One or more of the spark plugs are faulty

The spark plugs are responsible for creating the electrical spark in the cylinder to ignite the fuel. Spark plugs are the only part of the system that requires periodic replacement.

One or more of the ignition coils is faulty

The ignition coils on outboards are relatively simple, robust devices but they do sometimes fail. Internally they are windings of wire that can burn out and need replacing.

The exciter coil under the flywheel is faulty

The exciter coil generates the electricity needed to begin the ignition process.

The trigger coil that instructs the ignition to fire is faulty

The trigger coil tells the outboard when to fire the spark. Without it working properly the spark may fire intermittently or not at all.

The CDI unit that controls the firing of the coils is faulty

The CDI unit (Capacitor Discharge Ignition) is a sealed unit that fires each of the ignition coils coming from it at the precise moment required for optimal combustion.

The kill switch or man-overboard lanyard is out

The kill switch, or man-overboard lanyard, is used to stop the spark plugs from firing. This lanyard being unplugged is the most common reason for an outboard motor to not have spark.

The ignition timing is not set correctly

Having the ignition timing set correctly is very important to the running of an internal combustion engine.