Starter Slave Solenoid Purpose??

ramos45

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Mar 13, 2008
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Hello,

Before I get started here's my set up: 89 Maxum 23' open bow I/O 7.4ltr Bravo 1.

I recently installed a Perko batt switch and was checking all the wires to see which ones to connect to the common and which to leave on a batter, such as bilge float. I noticed two 2 gauge cables one from each batt running to each side of a solenoid. the two smaller gauge connectors on the solenoid had one grounded to a batt and the other going to the hour meter which was jumped with to another wire running to the top of the ign coil. It looks like the wire running to the coil is what runs the hour meter. This set up seem pointless to me unless the current running thru the solenoid and the hour meter had an affect on the ign coil? To test I completely removed the solenoid and she still fires up. I've spent the last two days looking thru the internet trying to learn about the starter slave solenoid and what I've found ist that there should be a lead from the batt and then connections to the starter solenoid and the wiring harness. It even shows this in the manual.

Did I do a bad thing by disconnecting it? After all, it wasn't connected to anything except the hour meter then jumpered to the ign coil. Please advise....
 

Don S

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Re: Starter Slave Solenoid Purpose??

Sounds to me a lot like an feeble attempt at a home made charge relay. When power goes to the small terminal from the coil which closes the relay and allows the batteries to be connected.
That's not how they are supposed to work, and it is not a start slave solenoid.
 

Splat

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Re: Starter Slave Solenoid Purpose??

Sounds to me a lot like an feeble attempt at a home made charge relay. When power goes to the small terminal from the coil which closes the relay and allows the batteries to be connected.
That's not how they are supposed to work, and it is not a start slave solenoid.

Agreed. Sounds like somebody was toooo cheap to buy a proper battery isolator.

Bill

This is what should be in there
http://www.iboats.com/Promariner_Ma...9350932--**********.562140254--view_id.237464
 

ramos45

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Re: Starter Slave Solenoid Purpose??

Well....I just got back from Lake Mead for the first run of the season with my gf. I wanted a test run to make sure she's all good before inviting guests. As far as I can see I do not have a slave starter solenoid in my set up. Is this bad?

As for the isolator theory, I don't think there would be enough juice running thru the 16 gauge wire from the top of the coil to charge the batteries. I think that someone didn't know how to run the hour meter so they hooked it from the batteries thru the solenoid and from the coil for it to run.

Now on to my next ??? The + from the alternator leads into the harness. The alternator does not run directly to the battery. How would I install an isolator with out the alt wire.
 

Bondo

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Re: Starter Slave Solenoid Purpose??

The + from the alternator leads into the harness. The alternator does not run directly to the battery.

Ayuh,.. The Alternator is wired to the battery, At the Starter....
 

Don S

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Re: Starter Slave Solenoid Purpose??

As for the isolator theory, I don't think there would be enough juice running thru the 16 gauge wire from the top of the coil to charge the batteries.

Read my first post, I didn't say isolator, it's nothing like an alternator. Read what I said. The relay is closed when you have power to the ignition which charges the second battery. The fact that it runs the hour meter is just secondary, and has nothing to do with the reason there are 2, 2 gauge wires one to each battery there. Look at what it's doing, and forget the hour meter is even there.
 

ramos45

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Mar 13, 2008
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Re: Starter Slave Solenoid Purpose??

Don - my reply was to Splat about the isolator but I now understand what you mean about the relay. The relay is gone now and in place there is the Perko switch.
 
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