Fuse problem on 98 Force 120

[Max_Door]

On the lake today, at one point turned key to start and nothing. Also trim/tilt was dead. Looked and found a 20 amp fuse on a red wire had blown. To get back home, used a bent fishhook to replace fuse, it more or less worked but the volts gauge was going crazy, showing 3 volts charging at low rpm's then jumping up to normal at higher speed, also rpms was showing wrong, 2 or 3 times too high, then coming back down. Fishhook fuse blew again when adjusting trim, made another one and got boat back to trailer.

Looked at motor, grounds and connections look fine but I don't really know. Is there such a thing as a voltage regulator on the charging circuit, and is this what went bad? Or is it more than likely a bad ground, or could it even be a battery problem? I think I know where the voltage regulator is, if that is it.

Thanks for any help

 

[WillyBWright]

Re: Fuse problem on 98 Force 120

I'm betting on a shorting wire for the trim in the remote control. The wires can chafe thru and short-out against the remote control body. The wires move with the handle and it's not uncommon.

 

[Max_Door]

Re: Fuse problem on 98 Force 120

Thanks, I will try to check that now. Any chance it is the rectifier, which I think is the small square box with the red, yellow, yellow, grey wires coming out of the top?

 

[WillyBWright]

Re: Fuse problem on 98 Force 120

That's the rectifier/regulator alright. But voltage wouldn't drop to 3v. That's a short circuit. A bad reg/rect would just prevent charging and the voltmeter would show battery voltage which shouldn't drop that low.

 

[Max_Door]

Re: Fuse problem on 98 Force 120

That theory is starting to make sense to me. I took off the console area and looked at the wires and saw nothing, put the console back together. Then I looked at your post again, you mean the wires up in the control handle itself shorting against the mechanism or something. Well, that sounds logical, remembering when the failures seemed to take place.

Will check it again tomorrow.

Thanks!

 

[Max_Door]

Re: Fuse problem on 98 Force 120

Well WillyBWright, I am officially impressed! There was a badly chafed wire going up in the trim switch, have corrected it. Looked like it was really rubbing though pretty hard, sure could have been the cause.

Will take boat out again today, hopefully all is well now.

Thanks again