Electrical problem with 1998 Johnson 150hp. ???

[riskyboater]

I recently got my boat and it came with 1998 Johnson 150hp ocean pro. I was out all day and when I pulled up to the dock I turned it off and it wouldn't start back up. I get nothing other then solenoid clicks. It feels like something got shorted and now every time I turn my key to the on position, my Garmin turns off. I don't even know where to start looking. Maybe someone can point me in the right direction???

Thanks

Cleaned and charged both batteries - done
checked the main fuse on the engine - I only found one. still nothing.
Engine turns by hand in forward and reverse.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Electrical problem with 1998 Johnson 150hp. ???

Risky, Since you get a solenoid click and loss of voltage, it suggests dirty battery cables, or a bad battery, or some combo. Is the starter getting hot? Can you spin it by hand (battery disconnected)? maybe a shorted starter?

I have the same motor. if it is not a bad battery or bad cables, may be a couple of places that the wiring had melted the harness causing shorts. One of them was under the dashboard where power was applied to the gauges. The other spot was the lower port side of the motor, where the engine harness connects to the boat harness. look for melted wires.

 

[riskyboater]

Re: Electrical problem with 1998 Johnson 150hp. ???

Thank you Chris.

I also forgot to mention that my battery terminal is getting hot. One positive and negative on another battery. I have them both on parallel ground.

How can I spin the starter?
I can spin from a prop.

Also I think you maybe right about the gauges. The panel is in a bad shape. so I will take a look at that.

 

[bob johnson]

Re: Electrical problem with 1998 Johnson 150hp. ???

is the boat also a 1998? maybe you have corroded cables inside the sheathing!!!


bob

 

[boobie]

Re: Electrical problem with 1998 Johnson 150hp. ???

Check your battery cables real good. When they get hot, there's a problem.

 

[riskyboater]

Re: Electrical problem with 1998 Johnson 150hp. ???

Yes its a 1998 Sunbird Neptune 212.
I will just replace them anyway. I am planing on keeping this boat for a few years, but what is weird to me is that it ran fine the whole day, on and off. Then when I got to the dock and turned it off my self something must have happened that second because I could not start it again in 2 min. Can cables really do this? in just 2 min?

 

[boobie]

Re: Electrical problem with 1998 Johnson 150hp. ???

Yes, depending on how bad they are if they're really bad. They have to quit sometime.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Electrical problem with 1998 Johnson 150hp. ???

The batteries could run out of water and go bad pretty quick. See if the starter will spin using a screwdriver or something that is not your hand.

 

[oldboat1]

Re: Electrical problem with 1998 Johnson 150hp. ???

When you cleaned the starting battery, was there a lot of corrosion around one or both terminals? How old is the starting battery? It's possible that it will hold a charge or most of a charge, but short out under heavy draw (the starter, particularly if there is some cable corrosion somewhere.) I didn't understand your bat. hookup description in #3. Maybe you are saying there is a common ground for the starter and aux battery, which would be normal. But if you have a hot pos post on one battery, and a hot neg post on another, you may have polarity reversed somewhere. guessing.

 

[rtek816]

Re: Electrical problem with 1998 Johnson 150hp. ???

Hey Riskey,

If you get this solved will you throw me a bone on the '96? I love projects and hate to part another.

 

[riskyboater]

Re: Electrical problem with 1998 Johnson 150hp. ???

I will take pictures this Saturday of the set up.
Yes, all battery cables had major brown dirt on them. I hooked up both batteries to the charger and it said they are in good condition.
The battery hook up is this way- One red from the perko switch on bat1 another Red from the switch on bat2 then ground to the motor and a ground from one battery to the next.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Electrical problem with 1998 Johnson 150hp. ???

That sounds correct. To be clear, Red motor battery cable to common post on Perko switch. Black motor battery cable to one battery negative post. Negative battery posts tied together. Now a cable from each battery positive post to one post on perko switch, right?

 

[oldboat1]

Re: Electrical problem with 1998 Johnson 150hp. ???

no authority on Perko switches -- have one on my inboard (came with the boat), and it stays on the "both" setting, per advice I got from the shop that does storage and maintenance. Might check the user setting on the switch, as maybe the starting battery isn't getting a charge. I'll watch, and see if I can learn something.

btw, the stuff on your cables sounds more like storage residue or something -- probably not corrosion (but needs to be cleaned off, whatever it is, as you probably have). I was thinking more of corrosion around the posts, which might indicate battery issues. They can sulfate in storage if allowed to stay discharged, then won't take a charge well.

 

[bob johnson]

Re: Electrical problem with 1998 Johnson 150hp. ???

I will take pictures this Saturday of the set up.
Yes, all battery cables had major brown dirt on them. I hooked up both batteries to the charger and it said they are in good condition.
The battery hook up is this way- One red from the perko switch on bat1 another Red from the switch on bat2 then ground to the motor and a ground from one battery to the next.

dirt on the OUTSIDE o thebattery cables is unimportant.................whats INSIDE is important

bob

 

[riskyboater]

Re: Electrical problem with 1998 Johnson 150hp. ???

Chris, yes that's the set up on the batteries.
But I am also thinking that it's something behind my gauges. When the key is in the off position, I turn the fish finder and the separate garmin. They both power on and then I turn the key to the on position and garmin just shuts off but the fish finder stays on. Also my RPM gauges goes crazy and go's up to 7000 rpm.

 

[bob johnson]

Re: Electrical problem with 1998 Johnson 150hp. ???

this is electrical troubleshooting.... you are going to have to buckle down and start a planned step by step check, replacing all the bad parts, components you find, as you go....if you try to jump around and skip steps, you are destined to have this problem forever...

that's the nature of tracking down shorts

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Electrical problem with 1998 Johnson 150hp. ???

That behavior from the tach sounds like a bad ground. Just a guess.