This sucks, 3 days prior to Memorial Day weekend. I will try to be as detailed as possible. New to boats, and not a wiring expert.
04 Four Winns with a 5.0L Merc I/O.
Installed Depth Gauge. Powered it by splicing to the Yellow wire on back of ignition because I didn't want constant power draw I thought I would get if I plugged it into the fuse panel. (Have since learned that the Y wire on the ignition switch only has power in the Start position, not the Run position - so will obviously change that once I figure out the bigger problem. But did not know this when the problem occurred.)
On the water on Sunday, everything running fine except depth gauge (I assume because spliced to Y wire). So at the end of our outing I crawl under the console to find out if my depth gauge wiring is faulty (to transducer and temp sensor). Engine is running at idle. Fiddle with depth gauge wiring connections and the engine dies immediately. Didn't sputter, just instant death.
What I think I know:
-battery has juice - trim still works fine and I have a batt meter
-radio does NOT work. radio is wired direct to battery somehow because it normally powers on whenever I connect the battery - regardless of ignition position. This is no longer occurring.
-the ignition is a little bit of a mystery. with the batt connected I have voltage from the B post to the I post in the Run position. I do NOT have voltage from B to S when the ignition is in the Start. My understanding is the Yellow wire attached to the S post runs to the Starter. Lack of voltage caused me to wonder if the ignition switch itself is bad. I removed it and tested continuity according to my Merc manual. It passed those tests - I did them twice. So I am not certain whether the ignition is ok or not.
-I have performed continuity tests on all of the fuses in the fuse block, the square fuse on the (not sure, it sits next to the battery, away from the engine and has a wire going directly from the battery to it - sits near the trim pump, but a separate component), and the 50 Amp circuit breaker mounted on the engine. All passed.
- I have also attempted continuity tests on the solenoid - not sure if this was appropriate, just seemed like a way to figure out if I fried that.
Any ideas on what to do next? I read a recent post that seemed to have a similar, yet different electrical issue. One piece of advice there was to run a wire direct from B terminal on ignition to the starter solenoid. Is that a worthwhile troubleshooting step in my case? I am hoping I have provided enough background information that something more obvious may allow me hone in on a couple of key tests that would get me to the heart of the issue.
Thanks in advance!!
04 Four Winns with a 5.0L Merc I/O.
Installed Depth Gauge. Powered it by splicing to the Yellow wire on back of ignition because I didn't want constant power draw I thought I would get if I plugged it into the fuse panel. (Have since learned that the Y wire on the ignition switch only has power in the Start position, not the Run position - so will obviously change that once I figure out the bigger problem. But did not know this when the problem occurred.)
On the water on Sunday, everything running fine except depth gauge (I assume because spliced to Y wire). So at the end of our outing I crawl under the console to find out if my depth gauge wiring is faulty (to transducer and temp sensor). Engine is running at idle. Fiddle with depth gauge wiring connections and the engine dies immediately. Didn't sputter, just instant death.
What I think I know:
-battery has juice - trim still works fine and I have a batt meter
-radio does NOT work. radio is wired direct to battery somehow because it normally powers on whenever I connect the battery - regardless of ignition position. This is no longer occurring.
-the ignition is a little bit of a mystery. with the batt connected I have voltage from the B post to the I post in the Run position. I do NOT have voltage from B to S when the ignition is in the Start. My understanding is the Yellow wire attached to the S post runs to the Starter. Lack of voltage caused me to wonder if the ignition switch itself is bad. I removed it and tested continuity according to my Merc manual. It passed those tests - I did them twice. So I am not certain whether the ignition is ok or not.
-I have performed continuity tests on all of the fuses in the fuse block, the square fuse on the (not sure, it sits next to the battery, away from the engine and has a wire going directly from the battery to it - sits near the trim pump, but a separate component), and the 50 Amp circuit breaker mounted on the engine. All passed.
- I have also attempted continuity tests on the solenoid - not sure if this was appropriate, just seemed like a way to figure out if I fried that.
Any ideas on what to do next? I read a recent post that seemed to have a similar, yet different electrical issue. One piece of advice there was to run a wire direct from B terminal on ignition to the starter solenoid. Is that a worthwhile troubleshooting step in my case? I am hoping I have provided enough background information that something more obvious may allow me hone in on a couple of key tests that would get me to the heart of the issue.
Thanks in advance!!
