HELP! 1985 Mariner Ignition Switch problem

Iowaboatguy

Cadet
Joined
Mar 14, 2018
Messages
11
I have a 1985 Mariner Ignition Switch that I am trying to switch out with a new ignition switch. The wires for my current switch are red, yellow, black, blue, white, and green. All solid colors.
All the wiring diagrams I'm finding online have a few different colors or works with a stripe of a different color on them.
Can anyone tell me how to wire up my current wires with an Ignition Switch by telling what each wire is please??
 

roscoe

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Oct 30, 2002
Messages
21,852
Welcome to iboats, Iowa.

On your old switch, are the wires connected to the switch with screw terminals? or do the wires go into the switch and are all sealed in??

If it has screw terminals, are they labeled with letters, like M B I .... ?

Does the switch activate the choke by pushing on the key?
 

durban

Master Chief Petty Officer
Joined
May 27, 2011
Messages
894
The switch you have with solid coulors.with a meter ,when the key is in the off position 2 wires will give you a reading on the meter one is earth the other one is the kill wire for your ignition system , now find the 2 wires on the ignition that has striped wires when the key is in the off position, the meter will tell you. then on the solid coloured wired ignition turn the key to the on position , with the meter find the wires that will give you a reading one of them will be a positive wire from the battery. do the same on the stripped wired ignition , then turn the key to the start position . 2 wires will give you a reading on the meter one of them will be a positive wire from the battery the other will be the starter soliniode wire, by pressing the key in this activates the choke the meter will tell you which 2 wires they are one is a positive from battery the other one will be the positive for the choke soliniode . do the same on the striped wired ignition , this will tell you which wire goes where just make sure you find the positive and negative wires on the solid couloured ignition remove the ignition from the boat . get hold of a meter , and get some one to help you .i hope this may help you .
 
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Chris1956

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 25, 2004
Messages
28,543
Those are strange colors. You might look on the maxrules web site and see if one of the wiring diagrams matches your motor. I would look at an '85, as I know the wire colors are different on newer and older models.

I would have expected your wiring colors to be the older ones

i.e. red, black, yellow, brown, orange, white and grey

The newer wiring colors are, red, black, yellow/red, grey, black/yellow, purple and yellow/black, respectively.

Red = battery, black = ground, yellow and yellow/red = starter solenoid, brown or grey = tach signal, orange or black/yellow = ign killer, white or purple = ign power, grey or yellow/black = choke solenoid

Blue and green are usually power trim.
 

Iowaboatguy

Cadet
Joined
Mar 14, 2018
Messages
11
So the wires to my old switch went into the back of the switch and were sealed off. I'm posting pictures in this order: old switch of wires going in, the wires I need to connect now (red, blue, green, black, yellow, white, and brown), a picture of the switch I'm wanting to attach wires to (Johnson/Evinrude switch with letters M, M, B, S, C, A on it, and then a picture of a new Mercury Mariner switch from online with wire colors on it that don't match mine.
Any help would be appreciated. The biggest problem I'm having is the colors of my current wiring don't match anything I'm trying to connect or that I would be expected to connect.
IMG_20180315_090232.jpg ​​​​​​
 

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eggs712

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
May 8, 2012
Messages
361
This helped me when I wired my new control box:

Screenshot_20180226-195756.png
 

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Chris1956

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 25, 2004
Messages
28,543
Not sure what to suggest. Red, black, yellow white and brown are the older wire colors for battery positive, ground, starter solenoid, ign power and tach signal. You would need to find a choke solenoid (usually grey) and an ignition killer (usually orange), and you have a complete set.

Blue and green are usually power tilt up/down wires.

Maybe the blue and green were used for choke solenoid and ign killer? You would need to test for that.
 

merc850

Commander
Joined
Jul 7, 2010
Messages
2,055
If you're using an omc switch then you should look up a wiring diagram that uses that switch; this should tell you what terminal does what.
 
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