Starter won't stop cranking on 5.7 Merc

[focker1636]

The starter on my 2001 Bayliner with 5.7 Merc carb I/O won't stop cranking, even when the key is in the off position or out of the switch all together. The starter and engine start cranking when the switch is in the on position. I can kill using the kill switch on the throttle. With the key in the off position I can arc the slave solenoid and the starter will crank (not sure if that's normal or not).

When running the boat last summer I had no issues with the ignition systems. In the fall, after the boat had sat for a month or so, I could not get the starter to crank with the ignition switch in the start position. No click either. I could get the boat to start by arcing the slave solenoid. It is my understanding that's a sign of a bad slave solenoid. So I replaced the slave solenoid over the winter, but couldn't test as the boat was winterized. I was careful to map where the wires were and wired the new solenoid as it was before.

Also, I had a bad VDO instrument cluster. That was repaired by VDO and I also purchased a marine cluster isolation unit from VDO to prevent future damage to the cluster due to potential bad grounding. There is a single yellow/red wire which daisy chains to the yellow/red wire going into the ignition switch.

The ignition switch has three posts: B, I, and S. The purple/red wire on the B post. The daisy chained cluster of wires are on the S post. No wires going to I post.

I have attempted to change the wiring on the slave solenoid with no change. I have moved the wires on the ignition switch from S to I with no change. At the recommendation of an auto mechanic I wacked the slave solenoid with the rubber mallet when the starter is cranking away with the no change.

Any ideas? Could the starter have gone bad as well, even though the arcing of the slave solenoid worked to start the engine previously, with starter engaging only when arcing? Bad ignition switch? Another bad slave solenoid?

 

[dubs283]

Re: Starter won't stop cranking on 5.7 Merc

have a read of this:

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=167035

its not specifically designed for your issue but there are some good diagrams in it that will help your troubleshooting

 

[Don S]

Re: Starter won't stop cranking on 5.7 Merc

Your ignition switch wiring is wrong for one thing.

 

[focker1636]

Re: Starter won't stop cranking on 5.7 Merc

Your ignition switch wiring is wrong for one thing.

Don,

According to the diagram, that appears to be the way the switch is wired. The purple/red wire is going to the B post. There is one other cluster of cables, all daisy chained together. That cluster of cables is going to the S post, as indicated to by the diagram. This is the way the boat was wired when I got it and it ran fine for a number of seasons.

Can you explain what it is you believe is wrong, so that I may understand better?

 

[Gettinther]

Re: Starter won't stop cranking on 5.7 Merc

Number 1 don't whack electrical components.

My suggestion would be disconnect the large terminal on the slave solenoid connecting to the starter solenoid.

connect test light to that terminal and then put key in start position and release if the light responds according to key position ( lite on in start, lite off in run ) then solenoid should be ok if the lite stays on when you release the key rechek wiring or defective solenoid .

 

[Don S]

Re: Starter won't stop cranking on 5.7 Merc

The ignition switch has three posts: B, I, and S. The purple/red wire on the B post. The daisy chained cluster of wires are on the S post. No wires going to I post.

For one thing, you should have the purple wires on the I post, second you should have a yellow/red wire on the S post, and it's not even mentioned. Where is it at?

According to the diagram, that appears to be the way the switch is wired. The purple/red wire is going to the B post. There is one other cluster of cables, all daisy chained together. That cluster of cables is going to the S post, as indicated to by the diagram.

What color is this "cluster of cable all daisy chained together"?
.

 

[focker1636]

Re: Starter won't stop cranking on 5.7 Merc

For one thing, you should have the purple wires on the I post, second you should have a yellow/red wire on the S post, and it's not even mentioned. Where is it at?



What color is this "cluster of cable all daisy chained together"?
.

Don,

There are a couple of differences in my Bayliner wiring and the colors shown the in the diagram. There is no solid purple wire running to or anywhere under the dash. The diagram does show a purple going to the I post, but there is no purple wire available. Where the diagram shows a red/purple going to the B post, my wire is purple with a red stripe. The same color also runs to one of the posts on the slave solenoid, the other large wire is yellow / red. The cluster of cables daisy chained together (maybe daisy chained isn't the best term but I lack a better term) has a number of wires all of different colors. This includes the yellow with red stripe wires. Essentially the connectors for each wire have a little side post so that the next wire attaches to that connector and so on.

 

[Don S]

Re: Starter won't stop cranking on 5.7 Merc

What model boat do you have? I am going to download the owners manual for the boat and see if I can tell what you have.

Found you have a Capri 2150 and found the wiring diagram.
Who knows what all has been changed, or by whom in your wiring, but it is not how Bayliner did it.
Here is their diagram. I did add the colors to the 2 wires you are most concerned with.

 

[focker1636]

Re: Starter won't stop cranking on 5.7 Merc

What model boat do you have? I am going to download the owners manual for the boat and see if I can tell what you have.

Found you have a Capri 2150 and found the wiring diagram.
Who knows what all has been changed, or by whom in your wiring, but it is not how Bayliner did it.
Here is their diagram. I did add the colors to the 2 wires you are most concerned with.

Thanks. I am apparently an idiot and wired the ignition incorrectly after installing the cluster. Moved the two yellow / red to I post and it fires as it should.

 

[Don S]

Re: Starter won't stop cranking on 5.7 Merc

Moved the two yellow / red to I post and it fires as it should.

There shouldn't be any yellow/red wires on the I post, should be 1 purple wire, let alone 2 of them
There should be one yellow red wire on the S terminal of the ignition switch. No clue why you have 2 or where the wrong one should go.
At this point, it sounds like you are lucky anything works at all. :facepalm:

 

[focker1636]

Re: Starter won't stop cranking on 5.7 Merc

Sorry, I meant the yellow/red to the S post. There is a yellow/red wire coming off the marine cluster isolation unit, which connected to the existing yellow / red.