching

[rayzorback]

I have noticed that my boat has the purple wire cut off at the coil and was replaced with a blue wire. There is a blue wire from the switch. Don't know if it goes through the shifter or not, but it works. Hope this helps.

[dcgragg]

thanks guys for the input. what i wound up doing is running a new wire from ignition switch to the coil. everything seems to work ok at this point as it should. evidently the existing wire was broken down or grounded out or ????? I hope it works cause we are going to take it to lake test it tomorrow evening. all weekend long. eufala lake oklahoma...

[DougR]

Ok, I'm kind of dealing with the same issue.
Follow the purple wire back and it should connect to a relay. This is the same relay that also powers the starter to turn over. Probably a yellow red striped. If that is what's failing you probably should replace before you're not able to start... Mines located right behind the carb.

[dcgragg]

i have found a schematic of the thunderbolt v ignition and it looks as though the purple wire goes through the ignition control module and the knock sensor before the coil????? so....anyway, i left the purple wire on the coil and ran a new wire from coil side of ignition back to the pos side of the coil. evidently the breakdown is between the ignition and the control module/ knock sensor????? i dont know at this point, all i know is that it starts on its own and seems to be working. i have ordered a full service manual and i will worry with it more after i get back from the lake.