89 mercury 115 outboard ignition switch

[frankb8784]

Looking to buy a bout with this motor. The guy says that the only issue is it needs a new ignition switch box. Could that be the only problem or could it be something bigger and badder. He says a mechanic looked at it. What do I ask him to find out if it could go deeper then that. First boat purchase don't want to mess up.

 

[Chris1956]

An ignition switch replacement is no big deal, however, it will likely keep the motor from running, and not allow you to test it. The good news is that outboards are real easy to hot wire. Before buying it, I would recommend you test the compression. Next let some gear oil out of the gearcase and examine it for water and pieces of metal. Those are bad. Lastly, see if the motor has spark on all cylinders. Of course, you could skip the spark test and just run it on a flusher device.

 

[roscoe]

Ignition switch?

Or ignition SWITCHBOX ????

if its the key switch in the dash, have him fix it.

If its the switchbox, walk away.

It could be just a switchbox, $225, or it could be much much more. $2000 !!

Don't take the sellers word on this.


As a first boat, you need to look at something in running condition, have the seller take you out
on a 20 minute test drive, and take the boat to your mechanic to have it checked out.