Bayliner 245 just shuts down... restarts fine.

Rain City

Crew Member
So I've been dealing with this for a couple years now. The boat just shuts off. It's generally at high speeds but after it happens then it'll happen over and over. Then I'll go three weeks without it happening again. Any thoughts?
 
Inboard? Outboard? Coil will cause the same symptoms in both in and outboards. Outboards usually die right away but I've had one that would run til warm then start and die, start and die...
 
Inboard? Outboard? Coil will cause the same symptoms in both in and outboards. Outboards usually die right away but I've had one that would run til warm then start and die, start and die...
IO
She runs like a champ 99% of the time. This will happen for an hour or so and then not again for weeks. No sputtering no bogging. Smells really rich after it happens which makes me assume its spark because fuel is still flooding in.
 
Yep. Coils will usually do it after it warms up then keep happening until totally cool only to start again next trip.


Some kind of carb prob if it's flooding would be my bet.

Pull a plug wire and check for spark next time it happens. That'll lead you down the no spark or too much fuel path.
 
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Yep. Coils will usually do it after it warms up then keep happening until totally cool only to start again

No the biggest problem is that it starts up immediately after and runs great. Only to happen again 5 or 10 minutes later. Every mechanic I've talked to has said the same thing about checking for spark after the fact but if it runs fine as soon as I started up again then the issue has already passed.
 
Ignition safety tether switch could be flaky and would manifest as you describe.
 
Ignition safety tether switch could be flaky and would manifest as you describe.
Yah I've heard that too. I picked a new one up and will probably swap it out just to be safe. Thanks!
 
I'm with the coil. See that happen before.
 
Coil. If it turns off and smells rich you are not burning the fuel coming from the carb so fuel is a check, it runs after so you have compression, so spark it is.
 
As electrical components fail, the resistance increases in the component. If the electrical resistance increases, the temperature of the component goes up. When temperature rises, the resistance rises. it's a positive feedback loop. you could have a coil or coil wire that is MARGINAL. As it warms, the resistance starts to increase exponentially, then it finally becomes too much and the component fails to deliver spark. It cools down very quickly, and it's ready to go again. This can repeat for a long time before the component burns up and fails completely.
 
Do check the wiring harness it could be loose. I had the same thing on a brand new boat. Dealer could not figure it out. Finally I checked all the wiring and bam! Loose harness. Easy to check then move to the coil.
 
Coils are cheap, replace it and see what happens...if it doesn't resolve it you have a spare coil...not a bad idea as they do go and I would have a spare anyway.
 
I would replace the coil, coil wire (the one the goes to the distributor cap), the distributor cap, and the rotor. It's cheap and easy to do. If you're not sure of the cap and rotor, pop it off and look for any pitting on the rotor or contacts inside the cap. Also look for any black "tracing" - fine lines around the inside of the rotor. This can indicate that there was arcing, often caused by getting moisture inside the cap, then the cap starts to arc and deposit small amounts of carbon all over the inside of the cap. This creates a conductive trace that can cause all sorts of strange misfires and rough running. It's probably not the source of your problem, but with this particular issue it could bugger up a perfectly good cap as a result.
 
I never updated this. It was the oil pressure sensor. It actually wasn't the sensor itself, I realized after replacing it. The prongs inside the harness/connector just weren't making a good connection. I ended up having to spread them apart a little to make a more secure connection. So yah, kinda lame I thought. On to the next issue I guess lol.
 
Just had a friend chase a bunch of gremlins like this on his volvo penta package. He had two or three different connectors that were causing all kinds of havoc. Under careful scrutiny you could see slight arc/pitting marks on small pins in connectors to oil pressure sender, IAC valve and one other I think. Good reason to pull all of them apart, inspect with magnification and put back together with dielectric grease. Definetly a worthy winter project. Glad you found the cause.
 
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