I guess j reeves is the authority on this. I appreciate the website it has been very helpful but have not found an answer on this. I was at the lake 3 weeks ago with the engine idling when all of a sudden it shifted itself into forward and launched itself onto the concrete boat launch ouch!!! I tracked it down to being the upper solenoid. I replaced it and it still had some issues going into reverse but stayed in neutral. I used the boat twice and now it did the same thing again. I again checked the resistance on both solenoids. lower solenoid was again 5.8 ohms but the upper one again is fried being 1 ohm. My blocking diode behind the dash heats up because of the increased current. I am wondering what could cause this solenoid to go out so quickly. Both times the gear oil has had some slight water in it. (not very much but visibly a little milky). the first time it was the solenoid cover gasket so I replaced it but it is still getting a little water, Could this be the problem? I hope that's all the information. Thanks for help on this frustrating matter. (anyone got one of those solenoids used for sale?)
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Looking for anybody with suggestions the wife is a little upset that the $120 dollar part the size of a shot glass is now toast and needing a new one after two uses. that's an expensive two fishing trips
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The solenoid plungers must be adjusted so that they are lower than the top surface of the solenoids, approximately 1/64" lower, BUT no lower than 1/64". Any deviation will result in shift problems. However, this has nothing to do with having a solenoid fail electrical in any manner.
Those solenoids are designed to have 12 volts applied to them constantly. This brings a question into view........... Are you running a dual battery setup? If so, that might indicate that somehow you are applying 24 volts to that solenoid. I can think of nothing else that that would burn out one solenoid regardless of the time period.
You mention "My blocking diode behind the dash heats up because of the increased current". This diode is also designed to handle 12 volts constantly which again brings to mind the 24 volt mention as stated above.
The purpose of the blocking diode is to allow voltage to flow from the ignition switch directly to the power terminal of the shift switch. This terminal also connects to the shift diode, (commonly called monkey nuts due to its appearance), asembly at the engine's strip terminal and from there to the engine's charging system (rectifer & stator). If the blocking diode at the ignition switch fails, it is impossibly to shut the engine down due to the fact that the charging system would be applying voltage to the ignition system via the failed diode.
If the rectifier or the shift blocking diode assembly at the engine failed, then obviously shift and charging problems would exist....... and weird voltage problems will arise.
Check the rectifier and shift blocking diode at the engine with an ohm meter first.
Also with a ohm meter, check the blocking diode at the ignition switch to make sure that voltage/continuity flows only one way...... from the ignition switch to the shift switch power terminal.
With the engine NOT RUNNING but with the key in the ON position, check to see that you have 12 volts to the solenoids, that is....... NO voltage when in forward...... 12 volts to only the GREEN wire (neutral solenoid) when in NEUTRAL..... and 12 volts to both the GREEN and BLUE wire (neutral & reverse solenoid) when in REVERSE.
Now IF you have 12 volts at the ignition switch side of that small blocking diode BUT less than 12 volts at either of those solenoids, a problem exists such as frayed wiring, loose connections, etc that is creating a voltage drop. If this type problem exists, it must be corrected as this will cause a overheat build up of the associated wiring which will lead to other problems.
hmmm..... I can't tell you how valuable your input is so thanks ahead of time. More info. When I check the blue and green wires at the powerhead with the knife connections disconnected I get the 12 volts at the right times and no voltage in forward. I checked the "monkey nut" behind the dash the other day and it is indeed only letting current flow one direction. I have not checked the other one so far. I had the same question about the batteries as I do have a dual battery setup. However I don't get 24 volts anywhere, they're hooked up through a battery switch. I discovered that when pressure testing the lower unit today I can hear slight bubbling out the prop shaft so that seal needs replacing. Is there any chance though that the water intrusion (as small amount as it is) could short that solenoid out? I did not adjust that shaft when I installed the last one and I believe it is above the solenoid could that cause it?
as for that blocking diode my thought was that it is only designed to have a certain amount of current going through it and with the resistance numbers so low on that one solenoid (being burned up...bad) it is acting like a shorted circuit situation and the flow of current is so high that it is causing that diode to heat up.
rear monkey nut working as it should and shift wires at 11.59 volts when they should have power on the dual battery setting engine not running and key on. Tach didn't work when I bought the boat and on the first trip out the tach melted down from the inside out. I havn't replaced it yet, didn't think this could be related but not sure.
It is not common for the solenoids to fail. In fact, I have never personally seen one fail...but I suppose it has happend. I also suppose water could make it happen, although I've seen plenty of motors with salt water in the gearcase and the solenoids survived. The windings would have to have defective insulation to allow the water to get to the copper wire...then it certainly would be doomed.
When you test the voltage at the knife connectors at the rear, do it without disconnecting them. That will provide a load on the circuit and a voltage drop across the shift switch contacts, if the switch is bad. Otherwise, without a load (amperage) a bad switch can test as good.
But a bad shift switch shouldn't cause your solenoid problems. Just the opposite, the solenoid wouldn't get any juice at all, or not enough.
when I don't disconnect the knife connections the blue lead drops from 11.59 to a little over 10 volts. The green lead however drops to about 4 volts, I assume because the solenoid is shorted out inside? If I do have a bad rectifier (when I put the battery selector on one battery on the last trip it didn't seem to charge it at all) would that potentially fry the solenoid because of not enough voltage somehow? I have the lower unit off otherwise I'd check for charge to check the rectifier.
Low voltage shouldn't fry the solenoid. High voltage might if it were way high. But running at 16 volts or so isn't uncommon.
4 volts indicates a high resistance ahead of the test point. It's Ohms law at work. Most likely a bad shift switch, but don't automatically assume that. It could also be a high resistance anywhere between the battery and test point. And yes, a dead shorted solenoid would give a lower than normal reading, but 4 is mighty low.
EDIT: a dead short in the cable going down to the solenoid would also give a low voltage reading.
the last time this happened I checked voltages from the key switch (ignition) all the way back to the bad solenoid and it seemed to lose voltage all the way along the line. I pulled that solenoid out and the resistance is 1 ohm at the wire splice 3" away from the solenoid. I'm just at a loss as to why this could be happening. the only thing I've seen so far is low voltage as much as I can figure due to the bad solenoid shorting out and also possibly a bad rectifier? but it is definetly a bad solenoid regardless.
Bad rectifier??? Nah. Well, it could be bad, but that isn't causing your shift problem.
Normally, I would suggest clipping a jumper wire directly from the battery + to the green wire and see what the result is with a voltage check then.
However, normal solenoid resistance is 5 - 6 ohms. If you only have 1 ohm, and a voltage drop along the entire length of the wire, it pretty much clinches the diagnosis of a shorted solenoid.
You also could to an amps check. Normal current is 1.5 - 2 amps
which begs the next question. Is there any other reason that the solenoid would go out so quickly (lower voltages, out of adjustment, slight water intrusion). or is it just looking like possibly a faulty solenoid from the start?
As FR states...... the 12 volt test, at the shift wires leading to the lower unit, they must be connected. A low voltage reading indicates (usually) a wiring problem between that connection and the voltage source.
I'll definetly check for wiring issues when putting the new part in. There was nothing blatantly obvious when removing the old one. Have to say if you are in need of parts, sea-way marine is wonderful for customer service, they are warranteeing out the old one and giving me a new one no charge. Hopefully it was a defective part cause if it happens again I'll have to buy that one
New issue, I installed the new solenoid and new prop shaft seal and am testing to no end before hooking power to the solenoids. When I check the voltage without the motor running at the engine connections for the solenoids (without hooking them up) it is over 11 volts. I start the engine and do the same and the voltage starts jumping around from 2 volts to 11 volts. What could this be? I just replaced the rectifier but wondering if it could be stator. Please help!!
As I said before, you might have a bad rectifier (or stator) but that is not causing this problem. You could take the rectifier and battery charging portion of the stator clear out and throw them away, and it should still shift. That is because of the dual power source for the shift--alternator and blocking diode. Now if BOTH sources were shot, you might not have any shift at all. Or, if the blocking diode were shorted, it would shift but you wouldn't be able to turn the motor off.
You have an intermittant connection or short in the wiring. Can't tell you where it is from this distance.
hmmmm..... Not sure what would cause the issue only when the motor is running. I did the rectifier ohm check (it is also a new one) and it passed. Then I fired up the motor and the stator is giving a pretty consistent <13> vac. But when I check the red wire coming from the rectifier it is giving voltage all over from 2 to 12 volts, the same as the leads for the solenoids. But again, with the motor off and key on the shift leads have a good 11.5 volts.
edit... I didn't disconnect the leads from the rectifier when I checked it. I did so just now and I get no reading on any of the tests on my ohm meter. I can't help but think these voltage surges couldn't be good for a solenoid. And they seem to override the other paths of voltage to the switch as soon as I start the motor. Bad new rectifier?
1969 85 hp evinrude hydro electric issues
Re: 1969 85 hp evinrude hydro electric issues
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