Boat Engine Basics ~ The Ignition

Doesn’t it make sense to say that you would save yourself plenty of time and money if you knew the basic mechanics of the design and function of your car? Well, the same can be said for your boat. Learning the how your boat engine operates can save you from having to frequent the repair shop if problems are to arise. Therefore, this week our focus will be to better understand the basic parts of a boat engine.

Let’s take a look at the boat’s ignition. The main purpose of the ignition system is to ignite the fuel because when fuel burns power is created. Now, starting at the beginning of this process, when you turn the key to power up the boat engine, electricity will flow from the battery through a voltage regulator and into the coil. Energy is store in the coil until it reaches 100,000 volts. Then, at the right moment, during the compression stroke in a certain cylinder, the coil releases the high voltage through the plugs wires to the spark plug. The spark then ignites the fuel in the cylinder and drives the piston down for a power stroke.

Check back tomorrow for Part 2 of the Ignition series and learn why Evinrude XD 100 oil is friendly to boat engines.