1999 johnson 150 tach dead

[phoenixgold2100]

I was out fishing last weekend when my tach started jumping around then just stopped working.

I put a volt meter on the battery while it was running and had 14v.

The tach worked a few more times for a second at a time then just completely died.

I just confirmed it's wired properly and the sender wire is not broken/burnt anywhere.

I just installed a volt gauge and started the engine 12+ volts on the gauge no tach.

Volt meter the battery while running 12.78v.

So I have to believe it is not charging my battery now also it had 11.9 volts in it before charge.

How do I test the rectifier or do I just change it now that I know it's not charging and no tach, common symptoms of a crapped out rectifier..

Also my engine has a rectifier from a 1995 in it and it doesn't have the plug on the purple and gray wire it just has butt connectors with the plastic cover.

My question is can I use a rectifier from another year and just cut out the plug and add these connectors?

Thanks boys.

 

[boobie]

Re: 1999 johnson 150 tach dead

You could also have something wrong in the battery charging side of the stator. Broken wire, bad connection ??

 

[phoenixgold2100]

Re: 1999 johnson 150 tach dead

Where would that connection be and what colour is the wire? Do you mean the yellow ones going to the rectifier?

I just tested my rectifier with ohm meter by putting black probe to ground, red to one side of the rectifier plug. 89.5 reading.

I swapped leads black to rectifier plug red to ground 85.9 reading.

It is pretty much the same reading for the other connector 100 one way 98 the other.

Am I testing this right? Should I only have readings one way?

Bad rectifier?

 

[boobie]

Re: 1999 johnson 150 tach dead

Are you talking about a rectifier only or a rectifier/regulator ??

 

[phoenixgold2100]

Re: 1999 johnson 150 tach dead

well its a 1999 Johnson 150 so whatever it has. 585219 is the number I think its a rectifier and regulator

 

[Joe Reeves]

Re: 1999 johnson 150 tach dead

(Testing Tachometer With Water Cooled Regulator/Rectifier)
(J. Reeves)

A quick check is to simply plug in a another new tachometer as a piece of test equipment. If the new tach works properly and the old tach didn't, obviously the old tach is faulty.... but usually boaters don't carry around a spare tach (see below).

A faulty rectifier wouldn't damage the tachometer, the tachometer simply wouldn't work. This is due to the fact that the tachometer operates off of the charging system and the rectifier converts AC voltage to DC voltage, enabling the charging system. A faulty rectifier disables the charging system, and the tachometer simply doesn't register.

However.... those water cooled regulator/rectifiers that are used on the 35 ampere charging systems (and some others) bring into play a different type problem, and as you've probably found out, they are really a pain to troubleshoot via the proper procedure. There's an easier way.

The tachometer sending/receiving setup operates off of the gray wire at the tachometer. That same gray wire exists at the engine wiring harness which is connected to the engine electrical terminal strip. You'll see that there is a gray wire leading from the regulator/rectifier to that terminal strip, and that there is another gray wire attached to it. That other gray wire is the wire leading to the tachometer which is the one you're looking for.

NOTE: For the later models that DO NOT incorporate a wiring terminal strip, splicing into the "Yellow Wire" mentioned will be necessary.

Remove that gray wire that leads to the tachometer. Now, find the two (2) yellow wires leading from the stator to that terminal strip. Hopefully one of them is either yellow/gray or is connected to a yellow/gray wire at the terminal strip. If so, connect the gray wire you removed previously to that yellow/gray terminal. Start the engine and check the tachometers operation, and if the tachometer operates as it should, then the regulator/rectifier is faulty and will require replacing. If the tachometer is still faulty, replace the tachometer.

If neither of the yellow wires from the stator is yellow/gray, and neither is attached to a yellow/gray wire, then attach that gray tachometer wire to either yellow stator wire, then the other yellow wire, checking the tachometer operation on both connections.

I've found this method to be a quick and efficient way of finding out which component is faulty.... the tachometer or the regulator/rectifier. It sounds drawn out but really only takes a very short time to run through. If the water cooled regulator/rectifier proves to be faulty, don't put off replacing it as they have been known to catch on fire with disastrous consequences.

 

[phoenixgold2100]

Re: 1999 johnson 150 tach dead

Thanks great info. I will try it tomorrow.

But wouldn't the fact that I am not getting any charge at the battery and the tach not working be enough to say the rectifier regulator is faulty?

Engine running I get 12.78 volts same volts not running.

I would think if I was getting 14v at the battery while it was running and the tach not working then faulty tach...

I'd rather not have to splice into those yellow wires if I can help it.

 

[Joe Reeves]

Re: 1999 johnson 150 tach dead

But wouldn't the fact that I am not getting any charge at the battery and the tach not working be enough to say the rectifier regulator is faulty?

Normally, yes. The test mentioned above simply pinpoints whether the tachometer is also bad or not and advises of the consequences involved if one continues to run the engine in that condition.

 

[phoenixgold2100]

Re: 1999 johnson 150 tach dead

I had planned on using it with the faulty rectifier until the new one comes in but I wont for sure now. thanks.

 

[phoenixgold2100]

Years after the original post I am having the same issue. I have replaced part 585219 or 584093 rectifier Johnson 150 99 and it worked great for one season. Then the charging system started acting up.

Tach works one and off. Charging system works on and off. Sometimes doesn't work all day then will for an hour.

I have checked all wires at the rectifier.
I have connected gray wire to both yellow stator wires and the tach does not function.

 

[boobie]

Check your stator.