CDI 174-6617A17 Guide

Installation and Troubleshooting Guide
This installation is to be completed by an Authorized Dealer or Professional Service
Technician. For questions regarding installation or warranty, call CDI Tech Support
at 866-423-4832. Do not return to the Dealer or Distributor where the part was purchased.
Contact CDI Electronics Directly for Return Material Authorization.
CDI Electronics, LLC •353 James Record Road SW •Huntsville, AL 35824 USA
Web Support: www.cdielectronics.com •Tech Support: 1-866-423-4832 •Order Parts: 1-800-467-3371
All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of content, in any manner, without express written permission by CDI Electronics, LLC., is prohibited.
Rev C •6/19/2023 Page - 1 of 3 QF-358
CDI P/N: 174-6617A17
This unit replaces the following P/N’s: 86617A14 & A17.
Warning! This product is designed for installation by a professional marine mechanic. CDI Electronics cannot be held liable for
injury or damage resulting from improper installation, abuse, neglect, or misuse of this product.
How to test the Engine Stop Circuit (Kill) for DC Voltage:
1. DC voltage present on the kill circuit of the Switchbox due to a faulty key switch, boat harness, or engine harness will severely damage
the Switchbox’s internal kill circuit. Connect a Digital Multi Meter to the Ignition Stop wire(s) AT THE SWITCHBOX(S) while
disconnected from the Switchbox in reference to a known good engine ground. Turn the Ignition switch on and off several times. If, at
any time, you see over 2 VDC on the kill wire(s), there is a problem with one or both harnesses and/or the Ignition switch. The Ignition
Stop wire should not be connected back to the new Switchbox at any point until the problem is corrected OR DAMAGE TO THE
SWITCHBOX WILL OCCUR!
INSTALLATION
1. Disconnect the Negative battery cable (if equipped).
2. Remove the flywheel according to the service manual for your engine.
3. Disconnect the old Stator from the Switchbox.
4. Remove the old Stator and save the original bolts.
5. Using the original bolts, install the new Stator per OEM specifications with thread locker applied to the Stator bolts.
6. Connect the new Stator to the Switchbox.
7. Reinstall flywheel according to the service manual for your engine.
8. Reconnect the Negative battery cable (if equipped).
TROUBLESHOOTING
NO SPARK ON EITHER CYLINDER:
1. Disconnect the Black/Yellow stop wire AT THE SWITCHBOX and retest. If the engine now has spark, the stop circuit has a fault. Check
the key switch and harness (if equipped).
2. Check the cranking RPM. A cranking speed of less than 250 RPM may not allow the system to spark properly. This can be caused by a
weak battery, dragging starter, bad battery cables, or a mechanical problem inside the engine.
3. Inspect and clean all engine and ignition ground connections. Make sure the Switchbox and Ignition coils are grounded.
4. Verify the flywheel only has Two outer magnets and not Four magnets. The newer ignition system has a four magnet flywheel and this
Stator will not work for that application.
5. Check the Stator and Trigger as follows:
Read from Read to OEM Ohms CDI Ohms DVA Connected Disconnected
Blue (Low speed Stator) Black (Stator ground) 2900-3500 Ω1900-2400 Ω180 V Minimum 180 V Minimum
Red (High speed Stator) Black (Stator ground) 100-180 Ω200-250 Ω25 V Minimum 25 V Minimum
Brown/Yellow (#1 Trigger) Brown/White (#2 Trigger) 650-850 Ω- 4 V Minimum 4 V Minimum
Brown/Yellow (#1 Trigger) Engine Ground Open Open 1 V Minimum -
Brown/White (#2 Trigger) Engine Ground Open Open 1 V Minimum -
6. Check the DVA on the Black/Yellow kill wire coming out of the Switchbox. You should have a reading of at least 150 DVA or more. The
Stator and Trigger should be connected to the Switchbox for this test. If you do not, check the DVA on the Stator and the Trigger. If the
DVA on the Stator and Trigger but the DVA on the Black/Yellow Kill wire coming out of the Switchbox is low, the Switchbox is likely
faulty.
7. Check the DVA on the Green wires from the Switchbox while connected to the Ignition coils. Check the reading on the Switchbox
terminal AND on the Ignition coil terminal. You should have a reading of at least 150 DVA minimum at both terminals. If the reading is
low on one cylinder, disconnect the Green wire from the Ignition coil for that cylinder and reconnect it to a Pack Load Resistor. Retest. If
the reading is now good, the Ignition coil is likely bad. A continued low reading symptom indicates a bad Switchbox.
8. Check the flywheel magnets for cracked, broken, or loose magnets.

Installation and Troubleshooting Guide
This installation is to be completed by an Authorized Dealer or Professional Service
Technician. For questions regarding installation or warranty, call CDI Tech Support
at 866-423-4832. Do not return to the Dealer or Distributor where the part was purchased.
Contact CDI Electronics Directly for Return Material Authorization.
CDI Electronics, LLC •353 James Record Road SW •Huntsville, AL 35824 USA
Web Support: www.cdielectronics.com •Tech Support: 1-866-423-4832 •Order Parts: 1-800-467-3371
All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of content, in any manner, without express written permission by CDI Electronics, LLC., is prohibited.
Rev C •6/19/2023 Page - 2 of 3 QF-358
NO SPARK OR INTERMITTENT SPARK ON ONE CYLINDER:
1. Disconnect the Black/Yellow stop wire AT THE SWITCHBOX and retest. If the engine now has spark, the stop circuit has a fault. Check
the key switch and harness (if equipped).
2. Check the Stator and Trigger DVA and Resistance (See NO SPARK ON EITHER CYLINDER).
3. Check the DVA on the Green Primary wires from the Switchbox while connected to the Ignition coils. Check the reading on the
Switchbox terminal AND on the Ignition coil terminal. You should have a reading of at least 150 V minimum at both places. If the
reading is low on one cylinder, disconnect the Green Primary wire from the Ignition coil for that cylinder and connect it to a Pack Load
resistor. Retest. If the reading is now good, the Ignition coil is likely bad. A continued low reading indicates a bad Switchbox or low
Trigger DVA for that cylinder. Test Trigger DVA and Resistance (See NO SPARK ON EITHER CYLINDER).
4. Check the Ignition coil’s primary resistance from the Positive (+) terminal to the Negative (-) terminal. You should read 0.02-0.04 Ω. If
out of specification, replace the Ignition coil.
5. Check the Ignition coil’s secondary resistance from the sparkplug wire to engine ground. You should read 0.8-1.1 KΩ. If out of this
range, replace the Ignition coil.
6. Connect an inductive tachometer to each cylinder and compare the RPM readings at the RPM where the problem is occurring. If only
one cylinder is dropping out, swap the Ignition coil locations and retest. If the problem follows a coil, replace the coil. If it stays on the
same spark plug, either the Switchbox or Trigger is faulty. Test Trigger DVA and Resistance (see NO SPARK ON EITHER
CYLINDER).
ENGINE WILL NOT STOP (KILL):
1. Check the kill circuit in the Switchbox by using a jumper wire connected to the Black/Yellow wire coming out of the Switchbox and
shorting it to ground while the engine is running. If this kills the engine, the kill circuit in the harness or on the boat is defective. If not,
the Switchbox is defective.
HIGH SPEED MISS:
1. Check the DVA of the Stator from the Red wire to the Black wire while running the engine. It should show a smooth rise in voltage as
the RPM rises. If there is a sudden or fast drop in voltage right before the miss becomes apparent, the Stator is usually at fault.
2. Verify the correct spark plugs are installed. OEM calls for a BP8H-N-10 or BPZ8H-N-10. If the BP8H-N-10 spark plugs are installed, try
the BPZ8H-N-10 spark plugs.
3. If there is no indication of the problem, it could be a small water leak in one or both cylinders. Perform a high speed shutdown and read
the sparkplugs.
BOTH CYLINDERS HAVE SPARK BUT THE ENGINE WILL NOT RUN:
1. Check the flywheel shear key.
2. Index the flywheel and check timing on both cylinders. If the timing is off, check the Trigger and flywheel.
If one of the Trigger wires is shorted, the timing may not advance on ONE cylinder, but the other cylinder will advance.
3. Check the idle screw adjustment set point. If set too low, the engine will not run.
4. Check the idle air/fuel mixture set point. If out of adjustment, the engine will not run.
5. Check the fuel pump diaphragm for a pin hole. It could be leaking fuel into the intake and have too rich of an air/fuel mix.
ENGINE LOW ON POWER OR TIMING WILL NOT ADVANCE WITH ENGINE RPM:
1. Verify the ignition timing is advancing from 3-5° BTDC at idle to approximately 28° BTDC at 3000 RPM.
The timing will retard slightly from 28° BTDC at 3000 RPM to 25° BTDC at 5500 RPM, dropping down to 15° Degrees BTDC
between 5800-6200 RPM.
2. Index the flywheel and check timing on both cylinders. If the timing is off, check the Trigger and flywheel.
If one of the Trigger wires is shorted, the timing may not advance on ONE cylinder, but the other cylinder will advance.
SWITCHBOX OR TRIGGER REPEATEDLY BLOWS ON SAME CYLINDER:
1. Check the Trigger wires for shorts to engine ground as a shorted Trigger wire can destroy a SCR inside the Switchbox.
2. In contrast, a shorted SCR inside the Switchbox can destroy a Trigger. Check the Trigger resistance and DVA (see NO SPARK OR
INTERMITTENT SPARK ON ONE CYLINDER).
3. Replace the Ignition coil on the cylinder dropping spark.

Installation and Troubleshooting Guide
This installation is to be completed by an Authorized Dealer or Professional Service
Technician. For questions regarding installation or warranty, call CDI Tech Support
at 866-423-4832. Do not return to the Dealer or Distributor where the part was purchased.
Contact CDI Electronics Directly for Return Material Authorization.
CDI Electronics, LLC •353 James Record Road SW •Huntsville, AL 35824 USA
Web Support: www.cdielectronics.com •Tech Support: 1-866-423-4832 •Order Parts: 1-800-467-3371
All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of content, in any manner, without express written permission by CDI Electronics, LLC., is prohibited.
Rev C •6/19/2023 Page - 3 of 3 QF-358
WILL NOT ACCELERATE BEYOND 3000-4000 RPM:
1. Connect a DVA meter between the Stator’s Blue and Black wires. Run the engine up to the RPM where the problem is occurring. DVA
voltage should increase with RPM. A sharp drop in DVA right before the problem occurs usually indicates a bad Stator.
2. Connect a DVA meter between the Stator’s Red and Black wires. The DVA should show a smooth climb in voltage and remain high
through the RPM range. A reading lower than the Blue wire reading usually indicates a bad Stator.
3. Connect an inductive tachometer to each cylinder in turn and try to isolate the problem. A single cylinder dropping spark will likely be a
bad Switchbox or Ignition coil. All cylinders not sparking properly usually indicates a bad Stator or Switchbox.
4. Perform a high speed shutdown and read the spark plugs. Check for water. A crack in the block or a leaky exhaust plate gasket can
cause a miss at high speed when the water pressure gets high, but a normal shutdown will mask the problem.
5. Check the Trigger and Stator charge coil flywheel magnets for cracked, broken, or loose magnets.
MISS AT ANY RPM:
1. In the water or on a Dynamometer, check the DVA on the Green Primary wires from the Switchbox while connected to the Ignition coils.
You should have a reading of at least 150 DVA or more, increasing with engine RPM until it reaches 300-400 V DVA maximum. A
sharp drop in DVA right before the miss becomes apparent on all cylinders will normally be caused by a bad Stator. A sharp drop in
DVA on less than all cylinders will normally be the Switchbox or Trigger.
2. Connect an inductive tachometer to each cylinder in turn and try to isolate the problem. A high variance in RPM on one cylinder usually
indicates a problem in the Switchbox, Ignition coil, or Trigger. Check the Trigger DVA (see NO SPARK OR INTERMITTENT SPARK
ON ONE CYLINDER).
3. Perform a high speed shutdown and read the spark plugs. Check for water. A crack in the block or a leaky exhaust plate gasket can
cause a miss at high speed when the water pressure gets high, but a normal shutdown will mask the problem.
4. Check the Trigger and Stator charge coil flywheel magnets for cracked, broken, or loose magnets.