How to wire kill switch lanyard to ignition?

neuro242

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I have a '90 sterndrive that i guess never had a safety kill switch. I purchased one from iboats (universal) and need to know how to wire it. It has 2 terminals to close Ignition (coil) and 2 to close magneto. Im guessing i just disconnect the 'ignition' (purple) wire and run it to one of the coil terminals on the safety switch and then just run a new wire from the other back to ignition? ...leaving the other 2 of the 3 wires on the ignition itself alone. one says ignition, the other solinoid and not sure w/ the 3rd is. is this correct?
 

seabob4

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Re: How to wire kill switch lanyard to ignition?

Most kill switches ground the coil. If you're not getting spark, the engine won't run.

All the kill switches we install from the various manuf.'s, Merc, BRP, Suz, Honda, simply have a 2 wire hookup. The way I look at it is if you kill ignition, the magneto/generator wouldn't be seeing any juice anyway, so what would be the point?
 

neuro242

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Re: How to wire kill switch lanyard to ignition?

ok, so it doesn't involve the ignition at all? where can i get a wiring diagram then? i just assumed that i could wire it to ignition since when u turn the key off it kills the engine which is what u want to do when the lanyard kill switch is engaged...
 

bruceb58

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Re: How to wire kill switch lanyard to ignition?

Most kill switches ground the coil.
That's actually not true. Most are just in line with the ignition switch to the ignition coil on the +12V.

Neuro242, you were right in your assumption.
 

neuro242

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Re: How to wire kill switch lanyard to ignition?

That's actually not true. Most are just in line with the ignition switch to the ignition coil on the +12V.

Neuro242, you were right in your assumption.

Ok, so i need to put it in line w/ solenoid marked on the ignition, not in line w/ whats marked ignition? ...in order to interrupt power to the engine. by putting it in line w/ ignition wire it is only interrupting the start, right?
 

bruceb58

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Re: How to wire kill switch lanyard to ignition?

No...its interrupting the 12V to the coil. How would interrupting voltage to the starter stop the engine?
 

seabob4

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Re: How to wire kill switch lanyard to ignition?

That's actually not true. Most are just in line with the ignition switch to the ignition coil on the +12V.

Neuro242, you were right in your assumption.

Granted, there are some that are NO and some that are NC. NO would be the ground to the coil. NC would be 12V+ to the run position. If it's a NO shutdown, completing the ground circuit does the job. If it's NC, opening the run circuit does the trick.

Figure out how your motor shuts down, then mimic that with the kill switch...
 

bruceb58

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Re: How to wire kill switch lanyard to ignition?

Most of these switched have both options. Most I have seen are wired as a NC(in line with ignition) but a NO has its advantages. The inline would be easier to wire.

I am very surprised that the OP's 1990 did not have this already. Was a requirement way before then. May have been removed.
 

seabob4

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Re: How to wire kill switch lanyard to ignition?

Most of these switched have both options. Most I have seen are wired as a NC(in line with ignition) but a NO has its advantages. The inline would be easier to wire.

I am very surprised that the OP's 1990 did not have this already. Was a requirement way before then. May have been removed.

Either way he chooses to go about it, it's admirable he's installing one...:)
 

neuro242

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Re: How to wire kill switch lanyard to ignition?

sorry, i mean coil. dont know why i keep saying solenoid. i asked and found several others w/ the same boat as me, none w/ safety switch. ill figure it out.
 

neuro242

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Re: How to wire kill switch lanyard to ignition?

Just received wiring diagram from seadog and i had it right. it goes inline w/ the ignition wire on ignition. thanks.
 
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