Tohatsu 90MA wiring question

tchljhbcm

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Newbie here, be gentle... here goes... the story begins with...

Have twin tohatsu 90, 1996 model year, with morse MT-3 twin cable control, on an old Glacier Bay LX220. The port neutral safety switch fell into pieces on the deck recently, so looked up the part number on the teleflex website for an MT-3, ordered the part (305499), and installed it. The new part looked just like the one in the MT-3 manual with two terminal connections. Problem is, the old switch that came out of the MT-3 had one extra wire that is now just hanging there, haven't got a clue what it does, or should do... Did Tohatsu require some special wire for some reason? What am I missing here without the wire in the circuit, anyone care a guess?
I seem to have start-in-gear protection on both sides with the new switch installed, the only detectable difference being that when I put the starboard in gear at the control head and then turn the key to the on position, I get the horn/buzzer, where on the port side I do not (engines not running). If I try to connect the extra wire to one of the other two leads with the handles in the neutral position, the starter kicks in gear with the key in the on position, so I just left it unattached, and everything seems to work fine... I think???
Looking at the side of the remains of the old switch, the third connection is labeled "NO" which I assume means normally open.
Riddle for inquisitive minds who want to know, what's the effect of just leaving this now "extra" wire unconnected? Do I really need to go searching for this "Tohatsu" three lead microswitch?
:confused:
 

TOHATSU GURU

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Jul 22, 2004
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Re: Tohatsu 90MA wiring question

Contact Tohatsu Technical at 214-420-6440 and they will explain it to you.
 

tchljhbcm

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Re: Tohatsu 90MA wiring question

Thanks!!!

Very helpful folks at Tohatsu technical... just making sure it's safe out there...
:D
 

tchljhbcm

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Re: Tohatsu 90MA wiring question

If anybody's interested, found an online source for the OEM switches, direct replacement for existing three connection swithes.

Original neutral safety switches were OMRON #VX-5-1A3 and are available for $3.01 each at www.mouser.com, plus shiping/tax, less than $10 total.

The OEM data sheet for the neutral safety switches is available online as well.

http://oeiwcsnts1.omron.com/pdfcatal.nsf/PDFLookUpByUniqueID/396FE712CEB3E00386256FCE0076682E/$FILE/D22VX0305.pdf

How did we ever fix old boats/motors before the web?...

Enjoy...:p
 

TOHATSU GURU

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Re: Tohatsu 90MA wiring question

When you get the switch please let me know if it is identical to the old one or if it slightly different, but works.

Thanks
 

tchljhbcm

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Jul 10, 2007
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Re: Tohatsu 90MA wiring question

Roger that, UPS tracker has it arriving Friday, will advise... appreciate your help...;)
 

tchljhbcm

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Re: Tohatsu 90MA wiring question

The saga continues...

Got the new VX-5-1A3 switch in, it's a direct replacement in form/function for the original V-15-1AG switch. It functions the same as the original switch, question now is for how long? The new VX series switch is rated at about a third the continuous rating of the old switch. The old V-15 switch is rated at 15A @ 250VAC, where the new switch is rated at 5A @250VAC, with a max inrush current rating of 15A max. The new VX-5 switch has a low operating force internal hinge lever mechanism to ensure contact reliability. How long it lasts in service is a function of how it gets utilized, in short, anybody's guess.

Doing some additional research from Omron electronics data sheets, learned that the V-15 series switch can still be special ordered, but has been replaced by the V-15G series switch. I asked for a quote on price/availability on the original V-15 switch and will post when known. The equivalent V-15G series switch appears to be the V-15G1A5-K part number, which is available for $2.32, a little cheaper then the VX model, probably due to the simpler mechanism design. I'll confirm my thinking with OMRON and post findings...

Hoping someone out there might actually be interested in the details... enjoy...
 

TOHATSU GURU

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Jul 22, 2004
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Re: Tohatsu 90MA wiring question

I'm interested. Normally the micro technical details are pointless, but, the price from the switch from Tohatsu versus what these switches sell for is....large:) By a factor of 10, large.
 

tchljhbcm

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Jul 10, 2007
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Re: Tohatsu 90MA wiring question

Got the quote for the exact V-15-1A6 microswitch, it's not a stock item, special order only, minimum 4 week lead time, and $7.75 each. With shipping, total cost is $14.
The cost differential doesn't surprise me, special order through Paxton Marine Supply ends up being about $25 with shipping and handling. Marine supply handling means more $$$ than electronics supply handling... don't ask me why...
Think I'll wait to order when my replacement switch goes south... enjoy...
 
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