Ignition/Electrical Problem Help

Boat is a 2001 Starcraft Fishmaster 196 with a Mercury 115HP Saltwater Fourstroke. Wife was out on the lake yesterday and the boat wouldn't start after shutting it off to switch tube riders. I got out there and checked fuses, wires, etc. Suddenly it worked again without any real fix that I could say I'd done. Back at the dock I started it four times with no trouble, the fifth try-no start. Again I tried Ignition Switch, Kill Switch, Throttle in idle, wiring, fuses, etc. Nothing. A friend came by later and did same tries and it started. This afternoon I hit the Kill Switch and Ignition Switch with WD40 thinking it may be corrosion. The boat started and idled fine. We cast off the docklines and pushed away, but as soon as I touched the throttle the engine died and it won't start again.

I have power to the accessory switches and depth finder, so I know power is getting to the console. I do not have engine guage power or power tilt-trim, and the engine won't start. After the engine died today I sat in the boat and turned the ignition key to "On", but not "Start", and tried flicking the Kill Switch up and down multiple times-Nothing. I then tried running the throttle out of the idle detent back and forth many times, and once I did get a quick movement of the console guages. I'm thinking of pulling the throttle quadrant off and taking a look to see if anything jumps out at me, but could use any help available.

Thanks for reading.

Re: Ignition/Electrical Problem Help

You may be on the right track with the neutral safety switch, but the that only interrupts the starter circuit. Therefore, it shouldn't have any effect on the gauges.

Star with the basics: Clean both battery connections and tighten them well. Preferably, replace the wingnuts with stainless steel hex nuts with nylock inserts. Also check the fuse or circuit breaker under the motor cowl.

Re: Ignition/Electrical Problem Help

Running the controls back and forth should have absolutely nothing to do with the gauges since they are powered by the "A" (accessory) terminal on the ignition switch. The kill switch and neutral start switches have nothing to do with the gauges. The fact that the console switches work is also not related to the engine since they are fed by the "boat harness" which runs directly from the battery to the console -- not via the "engine harness" that runs from the engine to the console. When the engine doesn't start, check for 12 volts on the "B" (battery) terminal on the ignition switch. If not present, go back to the engine and check there. That means make sure the battery cables and all connections are ok (and that doesn't mean looking at them - but rather disconnecting, cleaning, and assembling them securely). If you have power at the switch, then set the switch RUN and check at the "A" terminal. If not present, the switch is probably bad. If present, move the switch to START and check at the "S" terminal. If 12 volts is not present, again the ignition switch may be bad. If present, check at the starter solenoid. Follow the juice. When you lose it you found the issue.

Re: Ignition/Electrical Problem Help

NYBo and Silvertip, thanks for your help. I tested all connections and all had power, so I went back to what you both referenced, the battery. The battery terminals and cables didn't look bad, but I followed your advice and scraped and cleaned them until they looked shiny and new. I then made sure they had good contact and were tightened properly. The motor started right up! I turned it on and off numerous times with no troubles. I then took it out on the lake and ran it through its paces and again had no trouble. It even sounds like its running better, if that makes any sense.

Thanks again for helping save our 4th holiday!

Brian

Re: Ignition/Electrical Problem Help

tankerjock said:

NYBo and Silvertip, thanks for your help. I tested all connections and all had power, so I went back to what you both referenced, the battery. The battery terminals and cables didn't look bad, but I followed your advice and scraped and cleaned them until they looked shiny and new. I then made sure they had good contact and were tightened properly. The motor started right up! I turned it on and off numerous times with no troubles. I then took it out on the lake and ran it through its paces and again had no trouble. It even sounds like its running better, if that makes any sense.

Thanks again for helping save our 4th holiday!

Brian

Click to expand...

Geez -- we get lucky periodically.

Re: Ignition/Electrical Problem Help

is it one of the fuel injected motors, I recently read that low voltage will stop the injectors from working.