Kill switch or ignition?

[Dubvgogetter]

Hello everyone,

My 1992 Johnson 25 hp electric start would not start. I disconnected a wire connection by motor and it started with ignition. Wire was kill switch wire (black with yellow stripe). Motor will not shut off with ignition. i have to reconnect the same connection to kill engine. All grounds look good. Everything looks good around ignition as far as grounds and wiring. Am i wrong to think its in the ignition?

Thank you!!!!!

 

[jbuote]

Hey there! :welcome:

Not necessarily...
If disconnecting that wire (black with yellow stripe) allowed engine to run, then connecting it again killed the engine then there's only a couple things it could be...

1) Kill switch lanyard is not in place
2) Kill switch is bad.
3) Ignition switch is bad.
4) wiring on ignition switch and/or kill switch is incorrect.
5) Short in wiring letting black/yellow ground out when it shouldn't.

This is assuming you have a kill switch. Some don't.
Where's your kill switch if you have one?

I'd run some tests with an Ohm meter and check that I had continuity where I'm supposed to with key on (not started, and no battery connected) and lanyard in place.

Then check that I did not have continuity where I'm not supposed to with key off and lanyard pulled.

So these folks can better help, is this a tiller or remote? (thinking remote)
What's the model number?

Hope it helps!

 

[Dubvgogetter]

Thank u Jbuote! J25EEID is the model. It has ignition by my front seat. Not a tiller. Below the ignition is the lanyard switch. Im not sure what to look at and where to connect volt meter but if someone explains my step dad will help me probably. Thanks again for the help!!!

 

[Dubvgogetter]

[No message]

 

[Dubvgogetter]

Lanyard in place and wiring should be correct bc i have not changed it from how it was when working

 

[jbuote]

Ok..
With battery disconnected,
On the back of your ignition switch, you should have 2 "M" terminals.
Using a volt meter set to Ohms scale (Continuity diode looking setting on digital meters), put one lead on one of the "M" terminals, and the other lead on the other "M" terminal. With key in the OFF position, you should have next to zero resistance. (or continuity beeper will beep).

Then with key in RUN position, you should have infinite resistance (or NO tone or beep on digital)
If that checks out, then the switch is probably good.

Next, the kill switch.
Place the tester leads on the kill switch. One on each terminal on the back.
With lanyard in place, you should have infinite resistance (no beep).
When you pull the lanyard out, you should have next to ZERO resistance... (beep).

That's a start anyway to see what you have.

Oh, and based on the model number, you have a 1991 25hp..

 

[Dubvgogetter]

Wow we will try that hopefully as soon as tomorrow!!! I can't thank u enough! And sorry for wrong year lol.

 

[jbuote]

No problem!! lol..

I'd test the kill switch with the key in RUN position, and test ignition with kill lanyard in place.

Might try to isolate them too if results seem weird.

Should be able to disconnect wire on back of ignition that goes to the kill switch.
Pretty sure it's also on the "M" terminal that the black/yellow comes in from the engine.
Leave the black/yellow from engine on that "M" terminal, but take off the kill switch wire.

Now you can test each switch individually. Could even try starting and stopping engine with kill switch removed from ignition too, as long as it's JUST for testing, and the kill wire you take off is not allowed to touch anything else. (electrical tape, held out of the way.. etc.. )

And for disclosure, I'm not one of the pro's here, but I do like to try to help on the simpler things when and if I can.

The pro's will certainly jump in and correct/add/explain better should I get off track in any way, but this should be pretty straight forward.. :thumb:

 

[Dubvgogetter]

Ok cool. I did unplug kill switch from ignition and no luck and unplugged the ground too from kill switch and no luck. Somebody said something about connecting kill switch wires together for testing on a page i was looking at??? Would that work?

 

[jbuote]

Connecting the kill switch wires together, would be the same as constantly having the lanyard pulled off. No Spark.

If you have the kill switch disconnected from the ignition, you should now only have black with yellow stripe coming from the engine harness on one "M" terminal, and a black on the other "M" terminal that goes to ground right?
take your meter and check the continuity between the 2 "M" posts on the back of the ignition.

What do you get for readings/beep from the meter when in:
1) Run position
2) Off position

 

[Dubvgogetter]

Everything hooked up just disconnect black and yellow from engine.

 

[Dubvgogetter]

Will be home soon to mess with it

 

[jbuote]

LOL!!

Ok, I think it's terminology at this point..
When you said ignition, I thought you meant the ignition switch, not the engine side.. haha! ound:
Sorry about that!!

So reconnect the black/yellow at the engine.
On the back of the ignition switch, remove the wire going to the kill switch. Should be on the same "M" post as the black/yellow coming from the engine wiring harness. That should leave you with one "M" post with black/yellow, and the other "M" post with a black wire going to ground.

Then test the 2 "M" posts on the back of the ignition switch as described with a meter.
What do you get?

 

[Dubvgogetter]

The kill switch wire from engine and kill switch both connect to same M terminal. Other M terminal is ground. The kill wires to engine and killswitch are attached at end that meets terminal on ignition switch as shown in picture so i cannot leave one on and take other off. One is more faded than other.

I took both kill switch wires off one M terminal and left black on other M terminal. Off showed 0.0 and run and start both showed 0.L
Voltmefer in Ohms setting as shown in picture.

 

[Dubvgogetter]

No worries on the terminology mix up!!! :joyous:

 

[Dubvgogetter]

With everything attached
off and run is 0.0 and on is 0.L

 

[jbuote]

Ahhhh!!
I see what you mean on the 2 wires in the same boot...

Well, you got 0.0 ohms in the OFF position, and 0.L in RUN and START.
That's good! That to me says your ignition switch is fine as far as the kill circuit goes.

Now, reconnect the black/yellow(s lol) to the ignition switch.
The black/yellow coming off the ignition switch and going TO the kill switch is on one kill switch terminal.
The other kill switch terminal should go to ground. (That's connected right? lol)

Turn key to the RUN position.
Do the same test on the back of the kill switch. It should have just those 2 terminals on it.
What do you get for Ohms with between those 2 posts with:

1) Lanyard in place
2) Lanyard removed

 

[Dubvgogetter]

With everything hooked back uo to ignition terminals, off and run were 0.0 and on was 0.L

 

[Dubvgogetter]

Just saw u responded. No terminals on back of kill switch. Just the 2 wires. One ground and one blac and yellow. I will unhook them and test them.

 

[jbuote]

Wait...

So disconnected, it tests fine, but when you hooked the kill wire boot back on the ignition switch, now you get 0.0 when key is OFF and in RUN?

When in START it was 0.L?

When you try to start the engine, does it fire like it's going to start, but as soon as you let off the key (to run) it dies?