The answer is that it could be either the power pack or the ignition.
The usual way to check out the engine is to swap the leads over from another powerpack and see if you get cranking and a spark.
(ie, if you get use a 'good' second engine and the suspect power pack and it sparks, then its the ignition unit on the suspect engine or alternatively if you use a good power box on the suspect engine and it sparks, then its the power box.
You don't even need to bolt the engine down, we regularly do it using the kit on another kart, just propping the engine up by hand (obviously with the plug out, it isn't going to start). So if you haven't got the spares to hand, it'll only take five minutes at your mate's to do the test.
Other things you might check is that you have a good earth connection to the engine, and that both earth leads are connected. The main lead from the power box is in fact two separate leads with the thinner one connecting to the larger one at the connector but just back under the insulation tube. If that connection breaks, then even though it looks like you have an Earth and the engine turns on the starter, the ignition doesn't work.
One more thing to check is that the leads coming out of the ignition block are intact. I came across one engine where some of the wires leaving the engine had been broken off by hitting a kerb. Sometimes the broken ends made contact and some times they didn't.
Because it is so easy to do the other checks and there's nothing you can do (legally) inside the powerbox, I have never tested its outputs.
What model is your power box?
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Formula Blue Engine Problem by 'ChrisA' (25 Mar 2009 @ 21:03)
