Removal of Controls / Neutral Safety Switch Troubleshooting on Mercruiser 140 I/O

Hello,

For some reason my neutral safety switch isn't working. if i connect the two spade pins to the switch mounted on the controls, the engine won't turn over. If i disconnect the two and jumper them together, things work fine.

Question:

How do i remove the controls?

Is the switch a replacement part? (I'm assuming yes).

I've attached some photos. I'm also guessing the stainless strap comes off to access the nut head under so the contol arm slides off. I pryed for a little, and it only felt like i was going to break it.

Trim Tilt (up, down, park switches)

Photo 1



photo #2, the device in the middle vertically in the center and slightly to the left is the electrical switch in question. It has a small red tab with TWO pins:




Levers looking to the rear of the boat:

Photo 3:



The boat is a 19' 1986 Searay Seville Cuddy w/ 140 HP Mercruiser

Re: Removal of Controls / Neutral Safety Switch Troubleshooting on Mercruiser 140 I/O

picture #2 is the neutral safety.remove the square blak plpastic cover and you will see a bolt, remove that and the handel comes off.

Re: Removal of Controls / Neutral Safety Switch Troubleshooting on Mercruiser 140 I/O

You can't see it in your pictures, but there is a third connection on that switch. The switches are designed for Normally Open to Normally Closed use.

Re: Removal of Controls / Neutral Safety Switch Troubleshooting on Mercruiser 140 I/O

Bt Doctur said:

picture #2 is the neutral safety.remove the square blak plpastic cover and you will see a bolt, remove that and the handel comes off.

Click to expand...

Once i get that off, is that a part i can order from iboats or crowleymarine? I can't seem to find it on a parts diagram. I have a johnson outboard and the catalog goes all the way to the controls. Crowley's doesn't appear to.

http://www.crowleymarine.com/mercury-outboard/963.cfm

Re: Removal of Controls / Neutral Safety Switch Troubleshooting on Mercruiser 140 I/O

Don S said:

You can't see it in your pictures, but there is a third connection on that switch. The switches are designed for Normally Open to Normally Closed use.

Click to expand...

Really? If it were a standard relay (or proper electrical term "solenoid") it would require 4 wires. Two for the coil, one across the dry contacts. My understanding is the switch was mechanically "tripped" from NO to NC by the mechanical position of the throttle lever? What would the 3rd wire do?

Re: Removal of Controls / Neutral Safety Switch Troubleshooting on Mercruiser 140 I/O

Really? If it were a standard relay (or proper electrical term "solenoid") it would require 4 wires.

Click to expand...

It's not a solenoid, or a relay, it's a switch, as in Neutral Safety Switch.
It has an ON and an OFF position.
For Mercruiser, you would want a normally closed switch (NC) which would allow power to the start slave solenoid on the engine.
If you hook it up opposite, it will allow you to crank the engine when in gear, but not in neutral.
You have 2 wires, you just have to use the right two terminals.

Of course if the switch is bad, it doesn't matter where you hook the wires.

I have a johnson outboard and the catalog goes all the way to the controls.

Click to expand...

Mercruisers can use a number of different controls. For the controls, you have to go to the quicksilver accessories section and find your particular control.
I don't think your control is a Merc control. Looks more like a Teleflex.