1990 60hp Johnson difficulty starting

[dinghyracer]

Hi I am new to the forum seems great lots of useful info.

I recently bought a boat with a 60hp Johnson vro (VRO disconnected premix 50:1) I went for a test drive and everything seemed to be in good order.
Since then I have had great difficulty starting it, I have discovered that the Choke Primer Solenoid is not working there is no click when key pressed in, in both
start or run positions. The lever is is auto positon facing back over the solenoid. I have tried putting it in manual position and priming the engine with the primer
bulb and them putting the lever back to auto position. It will start sometimes if I do it like this and sometimes it will start for a second or just backfire. If i get it started
it runs fine and will restart most of the time.

Its really starting to frustrate me, Summer has started and I want the boat on the water but just cant trust it in its current state :/

Any help is greatly appreciated,

Greg.

 

[Bosunsmate]

Ive never had mine fail, but i think you are meant to only turn the lever to manual when starting, doing it while priming will just flood the motor.
Now to the fixing of the solenoid, the better solution.
You need to check the ground wire on it and the hot wire.
Check the ground has a good connection with negative ground and that the hot wire to it, the non black one gets 12v when key is pressed in.
You will need a $5 multimeter and someone to press the key in or a long stick or a long piece of wire to achieve this but its a lot cheaper and faster than going to a shop

 

[racerone]

Find where the battery connects to the starter solenoid.------Take a jumper wire from that post directly to the primer solenoid screw with the wires.---Does the primer click then ?

 

[dinghyracer]

Ok so I removed the solenoid from the engine took it apart and cleaned it. I took a positive and negative wire from the battery and touched it to the solenoid
connections and it clicks. I put it back and on the engine the way it was originally on and got no click. The purple wire from the solenoid is live and the black is
Connected to the ground. I switched these around and it worked but I am afraid I could possibly damage the solenoid like this. Should I leave it this way or will it break the solenoid

 

[Bosunsmate]

Ok so I removed the solenoid from the engine took it apart and cleaned it. I took a positive and negative wire from the battery and touched it to the solenoid
connections and it clicks. I put it back and on the engine the way it was originally on and got no click. The purple wire from the solenoid is live and the black is
Connected to the ground. I switched these around and it worked but I am afraid I could possibly damage the solenoid like this. Should I leave it this way or will it break the solenoid

i have no idea so ive bumped it.
:bump:
I wouldnt of thought a solenoid would work in reverse as the electromagnetic force would be in the opposite direction. But if it works then id just use that, its only on for a second or two at start up

 

[WernerF]

Solenoid should be independent of polarity. I guess the ground connection wasn't as good as you think.

 

[dinghyracer]

I connected the solenoid to the engine with the ground in the correct positions as mentioned above and it is now working.
I just have to wait for a new valve kit to arrive to test it. Hopefully this sorts the problem

 

[dinghyracer]

Fitted the new replacement valve and engine started right up thanks for all the help.

 

[dinghyracer]

Okay Problem
Went to start the engine today and the solenoid isn't working again(no click) I disconected it cleaned all the fittings nd connections and connected it straight to a battery and it works. Reconnected it to the boat nd same thing again no clicking noise. Presume it's a wiring problem? any ideas on what to check for?

Greg

 

[Bosunsmate]

if your starter works then you are getting power to the control box ok.
so its either a short in the wiring from control to solenoid or the keys gone.
check the little ground on the solenoid is installed and clean too

 

[Bosunsmate]

wiring diagram
http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/ignitionSwitch.html

 

[dinghyracer]

The ground connection on the solenoid is clean and connected. What is the best way to test if there is a short from the control to the solenoid?

 

[Bosunsmate]

run a jumper cable from the end at the solenoid to the position on the key and retest

 

[Bosunsmate]

or you could swap the wiring so that the choke wiring attaches to the key starter position and turn the key to start and see if the choke clicks

 

[dinghyracer]

I swapped the wiring on the throttle control so that the choke wire was connected to the key starter position and I got no click. When I turn the key to start there is o click but when I push it in the starter turns

 

[Bosunsmate]

sounds like your wirings snapped

 

[dinghyracer]

Any idea on how this would of happened? It was working fine only a few days ago

 

[dinghyracer]

Or what is my next step from here?

 

[Bosunsmate]

Any idea on how this would of happened? It was working fine only a few days ago

Bending wire conduit piping. Run a jumper wire from switch to solenoid if you want to be doubly sure

 

[Bosunsmate]

Or what is my next step from here?

When ever i have a broken wire i just buy a length of black marine tinted wire and run it with cable ties on the outside of the existing wiring conduit pipe.
Another thing you can do if you arent using the tach is to use that wire. I dont have a tach on my boat but the wiring harness from the engine to the control box had the wire for it included so i just used it as its redundant