Thanks to Lt F_R on here I got all the wires attached to the proper terminals on the back of the ignition switch, but it still doesnt work. I'm afraid I may have blown a fuse or fried the ignition switch in my many attempts to start it when I had the wires in the wrong combination. Is that possible? How do I find out what is wrong now?
Follow the smaller red wires from the starter solenoid to the fuse holder which is in line. The fuse connects to a red or red and purple 16 Ga. wire running to the harness.
That fuse is for the positive current to the control so if it blows, you have no power.
Hmmmm... I looked all over that motor and can't find that fuse. Is it possible that since the motor is from 1973, they didnt put that inline fuse on until the newer ones?
Nope. I'm looking at the wiring diagram in the service manual for your motor.
There should be three wires connected to the large post at the back side of the starter solenoid: the red battery cable; the red wire to the rectifier, and the red wire to the fuse. The fuse container is cylindrical, and may be held to the engine with a steel clamp, just above and behind the rectifier.
Do you know if you have 12 volts on the red wire at the ignition switch? If you do, the fuse is OK. If you have 12 volts up there, and still won't crank, you may have fried the safety switch. Using an automotive starter solenoid is one sure way of frying the safety switch. Another is using a jumper to actuate the solenoid and accidently jumping to the wrong small post.
Oops, I think I goofed. That motor does not have the safety switch that I mentioned, does it? Instead, it has a neutral start switch in the remote control. Sorry about that, my bad.
Here is a pic of fuse location. I had to change the fuse in mine last summer...the darn thing just fell apart . Tried to start motor on muffs before heading to lake and it wouldn't start. Checked it out and the fuse was just old to the point it vibrated apart I guess. The endcaps on the fuse were lose and not making contact with the element.
Ok, found the fuse, it was blown. After replacing the fuse and making sure the wiring was correct on the ignition switch, I expected everything to work like it did before, but it still doesnt work. The choke ( on a separate switch connected to accessory terminal on the ignition switch) does work when the key is in the on position, but when you turn the key the rest of the way, nothing happens. I have the wires set up in the folling:
B - red w/ purple stripe
M - 2 black ground wires
A - 2 purple wires ( 1 with white stripe)
M - 1 black / yellow stripe
S - (white...actually tan..but connected to the white one)
Check the fuse again! It may be blowing the instant you hit the key. If it's blown again, you need to find the short in the START circuit ("S" terminal on the switch). If the fuse is ok, check for voltage at the small terminal on the starter solenoid while you have someone turn the key to START. If there is no voltage present, the solenoid is not being energized so the problem lies in the wire harness between the engine and the ignition switch. If voltage is present, the solenoid is either not grounded or its bad. If you haven't removed, cleaned, and checked the battery cables (both ends) you should do that as well. And lastly, you do have a good battery?
There are two safety switches: one in the control and one on the engine. The control arm must be in neutral to override them. Sometimes you need to jiggle the throttle arm to get the neutral switch in the control to loosen up.
The two small wires on the two small posts on the solenoid are affected by them. The negative one is wired to the engine safety switch and then to ground as F R pointed out. 1973 was the last year they used it on the 135 because of the switch in the control being redundant. The easiest way to check the switch on the engine is to bypass it to ground and see if the solenoid engages with the ignition switch.
Trying to make this make sense since I don't have a diagram, only memory. But the circuit is power from the battery cable at the starter solenoid, through the fuse, through the harness plug, to the B terminal on the ign switch, out the S terminal to the neutral switch, back though the harness plug, to one small post on the starter solenoid. From the other small post to either ground or safety switch, whichever.
A voltmeter is invaluable for checking it at each point instead of guessing.
The safety switch is located next to the throttle lever on the starboard side of the engine. It is shown on the “Cylinder and Crankcase” diagram for the 1973 135HP as: #95
0386056
SAFETY SWITCH ASSY
The tan harness wire is for the horn and should run back to the starboard cylinder head's overheat sensor.
Somewhere in there there should be a white postive feed for the solenoid and that is what should be connected to S on your ignition, after passing through the neutral safety switch in the control.
BagOFchips3071 can check the cylinder head for a tan wire,
I have one on my 1973 135HP Evinrude, and it is shown on the engine diagram for the 1973 85,115, and 135. It runs straight through the harness to the hot horn in the control, completing the circuit if the switch closes on overheat. The other side of the horn is wired to A with 16 ga. purple wire.
I wish there were some way to get BRP to put these wiring. diagrams on line, It sure would make it easier.
thanks.I really didn't think they had the tan wire back then.But thinking about it they also had a hot light in the dash? Was the start/crank wire white in the diagram ?
135 Evinrude Ignition switch
Linear Mode
