No start, well nothing really!

[Disco44]

I thought I had a switch problem but replaced that and I still have nothing, I have lights, radio, depth finder everything but power to gauges and motor. Checked the wires coming to switch and they all have juice, battery new and leads clean, all fuses replaced, checked 20amp on motor all is good with those but nothing when i turn switch to second position or start position. Solenoid maybe?? I'm stumped any help?

 

[JB]

Re: No start, well nothing really!

Bad cables or connection from battery to engine.

Take cables off, clean every connection and reconnect.

Let us know what happens.

 

[Don S]

Re: No start, well nothing really!

What are we working on? Outboard, IO, Straight inboard, jet ski, lawn mower?
Model numbers, serial numbers, anything to ID the engine. Year would help too.
Sorry, boat manufacturer doesn't help.

 

[Disco44]

Re: No start, well nothing really!

Sorry I got ahead of myself,

Its a 1993 Mercury 60 on a Monark pontoon

ID on motor 0D187399

 

[Disco44]

Re: No start, well nothing really!

Just finished checking the solenoid, getting current from battery to solenoid but when switch turned to start I'm getting no current on small yellow wire, would this mean solenoid?

 

[TahoeQ4Pilot]

Re: No start, well nothing really!

Neutral safety switch? Deadman switch?


Rule out the easy ones.

 

[Barnacle_Bill]

Re: No start, well nothing really!

The small yellow/red wire on the solenoid comes from the ignition switch. You should have 12V on the red wire at the switch and 12V on the yellow red wire when in the start position. So either you do not have power going to the switch or the switch is bad and not providing power to the solenoid. Or there is a problem with the yellow/red wire between the switch and the motor. Disconnect the plug at the wiring harness under the cowl and check all the pins.

 

[Disco44]

Re: No start, well nothing really!

The small yellow/red wire on the solenoid comes from the ignition switch. You should have 12V on the red wire at the switch and 12V on the yellow red wire when in the start position. So either you do not have power going to the switch or the switch is bad and not providing power to the solenoid. Or there is a problem with the yellow/red wire between the switch and the motor. Disconnect the plug at the wiring harness under the cowl and check all the pins.

Yes 12v red/yellow at switch
No 12v red/yellow at solenoid while in start position
New switch still nothing
Checked harness Sat, all seemed fine, will recheck tomorrow

thank you for your input

 

[Silvertip]

Re: No start, well nothing really!

You said you have power on all wires coming to the switch. That is not possible since the only one that has power is the one connected to the "B" (battery) terminal. If not, the engine harness is not being powered at the engine or the big harness plug. When you turn the key to START the wire connected to the "S" terminal should have 12 volts. If not AND the "B" terminal is active, you have a bad switch or poor connection. With the key in the RUN position and then pushing it in (choke/prime mode) the wire connected to the "C" terminal should show 12 volts. If not, the switch is bad oer a bad connection. With the switch in the RUN position the "A" (accessory) terminal should have 12 volts. If not, again the switch is really not getting 12 volts from the harness or the switch is bad. I really think you are not measuring things correctly. In order for anything to work you need 12 volts into the switch. If that's missing, nothing else happens.

 

[Disco44]

Re: No start, well nothing really!

You said you have power on all wires coming to the switch. That is not possible since the only one that has power is the one connected to the "B" (battery) terminal. If not, the engine harness is not being powered at the engine or the big harness plug. When you turn the key to START the wire connected to the "S" terminal should have 12 volts. If not AND the "B" terminal is active, you have a bad switch or poor connection. With the key in the RUN position and then pushing it in (choke/prime mode) the wire connected to the "C" terminal should show 12 volts. If not, the switch is bad oer a bad connection. With the switch in the RUN position the "A" (accessory) terminal should have 12 volts. If not, again the switch is really not getting 12 volts from the harness or the switch is bad. I really think you are not measuring things correctly. In order for anything to work you need 12 volts into the switch. If that's missing, nothing else happens.

Thanks Silvertip, I will recheck at lunch and make notes of volts and post.

 

[Disco44]

Re: No start, well nothing really!

Well I have been out trying to figure this out and at the switch the Red wire that plugs into the B post on the back of the switch is not registering 12 volts at all, diagram shows this is from the battery, correct? I would assume if this is coming from the battery it should have 12 volts correct?

 

[Silvertip]

Re: No start, well nothing really!

That's what I said and that's what it should be. Yes -- it does come from the battery but via the ENGINE harness, and the large battery cables, not the smaller wires feeding the fuse panel. You mentioned earlier that you had 12 volts at the large terminal on the solenoid which is good. From there however, 12 volts is passed through the large plug, then on up the harness to the ignition switch. Did you check the engine fuse which is usually a 20 amp. If that's ok then the big plug is suspect. Disconnect, inspect, clean and make sure it is plugged together tightly.

 

[Disco44]

Re: No start, well nothing really!

That's what I said and that's what it should be. Yes -- it does come from the battery but via the ENGINE harness, and the large battery cables, not the smaller wires feeding the fuse panel. You mentioned earlier that you had 12 volts at the large terminal on the solenoid which is good. From there however, 12 volts is passed through the large plug, then on up the harness to the ignition switch. Did you check the engine fuse which is usually a 20 amp. If that's ok then the big plug is suspect. Disconnect, inspect, clean and make sure it is plugged together tightly.

Thanks Silvertip, never been good with wires,
Yes 20 amp ok at engine, and yes 12 volts at the solenoid, so the large "wrapped" harness going from the engine/solenoid to the console is where I'm looking for a problem, what do you do, cut the rubber wrap and check the red wire perodically??

 

[Josh P]

Re: No start, well nothing really!

ya you could get a multi meter and do a continuity check from B on switch to positive on battery. Then cut the insulation open a bit and check for power. you could also temp run a new wire from battery positive side of fuse to B on switch see what that gets ya.. btw it would also be nice to edit your profile and add your location just in case there is someone by you they could help easier. Good luck JOsh

 

[Disco44]

Re: No start, well nothing really!

ya you could get a multi meter and do a continuity check from B on switch to positive on battery. Then cut the insulation open a bit and check for power. you could also temp run a new wire from battery positive side of fuse to B on switch see what that gets ya.. btw it would also be nice to edit your profile and add your location just in case there is someone by you they could help easier. Good luck JOsh

Profile updated,

Ok I have to plead absolute stupid with wiring terms, so what do you mean when you say "positive side of fuse"

thanks, yes I skipped this class in High school

 

[bruceb58]

Re: No start, well nothing really!

One thing you need to be aware of when you check voltages. You may measure 12V at any point in the chain with no load but will measure 0V when a load is put on. The reason is that if you have a highly resistive connection somewhere, no current will be able to flow and your voltage will drop once a load is applied. If possible, measure the voltage with a load. If the voltage goes from 12V to 0V once the load is applied, look backwards toward the battery for the bad connection.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: No start, well nothing really!

"positive side of fuse"

There really is no such thing as "Positive side of the fuse". There will be one side that is connected to the power source and one side that is connected to the load. The power source side will always have voltage and the load side will have voltage if the fuse is not blown.

 

[Disco44]

Re: No start, well nothing really!

Well I'm going to try to decipher all this info, really dumb it down to see if understand it correctly. I have determined I am getting nothing to the switch from the red battery wire which plugs into the "B" post on back of starter. If I bump the solenoid the starter engages and attempts to start, now back to red wire, so I can run a temp wire from solenoid to the "B" post on back of switch and should be able to start motor, is this correct?

Thanks

 

[Silvertip]

Re: No start, well nothing really!

You are making this way to difficult. Disconnect the red wire at the switch. Set your meter to read resistance. Touch one probe to the red wire you just removed. Touch the other end to the other end of that same wire either at the plug in the harness at the engine, or the terminal where that wire is attached at the engine. If the meter shows infinity (open circuit) that wire is broken somewhere. If you read continuity that means the wire is good. use another piece of wire to extend the reach of the meter leads if necessary.

 

[Disco44]

Re: No start, well nothing really!

You are making this way to difficult. Disconnect the red wire at the switch. Set your meter to read resistance. Touch one probe to the red wire you just removed. Touch the other end to the other end of that same wire either at the plug in the harness at the engine, or the terminal where that wire is attached at the engine. If the meter shows infinity (open circuit) that wire is broken somewhere. If you read continuity that means the wire is good. use another piece of wire to extend the reach of the meter leads if necessary.

I figured I was making more difficlut than it should be, thanks for the help.

Ok I can do the resistance check but then that brings a question; if the wire is not broken, then what? and if it is try the temp wire route. sorry for being an idiot with this.