Mercruiser 888 Electric Choke (Holley) draws excess current when warm

[pdr1966]

Last summer I had the car rebuilt as it was pouring fuel down the throat etc
The rebuilder said the original electric choke was cracked, so he replaced it with one he had on hand - yet the terminals were not the same, he added a 'gender changer' so the wiring would push on correctly.
The old choke may have been cracked, but still functioned correctly.
HOWEVER the replacement choke caused the ignition fuse to blow - ONLY after it had been on a while, took a while to find this, but that was the result.
SO - I am wondering if there was something special about the original holley choke - has anyone run across this before?
Many I should have kept the old one anyways!!

Pete

 

[alldodge]

Re: Mercruiser 888 Electric Choke (Holley) draws excess current when warm

The chock shouldn't cause the fuse to blow there is something else creating a draw. It could be the heating element or wire feeding it is grounding out. Pull the off and take a pic and post to see what we are looking at.

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Mercruiser 888 Electric Choke (Holley) draws excess current when warm

I am wondering if there was something special about the original holley choke - has anyone run across this before?
Many I should have kept the old one anyways!!

Pete

Just about all of the electric chokes are the same. they shouldn't draw more than about 3-5 amps or so.

Holley suggests a 10A fuse on their current electric chokes. http://static.speedwaymotors.com/pdf/42745224.pdf

On the other hand, unless you want to boat in rather cold weather, you might not need it at all.

When I installed my carbed Mercruiser 454 , I disconnected the automatic choke and adjusted it completely out of the "picture".

It's a little hard starting initially, requiring a few "pumps" of the throttle and maybe one or two restarts, but once it's warmed up, I have no problems after that.

I've been running it that way since 2006.


Regards,


Rick

 

[magic11305]

Re: Mercruiser 888 Electric Choke (Holley) draws excess current when warm

On my Holley, the electric choke is cooled by a small vaccuum opening next to it. It should have a small screen over the opening. I was told that without this airflow, the element in the housing will overheat.

 

[pdr1966]

Re: Mercruiser 888 Electric Choke (Holley) draws excess current when warm

I won't get back to ths until after this weekend.
Thanks for the replies

 

[pdr1966]

Re: Mercruiser 888 Electric Choke (Holley) draws excess current when warm

I did not get to test anything but I think I might kn the problem.....
I am suspecting the choke the rebuilder gave me is a center tap alternator (6v) choke.
The mercruswr MAY be a 12v choke.
IF this is the case, would explain what I am experiencing.
Can anyone confirm?

Pete

 

[alldodge]

Re: Mercruiser 888 Electric Choke (Holley) draws excess current when warm

If a choke was designed to run on 6V it should not work on a 12V system. If the max current is 10 amps, voltage is 6 volts and solving for R=E/I comes out to 0.6 ohms. Put that back in to the equation and solve for I=E/R come out to be 20 amps which would blow the circuit.

Are we working on a car or a boat? I know of no boats which run on 6 volts

 

[pdr1966]

Re: Mercruiser 888 Electric Choke (Holley) draws excess current when warm

Today I picked up the Holley P/N 45-258 which is for "marine" applications - and I expect 12v operation.
The terminals are as my original, one male, one female where as the automotive cap both are male blades.
I won't get to test this until the 12th or so, but I am pretty confident this explains the excessive current draw using the wrong (6v type) choke.
Now all I have to do is set it up right as far as the action is concerned - I prefer fuel injection!

Pete

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Mercruiser 888 Electric Choke (Holley) draws excess current when warm

Bah, fuel injection just brings computers into the mix, then you really won't know what's causing the problem!

 

[hall832]

Re: Mercruiser 888 Electric Choke (Holley) draws excess current when warm

Bah, fuel injection just brings computers into the mix, then you really won't know what's causing the problem!

Amen, take carbs all day long.

 

[pdr1966]

Re: Mercruiser 888 Electric Choke (Holley) draws excess current when warm

Well bak at it.....
1 here I a picture of the new Holley 12v choke. It's rotational position is completely OFF, I no choke in this photo.
Can someone please confirm that the white wire is "+" and the shrouded black wire goes to minus.
This choke in hand is identical to what I had on it, so I am not out of the woods yet, but I do have my clip on ammeter to check the current draw.

Also have another new problem very similar what started all I his with the carburetor passing way too much ful, going to post fresh on this .

Peter

 

[alldodge]

Re: Mercruiser 888 Electric Choke (Holley) draws excess current when warm

Peter
If this is a Mercruiser then the wire colors should be purple and Black, not White and Black. Remove both wires and get a volt meter, then one lead goes to ground and the other goes to the wire being measured. Check the voltages at the Black and White wires. If you have 12 volts on the white wire then someone did some changing and you need to figure out what was changed.

 

[pdr1966]

Re: Mercruiser 888 Electric Choke (Holley) draws excess current when warm

It is a mercruiser, the lighte one/pair is tan and goes to the coil as the service manual shows, service manul how's the choke but not polarity.
Not sure here my head was, but just relized I can simply check I my voltmeter.
Tomorrow!
Thanks

 

[hall832]

Re: Mercruiser 888 Electric Choke (Holley) draws excess current when warm

some times you have to bounce thoughts and ideas off another person just to get the answer yourself. I do that all the time, like when i have been at a particular issue for to long.