good news---bad news

[mithgar]

here's the good news--I haven't forgotten to put in my drain plug (yet). Here's the bad news--my boat won't start! I was on a family vacation a few weeks ago and was having some fun taking people tubing. During one of the outings the rider was launched from the tube (isn't that the point?). She decided not to go again so I circled around and when I got close to her I stopped the motor. After we got her and the tube back in the boat I got behind the wheel, turned the key and the motor wouldn't turn over. After several attempts and no luck I assumed that I flooded the engine and we trolled back to the dock. Fortunately, no one else wanted to tube so no one was dissapointed. When I got to the dock and got everthing put away, I noticed a red elastic strip on the floor, which used to be attached to my kill switch!!!!! So I reset the kill switch and the motor fired up right away! The really bad part is that I had done almost the same thing last year.<br /><br />Happy boating<br /><br />dh

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: good news---bad news

No harm, no foul, glad it was not serious and hope it was not exspensive for the tow. You do realize that only a handful of people would have known about the kill switch. But of course now that it is on the internet the world has access to it <br /><br />Bob

 

[Ross J]

Re: good news---bad news

Welcome to the club of genuine former kill switch virgins!<br />I lost mine many years ago when 2hrs spent cursing didn't help at all and my wife passed me a "thingy" she found on the floor!<br />For 1 year afterward I cruised about with a sign on the dash reading "check the kill switch". I took it off once it became second nature.<br />Ross

 

[ehenry]

Re: good news---bad news

After pulling my Merc 25 till I got blisters, cussing that would have done my Grandaddy proud I noticed that my kill switch lanyard had come loose and was laying in the bottom of the boat!! Don't feel like The Lone Ranger my friend.

 

[mithgar]

Re: good news---bad news

EF,<br /><br />at least my mercury starts with a key so the only blister I get are on my thumb and forefinger!!<br /><br />dh

 

[BigBabyLou]

Re: good news---bad news

Who hasn't been there? As they say: forget once, remember forever. It happened to me once and I always check it whenever starting the boat now. It has become part of the routine.<br /><br />However, my ego was hit pretty hard when I forgot the kill switch. Mostly because, for some unknown reason, the switch on my boat is wired to kill the power only when the key is in the On/Run position, not in the Start position. So when I try to start the engine with the kill switch open, I can crank it and as soon as I let go off the key, the engine dies. This baffled me that one day and that's why it didn't come to my mind to check the kill switch because my logic was dictating me that if the engine cranks and fires up, it has power. Anyone else has this problem?<br /><br />I've been thinking (for a long time) about rewiring the switch so that it doesn't kill the power in the On/Run position also but interrupts the power to the ignition key completely, so that you can't even turn the engine over. Does it make sense?<br /><br />Have fun boating ... and ...<br />hon't forget the kill switch! No, really! <br />Lou

 

[ehenry]

Re: good news---bad news

My merc starts with a button on the tillar but to save weight for the long trip I was making I took the battery out.