force 120 hp ground wire melts

arteverett

Recruit
Joined
Jun 22, 2009
Messages
2
I have a problem with my 1990 force 120. I have recently been refurbishing the boat; seat covers, etc. I also replaced the steering cable and did some other work.

I take the boat out of the garage and try to start it and the ground wire coming from the engine wiring harness going to the solenoid and to a ground melts. I have replaced the starter and the starter solenoid. I replaed the wire with a new one and the wire still melts...

Am I having a grounding issue with the engine?
Do the main cables from the battery connect to the solenoid(red of course) and to a grond in the engine housing or am I grounding it to the wrong spot?
Did I disconnect a wire inside the housing and reattach to the wrong spot?

I have seen posts such as this on this forum before but now cant seem to find it....

Any help would be appreciated..
 

john from md

Commander
Joined
Apr 13, 2008
Messages
2,184
Re: force 120 hp ground wire melts

Here is how your solinoid and starter should be wired.

Starter: Red/yellow wire to positive starter terminial. Ground stud (usually black) to the engine block.

Solinoid: Red/yellow wire from large terminal to starter.
Black wire to ground.
Yellow and red wire to neutral safety switch.
Three red wires to other large terminal. These are from the battery,
(large wire) and two circuit breakers (small wires).

The only thing that I can think of causing your ground to melt is an excessive draw from the battery (maybe a starter issue) or a high resistance ground. (bonding surface not clean)

Hope this helps,

John
 

gato760

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jun 26, 2009
Messages
33
Re: force 120 hp ground wire melts

I have the same problem with my 1996 Force 120. I have mine wired correctly looking at the wiring diagram I have, but it heats up too. I have it grounded on the side of the motor casing were there is no paint to interfere with a clean ground.

Not that I think this has anything to do with it, but my regulator/rectifier is fried. Is your regulator fried by chance?
 

arteverett

Recruit
Joined
Jun 22, 2009
Messages
2
Re: force 120 hp ground wire melts

Well thanks for your replies. I decided to go back to the basics when looking for my problem. It was a bad ground afterall. I removed the battery cables, cleaned contact points on the cables and the battery terminals and the contacts on the engine and what do you know... started right up.

The melting wire was due to the starter trying to find whatever ground it can and since the appropriate one was a bad connection, it found the next best thing and boom! fried wire.

thanks again!
 

gato760

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jun 26, 2009
Messages
33
Re: force 120 hp ground wire melts

I wish mine was that simple, but I have checked into the ground connections and they are good.
 
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