Engine cutt-off switch

zippy83

zippy83

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It took me about a year to realize that my throttle controls dont have a kill switch installed. What would be the easiest way of adding that in case of an emergency?

Thanks
Zipp
 
alldodge

alldodge

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Re: Engine cutt-off switch

zippy83 said:
It took me about a year to realize that my throttle controls dont have a kill switch installed. What would be the easiest way of adding that in case of an emergency?

Thanks
Zipp
Click to expand...

Take the switch tpenfiled listed above and place it in line with the purple wire coming from the ignition switch
 
zippy83

zippy83

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Re: Engine cutt-off switch

AllDodge said:
Take the switch tpenfiled listed above and place it in line with the purple wire coming from the ignition switch
Click to expand...

Im not sure I have a purple wire but I will take a look when I get home today.
I also seen that this is required by law?
 
alldodge

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Re: Engine cutt-off switch

zippy83 said:
Im not sure I have a purple wire but I will take a look when I get home today.
I also seen that this is required by law?
Click to expand...

Oh crud, missed that this is an outboard, was thinking Mercruiser. Go to the ignition switch and find out what wire goes hot when turned to run (not start), What ever wire that is, that's the one to use.

Like any other boating laws, your boat was manufactured during a time when kill switches were not required. I'm not an attorney but, I no of no law which was invoked as a requirement in later years be brought to bear on older years. Same with cars, seat belts are required for all cars which were manufactured with them, they are not required on lets say a Ford Model A.

Personnaly I think your doing the right thing adding one for safety. :thumb:
 
zippy83

zippy83

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Re: Engine cutt-off switch

So here is what I got. I only see one cable that leads to the egnition in the front of the controlls. I would asume that I would need to install the kill switch inline with that cable. The only issue I see here is where to mount the kill switch. I dont think I should leave it hanging on the cable like that...

controller.jpg
 
F

Fed

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Re: Engine cutt-off switch

Outboard kill switches ground the ignition not break it.
 
Ike-110722

Ike-110722

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Re: Engine cutt-off switch

There are two switches on a boat that "kill" the engine. One that is usually called a "kill switch" is built into the ignition switch and is connected to the operator by a lanyard. If the operator is tossed out of their seat or out of the boat the lanyard pulls the key out of the switch and kills the engine.

The other is a neutral safety switch that prevents the engine from being started when the boat is in gear. It is usually built into the throttle/shift control.

From your photo I am confused. which are you talking about?

Kill switches are not required by law. Many manufacturers put them on the boats voluntarily.

Neutral safety switches are required by the USCG on all outboards over about 3 HP.

So which switch?
 
zippy83

zippy83

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Re: Engine cutt-off switch

Peter Eikenberry said:
There are two switches on a boat that "kill" the engine. One that is usually called a "kill switch" is built into the ignition switch and is connected to the operator by a lanyard. If the operator is tossed out of their seat or out of the boat the lanyard pulls the key out of the switch and kills the engine.

The other is a neutral safety switch that prevents the engine from being started when the boat is in gear. It is usually built into the throttle/shift control.

From your photo I am confused. which are you talking about?

Kill switches are not required by law. Many manufacturers put them on the boats voluntarily.

Neutral safety switches are required by the USCG on all outboards over about 3 HP.

So which switch?
Click to expand...

I am looking to install a kill switch in case i go overboard so that the engine can be shut off. This is an older outboard 73 Merc so it didnt come with one.
This is what I got

Universal Kill Switch SeaDog Line 420488-1 - iboats
 
Ike-110722

Ike-110722

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Re: Engine cutt-off switch

If you have only one wire to the ignition then that must be a positive wire. However I do not understand how there is not a negative wire (ground). Most diagrams I have seen of kill switches do break the Ground wire. So I don't know how this will work. Is there some internal wiring in that controller that goes into the wire bundle?
 
Ike-110722

Ike-110722

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Re: Engine cutt-off switch

In the photo there are at least three wires going to the switch. The one you see is purple (violet) going into the left side of the controller the others are in the wire bundle the purple wire comes out of. One of them should be black. Black is ground.
 
zippy83

zippy83

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Re: Engine cutt-off switch

Peter Eikenberry said:
In the photo there are at least three wires going to the switch. The one you see is purple (violet) going into the left side of the controller the others are in the wire bundle the purple wire comes out of. One of them should be black. Black is ground.
Click to expand...

That purple wire is actually red and I see that there are some wires that hook up behind (not seen in the picture) there is a white and black from what I can see. Its dark in the garage so I couldnt really se well (lost my flashlight)

So I should hook up the kill switch to the negative wire then?
 
Ike-110722

Ike-110722

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Re: Engine cutt-off switch

This is an old boat (I should talk, mine is a 72) anyway, They seem to have followed standard color code. Black is negative (ground) and red is positive. Outboard kill switches are usually in the ground so go ahead and try it. The worst that can happen is it won't work and you'll have to take it out and try again. But I don't see why it wouldn't work.
 
alldodge

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Re: Engine cutt-off switch

Sorry Zippy, company came by and had to leave. First you cannot use the switch previously listed, you need a switch that is normally open when the lanyard is installed. The one below can be installed with the lanyard in Normally open or closed. You want the switch to close if the lanyard is pulled out.

EMERGENCY CUTOFF TOGGLE SWITCH - Cole Hersee M597 - iboats

I believe you have the standard key switch with push the key for choke. Below is the diagram for the key switch. The engine is started by removing the ground from the magneto. To stop the engine the magneto is grounded out. On the below illustration you can see two magneto connections, one goes to ground and the other goes to the engine magneto. Put the kill switch across the two magneto connections.

OutboardIgnitionSwitch.jpg
 
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limitout

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Re: Engine cutt-off switch

AllDodge said:
Sorry Zippy, company came by and had to leave. First you cannot use the switch previously listed, you need a switch that is normally open when the lanyard is installed. The one below can be installed with the lanyard in Normally open or closed. You want the switch to close if the lanyard is pulled out.
Click to expand...

umm, from the description:
Stamped brass/injection molded nylon & delrin kill switch. Replace lanyard if worn, cut or frayed. Dual circuitry allows kill switch to be wired for either ignition kill or magneto kill depending on the application.
Click to expand...

so it can be wired both ways
 
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