1998 Mercury Tracker Force 40 HP ELPT Won't Start

Windy Acres

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Jul 6, 2017
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I have a 1998 Mercury Tracker Force 40 HP ELPT Serial # OE333340. It is on a 1998 Sun Tracker Pontoon boat. The only way I can start it is by putting a 12 volt jumper to the yellow and red wire on the key switch. I have chased the red wire on the key switch which should have 12 volts and found it comes from the voltage regulator via a fuse. There is no voltage coming out of the voltage regulator. Does this mean the voltage regulator is bad?
 

roscoe

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Oct 30, 2002
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21,657
Is there voltage on the red on the back of the ignition switch?


" is by putting a 12 volt jumper to the yellow and red wire on the key switch"

From where? to the yelo/red?

Sounds to me like the ignition switch is bad.


Red from the regulator goes to battery +.

Regulator will only output voltage when engine is running.
Engine will start with bad regulator.
 

Windy Acres

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Jul 6, 2017
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There is no voltage on the red wire on the back of the ignition switch. I picked up 12 volts from the fuse panel under and ran a jumper to the yellow/red wire.. I only hook up the jumper when I want to start it. It will run fine once started but the tach will not work..When I put 12 volts to the red wire on the switch the starter will just run at low RPM not enough to kick in the starter..I would think there should be 12 volts on the red wire from the engine?
 

roscoe

Supreme Mariner
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Oct 30, 2002
Messages
21,657
Power in the ignition switch comes from the engine harness, which draws it from the battery. Trace battery cable from battery to starter solenoid.
Then from solenoid to inline fuse that feeds power to the harness that feeds the ignition switch.

check all connections and the fuse, make sure everything is clean and tightened.
 
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