Motor will not stop with key: Kill switch not working either

[bahamasboy]

I have an 82 sea ray 260 merc engine. After launching yesterday I could not stop the engine by pulling the key or the kill switch lanyard. After cutting the wires to the ignition, hoping this would work) no luck, I pulled the center distributor wire to finally stop the engine. All was working fine after my last outing two weeks ago. I had done some re wiring of my trim tab indicator and it appears to have been sheared in two by the outdrive when trimming.<br /><br />Could this have shorted out or kept a circut open if the live wire was touching the outdrive preventing engine kill?<br /><br />When my battery is connected, I have panel lights (which should only work with the key in the run postition). <br /><br />On an I/O should the kill switch ground out to stop the motor when pulled, or should it complete the circut to kill it. <br /><br />Any info is appreciated as I'm not the most mechanically inclined with marine engines.

 

[Don S]

Re: Motor will not stop with key: Kill switch not working either

You've got something wired wrong, and it's going to be impossible to tell exactly what without actually looking at it and tracing the wires out. But I would sure start with what you did. You have someting hooked into your purple ignition wire that you shouldn't, and it's keeping power to the ignition and bypassing the key switch.

 

[bahamasboy]

Re: Motor will not stop with key: Kill switch not working either

Thanks Don,<br />I've spent the morning tracing wires etc. When I worked on the trim wires, I didn't undo the insturment panel and just used the existing wires at the stern. After looking this morning, there are purple wires running across all of my gauges. There is a wrapped bunch of wires coming from the back of the boat and then after the wire harness, the purple has been split into three leads. Two to the instruments and one to the ignition. Shouldn't there be only one going to the ignition and then from the ignition to the instrument cluster? That way when the key is in the off position, the insturments aren't getting any power?<br /><br />The wierd thing is that nothing really has changed in the past two weeks. I've undone what I did with the trim indicator, but still have the problem. <br /><br />Also, should my coil be getting juice without the key? When I connect the battery and place a tester on both terminals of the coil, it lights up. <br /><br />Thanks again,<br />BB

 

[Don S]

Re: Motor will not stop with key: Kill switch not working either

Which distributor do you have on your engine, Thunderbolt ignition (Electronic) or points type?

 

[tommays]

Re: Motor will not stop with key: Kill switch not working either

key off coil should be off check key switch <br /><br /><br />there was a simalar post here a few weeks ago after the guy went nuts trying to figure out what he had wired worng it turned out to be a bad diode in the alt that would feed the coil after the key was off<br /><br />it did not seam possable but it was the cause in the end<br /><br />just something to check because i have seen it here more than once<br /><br /><br />tommays

 

[bahamasboy]

Re: Motor will not stop with key: Kill switch not working either

Point type distributor. <br /><br />tommays, would a bad diode also supply juice to the instrument panel w/o the key in place? How can I check the diode? Again, novice mechanic here. <br /><br />I've only owned the boat for about 3 months. The guy before me put on a new alt about a year ago.<br /><br />On Friday night, the battery was DEAD DEAD DEAD. I charged overnight on automatic charger. Could that have fouled the diode?<br /><br />Thanks again guys.<br />BB

 

[Ralph 123]

Re: Motor will not stop with key: Kill switch not working either

I think somewhere, somehow, someway, that ignition circuit got tied hard to power making the keyswitch usless and the lamyard not work. You've got to find out where.<br /><br />

wiring of my trim tab indicator and it appears to have been sheared in two by the outdrive when trimming

Can you give some more detail? Post a Pic? What haeppened here? What exactly did you do? What other wires are in that area? etc., etc. If it was fine before this happened chances are good that this is part of the cause.

 

[bahamasboy]

Re: Motor will not stop with key: Kill switch not working either

Ralph,<br />As far as the trim indicator. It was bouncing all over the place when in the water. Out of water it worked fine. When I checked the wires from the transom (up in the bell housing) they were severly freyed and very brittle. I didn't want pay to pull the whole stern drive to insert new wires so I pulled what I could and connected new wires directly to a section that was more plyable. The indicator worked fine on the next trip out. Then, on this trip, the above happend. While out on the water, after pulling the distributor wire, thinking that this might be the problem, I reached into the engine compartment and clipped the wires after they passed through the transom disconnecting the trim sender completely, thinking they may be touching the motor. I taped them off to be sure they weren't touching anything. After pulling the boat out, I checked in the bell housing again and realized they had been sheared off. <br /><br />After clipping the ignition switch wires, trying to kill the motor, I had to hotwire to restart. After the motor started I could leave the wires apart and cruise back to the marina, where pulling the distributor wire again killed the motor. <br /><br />There are no other wires in the area that I was working in origionally. Of course, by the ignition switch, there are, what seem to be thousands! But none are freyed or fried!<br />Thanks <br />BB

 

[Don S]

Re: Motor will not stop with key: Kill switch not working either

Just so you know, you have an 81 engine, and probably an early 82 boat. 82 was the first year Mercruiser started using the Thunderbolt ignition. Prior to that it was either Prestolite or Mallory point type distributors.<br />You might look on the starter solenoid. There are 3 terminals. The one big one with the battery cables hooked to it, and then 2 small ones. The one closest to the block is the start, but the one farthest from the block is for the hot start terminal that goes to the coil for full power for starting. I have seen the main battery cable actually touch the hot start terminal and keep the ignition live all the time. Worth checking.

 

[bahamasboy]

Re: Motor will not stop with key: Kill switch not working either

Just remembered one other thing....<br />When trying to restart (hotwiring) it wouldnt stay running once in gear. The battery started draining and because the instrument lights etc. were on. I was going to disconnect it to allow the engine to cool without any further drain on the battery. The postivie terminal on the was so hot that the wingnut burned the crap out of my finger.<br /><br />Just some more info!<br />BB

 

[bahamasboy]

Re: Motor will not stop with key: Kill switch not working either

Don,<br />I checked and from what I'm able to see standing on my head with a small mirror, the main cable isn't touching any other terminals. However, the terminal closest to the bottom of the boat doesn't have anything attached to it. Should it?? I am unable to see the third terminal clearly, but think I did see a cable attached.<br /><br />I just had the starter replaced in late July and if all else fails, will take the boat back to the same guy to fix the problem.

 

[tryan]

Re: Motor will not stop with key: Kill switch not working either

look at your key switch, but i would bet on a diode.<br /><br />if you have a single wire alt, take it to a alt/starter shop for repairs. if you have a external regulator, let the starter guy diagnose the problem.<br /><br />does the boat have (or did it) an amp gauge?

 

[bahamasboy]

Re: Motor will not stop with key: Kill switch not working either

Well, I guess messing with this stuff long enough, you're bound to discover the problem. After checking all of these things above I couldn't figure out why my instrument panel lights and the coil were still getting juice! I went under the helm /dash and was poking around with a tester. After disconnecting the positive wire to the accessory panel, then checking the coil again (still getting power), I just happend to turn the key to run, then to off again. When I flipped to the off position, the dash lights went out as they're supposed to. I then checked the coil again and voila!!! No juice.<br /><br />The ignition wasn't grounding out before I was able to pull the key. I reconnected everything and filled the barrel I use for flush outs. Started and stopped just fine. The kill switch worked as well.<br /><br />I guess my confusion is still with the fact that even when the ignition was literally cut away from it's wires, I still had dash lights and coil power. AND that when I pulled the lanyard while on the water, the motor didn't stop. Could it be that because the key was in the OFF position, the lanyard didn't ground it out??<br /><br />Thanks again y'all. Everytime I have a problem with "This Ole Boat" I get GREAT advise here at the forum.<br /><br />Tomorrow I'll be installing a new ignition and hitting the water!!<br /><br />Bahamasboy