Wiring nav lights to lighting coil

black betty

Cadet
Joined
Jan 11, 2009
Messages
11
I have an 1989 yamaha 8hp on my Jon boat and want to wire my navigation lights to the lighting coil but not sure how. There are two green wires coming from the lighting coil. Is one a positive and one a ground? I can't find any info and the Manuel is useless and don't want to find out the hard way. Thank you in advance!!
 

gm280

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Jun 26, 2011
Messages
14,585
I have to admit, I have no idea what you're talking about with a lighting coil... But then I am certainly not an expert either.
 

99yam40

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Sep 7, 2008
Messages
8,851
Use a meter to have a look.
both greens should be the same connection

Ground should be the neg connection and green the +
 

alldodge

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Mar 8, 2009
Messages
40,581
I have an 1989 yamaha 8hp on my Jon boat and want to wire my navigation lights to the lighting coil but not sure how. There are two green wires coming from the lighting coil. Is one a positive and one a ground? I can't find any info and the Manuel is useless and don't want to find out the hard way. Thank you in advance!!

As a Yamaha non-expert I'll say this in review of the wiring schematics. With all lighting circuits of any kind, the power should come from a battery, not the charging circuit of the engine. The lighting circuit you speak of is in the link below. My guess is your engine is a pull start and may not have the rectifier components needed to convert the engine pulses to DC voltage. I'm guessing your 8HP motor is a pull start and the harness wires your seeing are the same ones which are used for an electric start.

You may be best to install a battery and then hook up your lights. They should have no problem lasting through the night if lights are kept to a minimum, or you use LED's. Then when your back on the trailer or dock connect in a charger to the battery

http://boatinfo.no/lib/yamaha/manuals/1984-1996yamaha.html#/238
 

99yam40

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Sep 7, 2008
Messages
8,851
On Yamaha the lighting coil is the one that provides AC power to the charging system (rectifier/regulator and then to battery).
On those small pull start motors they sometime come with lighting coil and none of the other stuff.
It furnishes AC power for light bulbs that do not care if it uses AC or DC and is not regulated
so the higher the voltage it puts out at higher RPMs just means the lights burn brighter
 

black betty

Cadet
Joined
Jan 11, 2009
Messages
11
Yes it is pull start. I don't always carry a battery with me so I wired up the lights to the lighting coil if I ever need them and don't have my battery. I put in a 3 way switch so I also made a pigtail to go to my battery if I'm out night fishing. The three way switch keeps both circuits completely separate due to the fact I know my lighting coil can not hook up to the battery because I don't have a regulator. But the first time I went out and used them on the lighting coil, it fried both of my bulbs. Which the rear white 360* light was an LED And the front was a halogen. But I'm wondering how the both got cooked. The rear light literally went up in smoke.
 

black betty

Cadet
Joined
Jan 11, 2009
Messages
11
They worked fine at home when I tested them and worked at first when I was on the water. I believe they burnt up when I was at wide open throttle. I got home and jumped an 1157 automotive bulb with two jumper wires from the lighting coil and it lit up that bulb fine so I know my lighting coil is still fine
 

black betty

Cadet
Joined
Jan 11, 2009
Messages
11
On Yamaha the lighting coil is the one that provides AC power to the charging system (rectifier/regulator and then to battery).
On those small pull start motors they sometime come with lighting coil and none of the other stuff.
It furnishes AC power for light bulbs that do not care if it uses AC or DC and is not regulated
so the higher the voltage it puts out at higher RPMs just means the lights burn brighter
Do you know what bulbs I can use?
 

99yam40

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Sep 7, 2008
Messages
8,851
old school incandescent bulbs should be fine, but no fancy bulbs for 12 V DC only
Put a meter on the lighting coil out put to see what voltages are hitting the bulbs without a battery.

Maybe best to keep the battery in there to absorb and regulate voltage somewhat.

Or buy the rectifier/regulator and install it with a battery
 

black betty

Cadet
Joined
Jan 11, 2009
Messages
11
My front bulb is an old school bulb, I call it halogen. And it got fried to a crisp. And I really appricate your input
 
Top