ignition switch 15 Hp evin, has beep and choke no starting

[steve ypsi mi]

I bougth this 1991 15 Evinrude out board with controls used about 3 years for a trolling motor on a sea ray 22.5 foot and took it out and it started and ran but when I shut the key off it wouldn't stop the motor so I choked it. I only used it that one day 3 years ago...
this year 2007 I was trying to get it started and it wouldn't turn over, I started it by leaving the key on and rope starting it so it does run. when I turn the key on it seems to be sticky and stays in the crank posistion but doesn't crank, also the beeper comes on when I turn the key on and when I push to choke I can hear the electric choke clicking on but it won't turn the motor over, I tightened the screws on the switch but none were loose.
I also can leave the key on and use a jumper on the solnoid and it will turn and start.
I looked for a fuse on the engine but couldn't find one but if it starts and runs it shouldn't be that I would think but what do I know.
I didn't want to go thru the expense of getting a switch and its a real bear to swap out because the wires are so short if I didn't need to but I am leaning toward as the switch is wore out inside on the cranking part of the switch.

any one think that the switch is wore out inside, every thing works but the cranking part

I have a 3 postion switch, on, start choke looks real similar to this

Item #MP39760
Ignition Switch

Push-to-Choke; Off-Run-Start; Delrin, stainless steel. Push to choke feature, 6 terminals, special weather proofing seal and drain holes. Mounting bushing 1/2" long, 13/16 diameter replaces Johnson-Evinrude 388173, 390129, 390133, 393301 and 508180.


Quantity $26.29

 

[CATransplant]

Re: ignition switch 15 Hp evin, has beep and choke no starting

I'd suspect a bad switch, but I'd check the wiring very carefully, focusing on the ground connection. It's easy enough to replace the switch, and it's not all that expemsive, really. If it's sticky when you turn the key, I'm betting that there's corrosion inside the switch. Not an uncommon thing. But check all the wiring first, including the internal wiring on the engine.

I don't know if that engine uses a plug for a connection to the external wiring harness, but, if it does, check both the plug and socket for corrosion. That's often a problem, too.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: ignition switch 15 Hp evin, has beep and choke no starting

when running again decarb the engine. you use it for trolling so it builds up carbon. could very well also be carbon burning. i sus[ect switch, but see the post titled "classic runaway"

 

[steve ypsi mi]

Re: ignition switch 15 Hp evin, has beep and choke no starting

when running again decarb the engine. you use it for trolling so it builds up carbon. could very well also be carbon burning. i sus[ect switch, but see the post titled "classic runaway"

thanks, always willing to learn, keep that in mind about the runaway motor, Had that happen when I leaned out the jets on a motocross cycle to run smoother on the start line, ran fine untill the second lap and as I was approaching a Jump the motor wouldn't shut down, I went over the jump and the bike went straight in the air and the rear brake would not stop the motor at about 40 feet high, people were running away from the course and I knew I was dead but some how I hit on the rear wheel and made it thru, I changed the Jets back that night.

Thanks for the responce, I was just out checking again and looking and I moved the Neutral switch where it rides on the throttle shifter to see if that helped and it didn't, it acts like the neautral switch is out of posistion but I am going to go buy the switch tomorrow and see. they arn't open today.
I do use the decarbon stuff on all my motors, sure smokes like crazy when you start them up, just started my 2 johnson 70 hp motors on my 20 foot twin Vee catamaran and I use 2 of those blue plastic barrels cut about 40 percent off the barrel and the water was black and nasty in a few minutes and it was hard to see the motors for all the smoke

 

[steve ypsi mi]

Re: ignition switch 15 Hp evin, has beep and choke no starting

update, put the new key switch this morning 5-8, exact same thing, you can hear the choke work, the beeper go's off, no starting, I checked the yellow & red wire with a Test light on the Neutraul switch where the power comes from the Key switch with a Test light not a voltage tester and It lit Up, I am rigging my voltage tester to use aligator clamps so I can check the voltage at the shifter off the neutraul switch to see what volts are there but I got to find a neighbor to check at the solnoid yellow Red wire on the motor to see if its got power at that end because its 12 feet away, what a pain.
Bought this motor 2 1/2 years and only ran it for a 1/2 or or so to make sure it was running right and it was O-K except I had to use the choke to stop the motor, I think the old key was messed up on at least that part.

 

[steve ypsi mi]

Re: ignition switch 15 Hp evin, has beep and choke no starting

well Ijust got the Volt tester rigged with aligator clips so I could turn the Key, first tested the voltage at the neutral switch and it had 12.50 volts at the neutral switch, so I tested where it came out of the neautral switch by turning the Key to start and it had 12.50 volts there, shut key off and went to the motor and jumped the yellow and red wire go's on the solnoid, jumped it from the small post to the incoming big hot wire to the solnoid and it turns over even though I can't get any power to the yellow and red post on the solnoid because don't have any one to turn the key for me up front, can't understand why it would turn over by jumping that yellow and red wire that comes from the neutral switch but with out the key being turned it doesn't have any power to that wire

 

[Walker]

Re: ignition switch 15 Hp evin, has beep and choke no starting

Bet you a dollar there's a fuse blown. Look on your engine for a red or black little torpedo looking thing. Pull it apart and you will find your fuse

 

[steve ypsi mi]

Re: ignition switch 15 Hp evin, has beep and choke no starting

Bet you a dollar there's a fuse blown. Look on your engine for a red or black little torpedo looking thing. Pull it apart and you will find your fuse

Nope it wasn't a Fuse
I stopped a neighbor that was driving by and made him turn the key inside the boat while I used a voltage tester at the solnoid on the motor, well zero volts when he turned the Key at the motor and at the shifter it was showing 14 volts going into the solnoid wire going to the motor.
I took about 12 feet of wire and hooked it to the solnoid on the motor and ran back to the neutral switch and unplugged the wire going back and hooked up this jumper or replacement wire, turned key and turned over and fired up so some where in the wire harness the starter or solnoid wire is broke inside the wire so I guess i will route this new wire along side the wiring harness , don't want to go thru the hassle of buying a wire harness and put it in

 

[Walker]

Re: ignition switch 15 Hp evin, has beep and choke no starting

I owe you a dollar!!!

 

[steve ypsi mi]

Re: ignition switch 15 Hp evin, has beep and choke no starting

I owe you a dollar!!!

No you don't walker,, any one that has to live in SanAntonio,Tx I should pay, Long time ago I lived there for 6 weeks in Boot camp, Oct 1961, never forgot the big spiders and bugs.
The same Neighbor that helped turn the Key was a telephone repairman for 30 years, I asked him how I could have checked that with a ohm meter, I am dumb as a rock when it comes to that,
he said since these wires ran so far I could have taken a extra wire and conected it to the suspect wire by a clip or just twisting together and ran the other end up in the boat or vise virsa and took the tester set on ohms and touched the new wire to the suspect wire, if the gauge didn't peg it meant that there was a break in the wire, the extra wire was to make a circle to bring the wires close enough togther to use the tester and we know the extra wire is good, all power has to be off during this test or it will blow the tester