1990 70 HP.. I get Shocked When I touch my Steering Wheell..Ouch!

[Fish_This]

Hi all,

Ok this is going to sound really crazy, but when I start my engine in the water I went to grab my steering wheel and got 12volts to me , what the heck could be going on...

PLEASE HELP, I AM Fishing a Snook Tournament tomorrow night!!!

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: 1990 70 HP.. I get Shocked When I touch my Steering Wheell..Ouch!

short in control box, possible bad ignition switch. power came from control box and if you have a metal wheel, it is grounded to the motor, thru the steering cable. thus a shock.

 

[patrick4266]

Re: 1990 70 HP.. I get Shocked When I touch my Steering Wheell..Ouch!

It may be the "tach" wire shorting out and giving you the big volts. I had that happen to me. If it was me I would disconnect the tach wire from the motor and see if you still get shocked.

 

[ezeke]

Re: 1990 70 HP.. I get Shocked When I touch my Steering Wheell..Ouch!

This is often caused by failure of a solid ground between the control box and the engine ground or between the small M post and the engine ground, or both.

Check for continuity between the control box and the engine ground using an ohmmeter with the battery disconnected.

 

[Fish_This]

Re: 1993 70 HP.. I get Shocked When I touch my Steering Wheel..Ouch!

Re: 1993 70 HP.. I get Shocked When I touch my Steering Wheel..Ouch!

This problem started when I replaced the Battery Cables as the old ones went bad. I purchased new ones NOT OEM, got 4 gauge from BOat Owners Warehouse, that corrected the problem with nothing happening when I turned the key.

Then I installed a new depth finder directly to the battery.

I went to go start the engine and it was as if I had no spark, removed the spark plug coils and now it starts fine. Figured all was ok. Went to the boat ramp, dropped her in started right up, turned on my Nav lights and they went out went to touch the Steering wheel and ZAPPPPP OUCH WTH..

Put the boat on the trailer started it and no ZAPP. I guess its do to the trailer being ground?

Posted last night what happened, went down to the boat ramp dropped her in the water to work on her. Did the following.

1. Unhooked the groud wire from the battery and no Zapp when I started it.
2. Connected wires to the NAV lights and ZAPPPP......
3. Unhooked the ground wire from the battery started up and no ZAPPP.
4. Put the ground wire from Depth finder back onto the batter post. Started it and ZAPP.
5. Unplugged the Nav lights and depth finder no Zapp.
6. Took it out for a run and noticed that the RPM Gauge was reading way high but the engine was no where near what it was reading looked down again and it went back to normal. Got 1/2 mile from the boat ramp thinking I will troubleshoot more when I get home SUDDENLY AT 30MPH ZAPPPPPPPPP.

7. Again turned off motor unhooked ground on battery then re connected it, started it and no ZAPPP. Idled back to the boat ramp feeling baby zaps on the way back. Now here I sit awaiting something to check! Soory so long but more info is better then less. Did check my connections on the engine and the are clean and tight.

Have not looked at the tach yet but will, anything else I can check please :redface:

 

[jonesg]

Re: 1990 70 HP.. I get Shocked When I touch my Steering Wheell..Ouch!

Besides all the connections you keep making theres one other you aren't taking into account, the ignition switch.

Put a meter from the shifter to the steering wheel, see if theres a difference between ignition on and ignition off. Look to see if the ig switch is loose in its bezel mount, twisting the whole switch when you turn the key.

 

[Will Bark]

Re: 1990 70 HP.. I get Shocked When I touch my Steering Wheell..Ouch!

On my 87 Johnson 150 the shocking turned out to be the emergency kill switch which was grounding to the control box and the steering wheel(metal); would be a mild shock until spray or hit a rain shower and then was a terrfic shock. Try pulling that switch and see if you have a wire shorting to ground there.

 

[Fish_This]

Re: 1990 70 HP.. I get Shocked When I touch my Steering Wheell..Ouch!

Hi All,


First off THANKS for the replies. I think I fixed it!

I had the engine Cowl off and noticed a Green wire that was not Bullet connected. I traced it to the a ground on the trim motor. Replaced the Bullet connector and no more shocks at the wheel.

What do you think? Or is it just a fluke that it happened again?


Thanks

 

[Haffiman]

Re: 1990 70 HP.. I get Shocked When I touch my Steering Wheell..Ouch!

You will not feel a 12 Volt 'shock'.
Test by putting your hands at the battery poles , both at the same time! (LOL).
The shock is most likely coming from the stop circuit which grounds about 230 Volts from power pack.
Disconnect the black/yellow from power pack, start and test.
If OK, my guess is that you have a defect ground connection from ignition switch/emergency switc to engine and the circuit grounds out through the steering cable, shift cables or similar. Double check engine harness ground connections, and the big red connector.