Solved: Regal 2450 / Volvo Penta 5.7 GXi - Ignition Switch Issues

SeattleSlim

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Jul 23, 2017
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New boat guy here - I hit a roadblock. I have a 2007 Regal 2450 with a Volvo Penta... boat runs, rather, ran like a dream. Just 125 hours on it.

I was out on the water this weekend, and after about 4 hours anchored, the boat wouldn't start. Long after I turned off the engine and was in ACC mode, I shorted out the cigarette lighter and popped the 12V circuit breaker trying to get an air pump working. In Neutral, when I turn the key to ACC or On, nothing happens. Gauges don't register, and there is no typical warning beep when going from Off->ACC. The radio also doesn't start (usually has to be in ACC or On mode to power up). I have power to all of my lights and trim motor (phew). Blower switch works.

Needless to say, we got towed home...

So, I checked some things today with my voltmeter...

I have two batteries - one reads 12.5V, and the other read between 10.8-11.8V when I was performing testing. (During ALL successive testing, I used the ALL setting (Battery 1+2) on my battery selector that gave me 12.5V across the hot bus below the cockpit.) I checked the 1A fuse sitting on top of the battery on the right - there is continuity there. I think this red and black wire leads to the starter motor... And, I don't know what that small lone red wire is hanging between the two batteries - you can see the end connector broke off at some point. It's never been hooked up since I have owned the boat.




Sorry this pic is upside down. I register 12.5V through my hot / cold busses under the cockpit when power switch is on. There are no circuit breakers currently tripped. As I mentioned, just the 12V breaker tripped when the cig lighter failed. The breaker is good now.



When I looked up the cockpit - this is what I saw... on the left is the + and - hookup of the broken cig lighter - I removed the broken port from the dashboard. Then the circuit breaker for the hot of my ignition switch. I checked and this switch has continuity. Then there are two switches on the dashboard - one bilge and one blower - both work. Then, you can see the ignition switch - at some point the red/black wire was disconnected - not sure if it was when I was fumbling with the cig lighter, or it was like that for a while. I reconnected the red/black wire for all successive testing. There is also a 10A fuse (not pictured) wired from the ignition switch circuit breaker to the ignition switch hot wire - this fuse has continuity.



I can't register any juice going into the hot wire upstream of the circuit breaker. I think this is my root cause. But I don't know where else to look. When the ignition switch is in ACC or On mode, there is no continuity in the switch from hot (red) to purple, but there is continuity from purple to yellow/red.

I have a new ignition switch and a 12V cig lighter I'll install tomorrow. If this doesn't fix it, I don't know what will.

Here is the fuse box on the side of my engine - I checked the F4 IGN fuse and it's good.




Here's the engine, all sad and stuff...



​Thanks for any advice.
 
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alldodge

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Look for an inline 20 amp fuse on the wire which feeds the key switch
 

SeattleSlim

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Jul 23, 2017
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Not the best picture, but all I can find under the cockpit is an inline 10A fuse that I believe is the hot wire that goes from fuse -> ignition switch circuit breaker -> ignition switch. That particular fuse checks out, meaning continuity. Is there another fuse that I'm missing? As I mentioned, there is also a 1A inline fuse sitting on one of the batteries (pictured above) - that one also checks out ok.

Now that I say this, I'll find out later today if the wire leading to this 10A fuse is hot... Should tell me something.
aaa1a.jpg
 
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SeattleSlim

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Your eyes don't deceive you. I'm not sure when the red/black wire came disconnected from the ignition switch (before / after I started messing with the cig lighter and caused a short), but yes, the red/black wire became disconnected. I reconnected it cleanly on the 4th lug to the ignition switch. That didn't do anything to help my cause.
 

SeattleSlim

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Ultimately, I have to figure out why I'm not getting any juice to the ignition switch, but I have a question. If my ignition switch is on ACC or ON position, should I see continuity from the red -> purple or red -> yellow/red wire?
 

alldodge

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The Red/Purple comes direct from the Motor thru the 60 amp fuse. It should be hot all the time so long as the battery (battery switch) is connected.

Volvo Penta wiring diagram.jpg
 

SeattleSlim

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I don't remember if I checked the purple, but the red wasn't hot anywhere when the battery was on.

There is a 50A Breaker in my battery switch compartment, and it's not popped. As I mentioned, I get 12V in my cockpit buses.
 

alldodge

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Your cockpit busses should have no effect on the motor, they are there to run things other then the motor.

The pic below is an expanded view of the area I'm talking about. Your motor has 3 fuses and 1 breaker on it to control ignition, fuel pump, instruments and trim. Your helm has been rewired so trying to find the correct colors is an issue. Un fused battery power is Red, once it goes thru a fuse it becomes Red/Purple. The Red/Purple wire goes to the motor 10 pin connector and up to the key switch. If the fuse blows there will be no power to the key. Find the 60 amp fuse on the motor.

wire 2.jpg
 

SeattleSlim

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Solved!

I only found two push-button fuses on my engine - one 20A for the water pump, and one 50A in the battery switch compartment. I wasn't sure if you alluded that there were going to be another 2 push-button breakers (60A reference above). So I guessed and tested all fuses in the engine fuse box, and voila - the 40A ACC fuse was blown (the orange one in the pic). [[[If this wasn't my first boat, I probably would have guessed that first.]]] Couldn't tell from visual inspection, but there was no continuity through the fuse. +1 for my trusty Fluke meter.

After replacing that fuse, the ignition switch would work in ON (gauges registered, radio turned on, warning sound beeped) & START (boat started right up), but failed to do anything when the ignition turned to ACC. Replaced the ignition switch, and everything works again!

Per the new ignition switch wiring, my wires are:
Red = Battery
Yellow/Red = Solenoid
Purple = Ignition Circuit
Red/Black = Accessory

This starts to make sense. When I shorted out the cig lighter, I'm pretty sure the key was in the ACC position. That wild energy must have zapped that run.

aaa2017-07-24 13.49.04.jpg

Thanks AllDodge for your help on this!
 

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