Omc starter solenoid wires

[spence04]

Ok so I have a new starter solenoid in but I'm not sure what wires go where, the motor is a 1990 Omc 5.0 cobra. So far my setup is the 2 large post have the positive from the battery to the solenoid, the other post has a positive to the starter, but there is a purple wire that is attached to a positive post which I know it doesn't belong and that's where I'm at a loss. 1 of 2 small post doesn't have any wire connected to it and the other small post has 2 wires connected in the color of how/red and I can't make out what the other is.

Any help would be appreciated in the form a step by step wire connection for my solenoid.

Thanks in advance

 

[mfkadz]

Usually power comes in directly to the starter. There will usually be a couple other wires connecting there also to feed the rest of the motor. The other big connector would go to the starter. I can't see a need for another wire to be there. One of the small connectors goes to ground (the motor). The other is whatever wire connects to the start position on the switch.

mike

 

[spence04]

So after further observation today, I believe that all wires are properly connected to the solenoid meaning 1 red from battery to solenoid, 2 red from 2 50 amp fuses and another set of wires that look black all going to 1 large solenoid post. To me that doesn't sound right but the only thing that is working is my tilt/trim motor, I'm not getting any other reactions other than that.

Now the next weird thing is the starter has a red positive going to the other large solenoid post, but also there is another wire coming separately off the starter but it's not connected to anything, but when I touch it to the large post that has 4 wires the starter engages but the engine is not turning over...I'm at a loss right now.

 

[mfkadz]

If the little wire is connect to the starter and you touch the post you are bypassing the solenoid and there is not enough gauge in that wire. It could melt the insulation actually.

In your first post you said there was nothing connecting to one of the small posts.

the big posts pass the juice to the starter. And you have another solenoid receiving power. Your up tilt?

The little posts control the actuation of the solenoid. One to ground and one to the starter position on the switch.

If there is absolutely nothing connected to one of the small terminals and no ground strap then a wire is missing. You will never engage the starter.

If youo look at the other solenoid that works. I bet the small connectors have two wires connected to it.

With the start switch off....

With a DVM set to ohms ground one lead and connect the other to the small wire. Is that open? Check the other connection. Is that open? Are either shorted?

Change to 20 volt scale. One lead to ground and the other to the small connection with wires. Turn on the boat and attempt to start. When you turn to start do you get 12v? If so, you need to run a wire from the other terminal to ground. If not you need to figure out which wire is suppose to go there .

mike

 

[spence04]

Well I placed the yellow/red wire on the ignition post which usually means ignition, that was the one that didn't have a wire at all, I then placed the purple/black wire on the "s" post which should be starter and I matched the ignition switch so they are coordinated to the solenoid. But everything tested ok, I even checked the 2 50 amp fuses and they are blown.

 

[mfkadz]

How about a couple of pictures.

mike

 

[Silvertip]

Two seconds of google search for "1990 OMC starter solenoid wiring" turned up this. Google is always your friend.

https://www.google.com/search?q=199...v&sa=X&ei=FIVrVf7EGcjQtQXY2YPQCw&ved=0CB0QsAQ

 

[spence04]

Yep I typed that in Google but nothing worth of knowledge showed up. But I'm frustrated because I should be out on the water but instead I'm sitting at the marina looking up wiring diagrams.

 

[mfkadz]

But I'm frustrated because I should be out on the water but instead I'm sitting at the marina looking up wiring diagrams.

I hear ya there. I have cleaned, order parts, tested, fixed, ordered parts, tested, .... Been to the lake 6 times now expecting all to be right. Well, I think I finally got it. I think I been playing with it for 6 or 7 weeks. You will get it going and feel much better about it.

mike

 

[spence04]

Yeah I'm definitely feeling it but I will take some pictures when I go back out to my storage at the marina, but I know it's some simple wiring that I'm missing. So what do I need to take a picture of?

 

[mfkadz]

The starter solenoid and all the associated wires.

Mike

 

[spence04]

And by the way the manual really don't tell you anything about the purpose of the wire color. I looked that up all weekend and it doesn't help me at all because I have the yellow/ red wire connected on the ignition switch, the orange wire to the battery, and the purple black the starter and I still don't get any reaction out of it.

 

[Silvertip]

Schematic diagrams don't have to have notations about what function they perform. Whatever circuit you are troubleshooting you start at the device. To troubleshoot a starter find the starter on the diagram and you will see wire colors. You will see a wire running from the "S" terminal on the ignition switch to the small terminal on the starter solenoid. That wire needs to have 12 volts on it when the key is in the START position. One of the large terminals on the solenoid goes to the starter motor itself. The other large terminal has the large POSITIVE battery cable on it along with the smaller charging wire from the charging system. If your engine ignition system has a ballast resistor, the other small terminal on the solenoid goes to the coil to bypass the ballast resistor while cranking the engine. The solenoid body itself provides the ground. Since diagrams get big and are hard to publish on one page, there will be connectors or junction points that you need to match up to get from one page to the next.